The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-03-22
The Income Tax.

TO the income tax, though we have
had our own. opinion about it,
We have expected that the tax
would be abolished very soon, be.
cause there is great clamor raised
against it, especially in that sec
tion Of the country where there is
the greatest amount of wealth,
and at the same time. the greatest
aversion to paying a iair, share of
taxes thereon.
1t the income tax is abolished,
the effect will be, like all the lecis.
lation of Radica! Congress, to
relieve New England from its lust
share Of taxation and impose still
heavier burdens npon the West
and South for the amount will be
made up i'll some other way. We
said I" INST share" inadvertently.
The truth is, Massachusetts now,
with $77,000,000 more property
than Ohio, pays $7,OOO,0OO less
tax.
1t the income tax Is abolished,
it will reduce the amount of tax
collected from Massachusetts more
than one halt, from Virginia about
one irty.eighths from Rhode
Island more than onc-balf, from
illinois less than one. .titteentb.-
Vermont will have her taxes re.
cuced more than nine-tenths, Ohio
one fourteenth, Maine more than
one half, Kentucky less than one.
twenty.third, New Hampshire
nearly two.thirds, Missouri less
than one.eleventh, Connecticut
more than one half, Indiana less
than one seventeenth.
off the income tax is abolished,
the six New England States will
pay S3, 3,161, ,19S as the full amount
OF their internal taxes, while the
three Western and the three South.
ern States named will pay $50, ,31s,.
SOL. And wo of the West and South
are congratulated upon this happy
state OF things by the representa-.
tives OF the millionaires, the repre-
sen'atives of the bond holders, who
are not even taxed upon the prin.
cipal OF their bonds. They, too,
congratulate the toiling millions
upon the fact that the bond.nolder
is to be relieved from the paltry
tax upon his income, and that the
tax which the bond. d.holder now
pays will soon be paid by labor"
A tax upon incomes, We believe,
may be 50 arranged AS to be the
fi,irest Of any that can be laid and
the most acceptable to the great
mass of tax payers. Taxes upon
rei1 estate and upon certain per-
sonal property arc often burden.
some, especially when proper.
ty taxed is nearly or quite unpro.
ductive; while a portion out of an
actual income can always be
spared without inconvenience =
We wonid have liberal exemptions
allowed in favor of those of small
or moderate incomes; but the man
OF large income should pay an in
creasing per cent in proportion to
the amount of his ability to pay.
For instance a man with an in.
come of $4,000 could live more
easily OH $45, 900 than a man with
an income of only 5000 could on
$2,97O.
Let the former, then, be taxed
ten per cent, and the latte, one per
cent on his income. Let the per
cent of tax vary from one to ten
per cent according to the income.
The exemptions might be some.
thing as follows: First $4,000,
with all addition OF $500 or 5000.
if married, and a further addition
Of say $3.50 for each child under
age in the family then the amount
actually paid for rent of dwelling,
for ordinary and necessary repairs
OF dwelling and for taxes thereon,
and amount paid for schooling.
OF course, the necessary cx.
PSoSo Va VI" h'S VII any VI SlHcSS
must be deducted in determining
the taxable income from that bust
ness. The great object should be
to reach those persons who have
ample means to pay taxes from
large net incomes. The great cap.
italists, the millionaires and the
(" bloated bond.holders," will of
course object to all this {; but the
day may yet come when these
principles will be carried out, to
the joy and relief of the poor and
the moderate in circumstances.
who now pay disproportionate
and burdensome amount of taxes.
[Sumter Nesos.
-s--S.
JENA AvESoEp.-Here is where
the shoe pihched the Prnssian
foot. The battle of Jena, fatal to
tla Rrua ian rnnnorchv ,,oo