The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-02-09
THE INCOME TAX.

THE INCOME TAX.
!, The repeal of the "Income Tax" was
sentiment embodied in the platforms OF bot
political parties during the last campaign II
Idaho. The Republican party throughout tn
whole county, east and west, appeared to b
about equally divided upon the question, while
that portion opposed to its repeal, in order tt
satisfy, in some measure, the public clamor
admitted that reform in the revenue service
was demanded as q matter of justice to the
people, but they evaded committing themselves
to a repeal of this, the most unjust and odious
tax ever collected from the American people.
A Radical exchange, few days since, took
occasion to twit the Democracy on the fact OF
Senator Blair of Missouri having voted against
the repeal of this tax, and referred to the vote
of Blair as being of itself evidence that the
Democracy were opposed to the adjustment
of this burdens0me tax. In examining the
proceedings of Congress upon the subject, we
find that the opposition to the repeal of that
tax came altogether from the Radical side.
The debate, so far as we have been able to
learn from the Globe and from eastern ex-
changes, was participated in only by Radical
Senators, and the st. Louis Republicans Wash
ington correspondent, writing under date of
January Goth, says:
The proposition of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue to repeal the income tax met with formda-
BILE opposition to-day from the Secretary OF the
Treasury and the Chairman OF the Finance Commit
tee OF the Senate. Mr. Boutwell, appeared before the
Ways and Means Committee and opposed the aboli-
ton Of the tax unless proposed TO keep up the
internal revenue receipts by some other and new
form of taxation. With the present expenditure OF
the Government he did not see how Congress could
do away with the revenue received from the tax on
income
In the Senate, the question OF the repeal being un-
der consideration during most of to-day. Mr.. sher-
man opposed it in elaborate speech rejecting SUBJ
;tantially the views of Mr. Boutwell, aud defending
he tax as one levied on capital and, therefore, just
md equitable.
One Senator 1--WE believe it was Mr.. Wilson
If Massachusetts, stated during the debate
hat the passage of the bill by the Senate would
70 considered n vote of want of confidence in
he Secretary of the Treasury which, in Eng
and, would be followed by dissolution and
resignation of the entire Cabinet. We think
dr. Wilson's fears are ungrounded, SO far ms
he repeal of the tax resulting in the resigna-
ion of any of his official party friends is con-
erned. They never resign or give up official
ositions until peremptorily ordered to do so
y the people, and then frequently. as in the
ase OF Ex-Governor Smith, of Alabama, and
theirs too numerous TO mention, they attempt
} hold on, regardless of the public verdict. /
The final vote on the passage of the bill !
lows that every Democrat except one.-Mr /,
in tho affirmative, while John. n
on OF Virginia. who is classed as Democrat. il
I'D who voted in the negative, was elected TO [
% Senate as Republican. The vote stood 3
as. 20; nays, %, twenty-three of those vot. {
G against the bill being Radicals, one Con.
rvativc and one Democrat Among those 7
ting in The negative was Senator Williams >,
Oregon, who has heretofore exercised so y
UGH control over political affairs in Idaho. Il
As the record stands, it shows the Democ.
cy to be the friends of repeal, and the Re- Ii
bllcan party to be in favor of continuing n
Z which even members Of that party have m
nounced as being inquisitorial in Its nature. y,
equal IN its operation and unconstitutional g,
itself. -
q a Il