The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-02
pailp ARGUS.
The Income Tax.

There are one or two points eohnee'eu
with the income tax as it now s'@huS' which
we desire to Impress upon the people, SO
that thew NAV comprehend the nature of the
.b,ss which congress hesitates to sweep
avay There is provision in the present
law exemp.ng income less than 8 900, and
vet the government deducts the tax from the
dividends accruing to widows, orphans and
other benehciaries of small trust funds, even
when the income is less than 500 per nn-
mum. Now while no restitution of the tax
levied on these humble sufferers is ever
made, the fortunate possessor Of larger in
comes are always compensated By deductIng
the tax thus withheld from the tax to be
paid. This iniquitous law really reaches
only the very rich and the very poor; all
other classes Of society being measurably
exempt Senator Scott of Pennsylvania
declared in bis speech few days ago-snd
the declaration was not questioned-tha'
with the exception OF the poor people ABOVE
mentioned, the income tax would DC ie'ieu
upon only 94,323 persons OFT OF 'ne o'-oo"
900 votes in the United States. In other
words, the onerous burden must be carried
by one voter out of every sixty-hve. In
tvantr.tbrae congressional districts of the
Toiop nearly one-tenth of the whole-not
a SINGLE dollar is collected, Moreover, the
treasury reports prove tar. the surplus for
the present year will suffice to hquidate
nearly or quite S5C 100000 OF the public
debt; and moreover, Gen. Plesssnton in
forms US thai the abolition OF the income tax
will enable him to dispense with the services
OF about FIVE hundred assistant assessors
who are now being paid at the rate Of five
dollars per day. Common sense, economy
and Justice, each and ali demand the repeal
Of the law and the men who resist that
repeal will surely be held TO rigid account
by the people s.; large, whose torbearsnce
has now ceased to be yi.tue.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3l.-There have been
some signs for some time past OF q growing
discontent.ln official circles with the course
of General Plessanton, the new Commits
soner of Internal Revenue. and s change iu
that department is prayed for BY those who
are best informed. His advocacy OF tie
revenue tax in opposition to the financial
policy of the head OF the Treasury is regard
ed as offensive and as an attempt to 9Th
en- the impulse in public favor at the expense
of the Administration, aud the extraordins
rv statements made OF the collecting the
tax, and the assumed familiarity with the
business. when his sea. was hardly warm
under him are severely criticized.
This sarcastic comment upon an employe
of the administration is i'll timed and out of
place Although Con. Pleassnton, in his
Official acts, way have gained disfavor with
the parties who secured his appointment.
yet they must RENE m Der that he is still
radical, or the removal OF this one may
expose the misdoings OF many others. We
supper: Gen. Pleasenton in his recommen-
datiou for the repeal of the revenue tax
although it is indirec, opposition to the
financial policy OF the administration, sim
ply because the taxis barefaced imposition.
and although his seat may not have been
warm under him when he made his recon-
mendatiou, yet he needed no time in which
TO discover that the revenue system Of This
country is a radical measure of extorton.
"a change in that department is prayed fer
by those most interested in the seat which
is not warm under him. He is obnoxious,
rebelhous to the cause, let him be removed
They accuse him of assumed familiarity
with the system short acquaintance ; he
makes extraordinary statements about the
army of Hears engaged in collecting the
tax. The shos pinche,; il the
army WAS not as large as he rep.
resents it to be, what need for complaints,
why not give their census of the army? He
has been in the army for the past twenty
FIVE years, consequently he is no. familiar
with the necessities of civil government,
they say. Here is an excuse worthy the
radical party. How many OF the officials OF
the government now in power have served
in the army. This serving in the army
makes men incompetent does it? Then why
not kick them oil out of the army or out of
office. We would call the attention Of the
radical party to q number of officials of the
administration who have served in the army,
including the President himself, and reques
that they be instantly De removed. You
have accused one, and cannot slight the re-