Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-23
THE INCOME TAX.

This unconstitutional and grossly in
iquitous tax, we have hope, will soon
be thing of the past If the people of
the North, who are quite as much inter-
ested in the subject as the people of the
South, will keep laundering away at their
members of Congress, we will soon hear
less of reconstruction and more of the re-
duction of taxes. The Commissioner of
Internal Revenue in one of his late circu-
lars declared that during the war the peo-
pie paid the taxes imposed without COM
plant, but now that call fear of the sta
bility and perpetuity of the government
has vanished they resist or comply in a
spirit of bitterness and personal denuncia-
ton Hence, he counsels more prudence,
courtesy and Cancellation on the part of
revenue officials. Mr.. Delano seems to
think that the opposition to the tax is
caused by the imprudence and lack of
courtesy and Cancellation on the part of
his subordinates. In this he is very much
mistaken. The objection to this tax rests
upon much more solid foundation. Il
rests upon its unconstitutiOnality, its in
equality, its oppressiveness, its temptations
to perjury and its inquisitorial features.
During the war the people willingly submit
ted to any taxation, to any injustice,
to provide the means of carrying the war
to a successful termination. But now
that the hostile arms have been surrend
cred, now that hostile gun has not
been fired for five years, the people do
complain at and will resist the collection
of this tax, especially when it is collected
to 60 into the Golfers of an untaxed bond
holder There was distinct pledge in
the act of Congress of 1862 that the ex-
action should be limited to the year 1866;
and this was finally extended to the be-
ginning of the current year. There is
not even the shadow of law for assessing
any part of the income for 1870.
We are gratified to see that the more
sensible and sagacious of the Radical
press are coming to our help in this war
upon high taxes. In the Tribune of the
10Th, Mr. Greeley says:
AT last Congress hears the demand of
the people for the abolition of the income
tax; and numerous bills and resolutions
have been prepared or are in preparation
| by various members. Mr.. Payne is first
in the field; but as his bill is simply to re-
| duce, not to abolish the tax, it will not be
satisfactory. Mr.. Butler furnishes in adj
vance the text of a resolution which he is
to introduce directing the Ways and
Means Committee TO prepare bill abol-
/ ishing the income tax and substituting for
it another only less oppressive and Often
sive. Mr.. Negley, of Pennsylvania, has
ready for submission to the House to-day
| still another resolution, with clearer ring
| to it, and Just such a one as the people
demand. 1t amends the revenue laws so
as to remove all tax whatever on incomes,
| and we hope he will press it, as he prOmi-
ses, to an immediate vote. The people
want the yeas and nays on just such
resolution.
The resolution of B. Butler referred TO
above, makes very thorough and desira-
bic change, if the law is to be continued.
| 1t is as follows:
Resolved, etc., That the Committee on
| Ways and Means be directed to prepare
and bring in bill abolishing the income
tax as now provided by law, and instead
| thereof, assess tax of five per cent. of
the interest paid upon all invested capital,
| whether in bonds of railroad, insurance,
or other incorporated companies, or of
towns, counties, cities, States, or the ma
ton; providing for its payment into the
| Treasury of the United States, under
such guards and regulations as may be
proper, by whoever shall pay such inter-
| est to the holder thereof, and to be de-
| Quoted therefrom; also, upon all loans,
however secured, having q longer time to
rum than one year, or which are renewed
for a longer time than that period by
the deduction of five per cent. of the
interest thereon, to be paid into the Treas
ury by the payer thereof; also, five per
cent of all dividends of all incorporated
or ioint-stock companies, such as banks,
insurance companies, and railways and
| others, by causing to be retained by the
company and paid into the Treasury five
per cent thereof; also, upon all mortgages
and leases of lands and tenements five per
cent, to be deducted by the payer of the
interest upon such mortgages and the rent
under such leases; also, tax of one per
cent on all property, or estates in success
sion. legacies, or deeds of gift for other
than charitable purposes on the inven-
tory or appraised value thereof, in the
settlement Of such estates if the
property descends, is devised or given to
one next in blood, not of a collateral
branch; three per cent. in case any prop |
erty is bequeathed, descenis, or is given |
to one of a collateral branch; and five per |
cent. in care the property or estate is de-
vised or given to stranger, or to corpo-
ration not eleemosynary in its character,
and free to all without price, which tax is
to be collected by the Judge, Surrogate,
or other officer settling the estate, when
the accounts are passed and settled, and
paid by him into the Treasury of the
United States; also, providing, in addition