The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-26
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1870.


The Tribune says Of tho Income Tax
that II Is "thc most unequal, uniair, in
quIsitorIal, pcrjury.provoking tax ever in'
posed" and hopes 1t may not be renewed.
The Tribune never told more truth in n
few words than 1t has here. Il might
have added that no tax imposed by the
government gives 50 much trouble and
annoyance to the people who have y pay
Il. It produces IN amount Of irritation
and i'll feeling that no other tax ever did
or can. A good Republican remarked to
us the other day that If anything could
make him vote against his party 1t would
be the renewal Of this tax; and there arc
only too many who feel the same way.
1t Is agreed on oil hands at Washington
that there should be a reduction of Fcde-
raj taxation Of thirty to Atty millions.
As an extraordinary resort tue income
tax was enacted to run until the COM
menccment Of this decade, and, MS the net
expressly declared, no longer A rcduc-
ton Of taxes for much more than the
amount yielded by it being now comics.
sedly admissible, Congress would do MI
exceedingly unwiso thing to renew this
odIous inquisition into the private business
Of tho citizen. II there is anything poo
pie value In this country II Is the right TO
he free from intermeddling in their pri-
vate affairs. 1t is the exposure Of mans
business, not only to the revenue officers
hut everybody else who chooses, that
makes this law SO offensive. r d,
Besides II Is premium OH dishonesty
The honest men pay; the rogues do not
But If 1t were enforced exactly according
10 its intent, ii is still very unequal law.
A nun Of moderate means here is allow
cd IN exemption for rent Of homestead Of
$3.50 or $500. In New York u rich man
Is allowed for same 5000 or $4,000. ~
poor widow who has her MI invested in
the dividend paying stock Of corpora
ton, Is taxed down to the last dollar Of
her income, though others are allowed an
exemption of $1,000. Incomes arising
rom uncertain md prccariOus business
arc taxed as much rs those arising from
secure investments in bonds or real estate;
whereas in the first case u man muy lnSe
next year all he makes this, and even lose
his principal, while in the other there is
perfect security md the income is certain
and regular.
1t is said only about 95O,OOO persons pay
all this enormous tax Of nearly $3O,OOOOOO
annually. or course, then, the several
millions Of people who pay none of it Nrc
very willing to see this burden laid on
others; and the Pittsburgh Gazette thinks
since the sufferers are so few and the cx-
Gmipts so many, It must needs he II pOpu-
lar law. Let us suggest to the Gazette that
the 100000 victims OF this inquistiOn arc
just the people that Congress and the Re-
publican purity cannot afford to ALLEVIATE
hy laying on them unjust or nccdIcSsIy
heavy md irritatingburdcns. They repre-
sent the intelligence and influence, as well
rs the business bone and sincw Of the
country. From the Indications herc--and
we presume the same state of facts exists
elsewhere; for like Causes, under like con-
dltions, produce like eGrcts--it will be
wise for Republican members Of Congress,
from considerations of mere party pru-
dcncc, II from no other, to let this law die
rs it was intended 10 die, a proposition
has even been canvnssctl here TO hold IL
public meeting and request our members
orCongress to vote against any4rncwhl.
Whether the feeling finds this kind of en-
preston or moi we know it exists, and
trust our Copgrcssmcn will make u note
of Il. . W.. j.. gu. ta% = 81. .