Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-08-21
SATURDAY MORNING, AUG. q, 1869.
Income Tax.

We find in the last number of the Pa
c;fc Tribune very remarkable article to
appear in & loyal journal, which took
us quite as much by surprise as the COM
ments of the same paper a few weeks ago
under the somewhat pretentious caption of
- Nepotism.' Has our venerable friend
abandoned the Republican party, and does
he intend hereafter to camp with its enc
mics, or has the party abandoned him, and
he drawn the scalping-knife in revenge?
But hear what he says:
"A personal income tax is olious in all
countries, and particularly so in the United
States
We deny the proposition that the tax
upon incomes is the most q odious" rrovis-
ion of the internal revenue law. In fact
VIC regard it as about the least objectiona-
bic. The tax upon the necessarics Of life,
down to box OF matches, affects the poor
man. the class least able to bear the loss.
while the $1,000 exemption on incomes
cfectually protects him from any hardship
resulting from that provision of the law.
Those whose income exceeds that amount
can probably pay dollars, where poore'
man, whose wages has been reduced by
negro and Chinese labor, could i'll afford
to pay cents. The Tribune prays for the
repeal of the section relating to incomes.
For the single reason VIC have given, it
would serve far better the objects of phi
lanthropy by petition for the repeal Of
the provision which is susceptible of so
many conflicting interpretations, which in
ficts so many severe penalties, and reaches
those who are least prepared to bear tho
burdens Of such an inccssant drain upon
their little hoard. The Tribune proceeds ::
s'Beng rcpusnant to popular sentiment, no
great stretch of conscience is required to evade
its provisions"
Alas. that is too true, as we find ample
evidence in our own community to prove.
But who arc the men who seek to cvade its
provisions? Who the men whose con.
sciences arc so pliablc that they evade the
tax? Let single instance illustrate:
There were, when the last assessment was
made, no less than ten newspaper Offices in
this Territory, only two Of which returned
incomes-the two Democratic newspapers
Notwithstanding all the Radical sheets
had more or less of Government pap in
the way Of Public printing, publication of
the U. S. Laws, printing of official blanks,
and tho subsidies Of political aspirants.
1t may be easy, as Bro. Prosch says, for a
Republican to evade the tax, but not SO for
Democrat, even if he should feel disposed
to perjure himself in makinga false return;
fraud, We are proud to assert, none Of
ourparty associates have been mean enough
to perpctratc. He then proceeds:
"Only government employees and salaric9
men really have to pay the full amount of in
come tax, as the law at present exists. They
have no option in the matter. The sum due
from the former are levied in advance upon
their montnly salaries, while proof Of the
amounts received by the latter is always Access
sible to the assessor. Those who ought to pay
most escape paying anything"
This is indeed heartess, uni ust prefer
euce, and we are surprised that Prosch,
whoi himselfa greasy mechanic" should
avow it. Why the laborer should pay more
than the salaried men and Government
employees is proposition in which we
cannot see shadow of sense or reason.
"Thosc who ought to- pay most" according
to our venerable contemporary, arc not
Government employees or salaried men,"
but the farmer, the mechanic, the laboring
community who stretch their consciences"
and evade the law. Ho could not have
even remotely included the bondholders
with them, for they are exempt, under
Republican legislation from the payment
81 the heaviest tax, aud have no desire tn
eurtail that which goes to buy gold aud