The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-26
The Income Tax.

In the House Of Representatives, satur'
day, Mr.. soHENck, chairman Of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, said :" Myown
!" opinion Is that Che income tax cannot be
" dispensed with unless we continue some
!" other taxes which are really more odious'
"more annoying, and more oppressive 10
I" the people, than the income tax"
General MORGAN said: -
CT believe that the income tax as it now
stands is q Just tax, If there ls any just tax
In our whole system Of internal taxation.
1t is tax upon capital, sna # were to
propose my change n the present law un'
deEc.%aS sch It is levied, it would be to MAKE
tf6e exemption g., 900 instead of $l ,00O."
Mr.. soHENok also stated the following Gu.
rious facts: -.
"Of those who pay the income tax in the
first place there are 107 1897 who pay twenty
dollars or less. If you raise the exemption
81 900, that is, from s., 900 to S2,ooo, you
will cut them of. The second class consists
of 69,1S4, who pay between twenty anu
fifty dollars the third class, OF a, lS6, VINO
pay between fifty and one hundred a 81 aas
income tax; and the fourth class, OF 4o,VOz
who nav between 500 and $500 income tax.
Those Who nav over $500 of income tax al.
together only amount to s, 464 In the Unlteo
States, making the whole number OF Per,
sons who nav income tax in the United
States 2T2, 843.'
So that TO increase the exemption to 81, 200
would cut off only one-third of the tax, ana
vet would relieve all but ffty-odd thousand
persons In the United States from the TAX.
Mr.. VOORHEES, said
"Instead of this being on unpopular tax,
would say to this House that the most IN
popular act it could commit would be, IN
nv Judgment, to repeal the income tax. l
represent large agricultural district, pop
lous and in good circumstances. l tnlnk,
however, I should be faithless to their
wishes on this subject if I voted here to re-
lieve that class of people who are best a0le
to nav tax upon their incomes. inns TAX
falls on that class of people who by the very,
terms Of it have an income to be assessed"
Mr.. CoBURN said:
"I know of no tax in the whole list that
is 30 universally popular and approved by
the whole people as this very income tax
and the reason why it is thus popular and
approved is that it is derived from persons
who, as general rule, are we'll able TO pay
It."
Mr.. FAnsswoETH said that after exempt
ing 81 500 or $4,000
alt seems to me that the tax on incomes
is the fairest tax which we now levy. we
can get large revenue from it, and we can
collect it from men who will not feel 1t, and
at the same time relieve the poor men, the
laboring men, the industry of the country,
from taxation"
MIR. SCHENCK also said:
at the income tax is to be wiped out,
then none of the annoying little special
taxes nor any of the other taxes that are
really 40 yexatious, and perhaps odious be-
yond all others, can be abolished. The al
tentative submitted to the people is really
whether this income tax, this tax upon capt.
tai, shall be continued, or whether We shall
continue these other taxes which in thou
sand ways annoy the people and obstruct
the business of the country"
The House then, by vote Of liz to %, re-
fused to agree to the Senate resolution con.
corning the income tax. s. a.
1t is evident that the leaders Of the House
of both parties oppose the repeal Of this law.
1t will be continued probably, but all sala-
ries under 1900 will be exempted. 30 as to
leave but thousand or two in each State
to pay the tax and do MI the grumbhng-
amongst whom we should DO numbered.