Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-01-12
THE INCOME TAX Law.

existence, whether for national, State,
county OF corporation purposes, this
Income Tax has become the most oner-
Gus, oppressive and tyrannical upon
the people throughout the length and
breadth of the country. While the
rebellion existed. and the Government
needed the monied assistance Of the
people, and for upwards Of three years
since the war ended, the loyal people
of ON country willingly paid the fifty
dollars ON each thousand dollars Of
their income. But the time has come,
owing to the many other kinds Of
taxes and license IN existence, when
its continued payment becomes OPP
pressive and unjust. Secretary Bout
well intends to urge upon Congress a
plan for the funding Of about $780,
900, 900 of the national debt at four per
cent. or lower. 1t IS now said that his
idea is to take up the five-twenties now
due, and In their stead issue new bonds.
This plan, it Is expected, will be VIC
lently opposed by the bank interests
and bondholders generally. In regard
to the tax OH incomes, it Is said the
Secretary favors increasing the amount
exempt to $500 or g, 1000, and to tax
all incomes over that amount. He
takes the ground that the present
arrangement Is not a fair propo-
sition. For instance, a person with
an income Of 1880, and probably
a large family to support, pays $lO
income tax per annum, an amount
he can hardly spare, whereas those
of large incomes Tan pay theirs without
stinting themselves or their families.
He considers the income tax just. rs it
is 4 tax upon the surplus wealth of the
country, and if anything should bear
its share of the financial burdens of the
Government, it is considered the net
income Is certainly very nearly the
first. 1t is also considered that this
new scheme, when put in force, will
admit of q reduction of the army of
Internal Revenue appointees, and the
system will permit u material simpli-
fication and saving of expense. While
the suggestion Of the Secretary, If
enacted into a law, would work some
Improvement in the operations of The
Income law, it does not touch It's rad
zeal inequality and injustice, rs the
following illustration will show:
Smith has an income of $4,000 per all
mum from interpretations. He pays an
income tax Of 800. Jones owns 4
house worth $a5, 600, and ias an an
nual income from real estate of $1,000.
From this income the law exempt
$1,000, and taxes and repairs, which
may be set down at least at $500, an
aggregate abatement from the $4,000
Of Sl,5C0, leaving liable to tax only
$500, pay ing but $25 per year. The
Government. under the operation of
the present lGcome law, takes from
Smith onc-twentieth OF all he is worth,
or 50 on every hundred dollars, while
Jones, who represents q $25,OOO house
and ~, 700 Of income, pays but about
30 cents on each thousand dollars.
Smiths tax being on stocks, Is de-
Quoted and paid by the company. He
has 10 remedy, and mllSt submit.
There are thousands Of cases of the
character here enumerated, and Of
themselves prove enough of injustice
to warrant Congress in letting the law
expire by its OWL limitation. 1t
Is clear to every intelligent mind
that this tax OH incomes falls heav-
lest OH that class of the people
who are least able to pay 1t,
and that incomes IN no sense represent
the wealth of the State oil the ability
of the people to bear the burdens of
taxation /; but i most true In 4 new
and rapidly increasing country like
ours, where the greatest fortunes are
made by Investments and speculations
in real estate, which, whether in the
city or the country, pay no income tax,
because incomes are not the present
fruit of such investments. Not so with
salaried and professional people, who
have no escape. SO, also, the farmers
and planters escape taxation OH what
they produce and consume. Every
wear their lands increase in value, but
the Federal Government gets nothing
from it, while all salaries. earnings
and money investments have 10 pay
tax. The tax is In every way ana
place unequal; and, moreover, it Is,
though submitted to, believed to be I'M
constitutional, because It's operations
are not uniform upon States, popula-
ton or citizens. Honorable men can
hardly realize the amount Of perjury
which this d~emoralizing tax has called
forth. Inscriptions persons, rs 1t
suits their interest, report incomes far
below what they really are-to cheat
the GOvernnient-Or, sometimes, far In
excess OF any sum they ever make, to
establish a false credit. Let the Income
tax die by all means. 1t is beneath the
dignity Of n free people. II a contin-
uance of it Is merely to facilitate the
paying of Of our National debt, 1t is
most unjust to the present generation
of tax payers. who have suffered all
the toll and anxiety of the struggle
during which 1t was created. 1t is only
fair that those who come after lis, and
who will reap much of the benefit as
the growing wealth and resources of
our vast continent are developed, should
bear some of the burden.
A COUNTER ACTToN.-A reQuisition
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