New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-03-26
EGemGsa Patriotism.

EGemoGa Patriotism.
If fighting for ones country constituted
all there is Of patriotism, then the French
people might claim fair share of this virtue.
And yet there may be wcll-founded doubt
whether they DO not fight for glory quite as
bravely as for love Of country. There are
other sacrifices, however, besides the willing
ness to risk life in its defence which true
patriotism requires, and which a truly patri-
otto people will as cheerlully make. How
ever physically brave people may be, no
nation can long exist without the ability to
support an organized and efficient govern
ment in all its departments as well as
military. The people must supply it with
the means to secure this end, and it must
be done through system Of taxation bur-
densone just to the extent demanded by its
necessities. All taxes are, more or less,
odioUs, and it is the highest consummation
Of craftsmanship so to frame the tax laws Of
the nation as to make them peri ectiy just
and equitable.
But the French lawmakers, whether in
clined or not to devise system of taxation
which enbodics this principle, and bears
equally upon all the people in proportion to
their ability to meet it, are not permitted
to enact such law. Such an attempt
has been made by the present Assem-
bly, to raise means to meet the cnor-
nous German indemnity and other eX-
pcnses OF the Government. But it seem
utterly to have failed. According to the
Paris correspondent Of the New York Times,
they find it either impossible or unsafe to
compel the wealthy classes to bear anything
like an equitable proportion Of the burdens
Of the Government.
In the first place, this correspondent as
serts that the French legislators are obliged
to throw aside the great principle Of taxing
acquired property; they cannot impose q tax
upon revenues they are not allowed to put
an I'D ra!oTea tax upon the different catego-
ries of property; and the tia,jyc mobile, cor
responding 10 on, revenue stamp, is pro-
nounccd impracticable. Bearing these things
in mind one can understand why so many
curious propositions are entertained, such as
the proposed tax upon slow trains, pianos,
and stoyc-ppe hats.
The Assembly being mainly composed OF
landed proprietors, they very naturally pre-
fer indirect taxation, which bears principally
upon the poor. II may be said that the rich
pay their indirect taxes also, but they DO not
in the same proportion, for indirect taxes,
give rise to taxes upon retail sales imposed
by the trade, and from which the rich whole
sale buyer is very nearly exempt. This is
so important matter that only very few
rich persons could afford to be poor, Or, to
convey the idea in more comprehensive Ian
9uage, could afford to buy their supplies at
the general rates paid b. The poor.
In France, at least, it is asserted that in
direct taxation removes the heavy burdens
from the rich to place them upon the should
ers Of the poor. The idea Of imposing taxes
upon acquired property is also distasteful.
The proprietors are quite ready to admit the
justice and propriety Of taxing foreigner
who leases one Of their houses or apartments
but they claimNhat' it is unjust to tax them
upon property from which they have no GER
tain revenue. y proprietor who has house
worth, say 900, 900 frances, one-quarter of
which is leased, thinks that he should only
pay taxes upon $4,000, or upon the part of
his property which is in activity. Yet with
want Of logic which is really astonishing,
the same men refuse to admit, even for the
sake Of argument, the justice of an income.
The French Legislature use against rev.
enue an argument most disgraceful to the
French people. They claim that 1t would
be impossible to derive any income from this
source, as everybody would make point Of
evading the law. The cost of sufficient
number of inspectors would be too great ;
yet every one denies, in the most empha tic
manner, that this throws a doubt upon the
honesty of the people. The truth Of the
matter is, that the public mind has really
persuaded itself that there is no dishonesty
in evading q law or in defraudng the Gov
eminent. In this way one has to throw aside
some of the best principles Of equitable tax
alton, and nothing is left but resort to
expcdients, all Of which have tendency to
cmbarrass trade and commerce.