The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-04
DISTRICT.
COUNTY.
MIR. TILDEN AND THE INCOME
TAX
Another Reply to the New York Times
From the Albany Argus,
The New York Times saws.

nc 1NtW yin AOtco says
In his answer TO the complaint in the
circuit court of the United States, il the
suit Of the st. Louis, Alton and Terre
Haute Railroad Company against himself
and others, which answer was fled recent
ly, MIR. Tilden swore under oath as fol
lows:
That for such services the defendant Tllden. made
charge Of ten Thousand dollars against said sec
Ond mortgage bondholders, and the said charge
was paid by or on behalf of said second mortgage
bondholders, on the nth of October, 1852:
that the defendant, Tilden, for
part OF his services aforesaid, also made charge
OF the like sum OF ten thousand dollars on account
OF professional services rendered to the first mort
paid to him by the said Azarlah G. Flagg,
and which payment appears under date OF Nov, {,
iS6s, In statement annexed 10 the first report
Tilden, ION account OF professional services"
The Times further says:
On December &c, 1868, Mr.. TildeD sw0re
to a return, under oath, in which he said:
hereby certify that the following is a true and
faithful statement OF the gains profits income of
Samuel j. lilden of the city of New York and coun
~ OF New York, State of New York, whether de-
rived from any kind Of property, rents interests,
dividends, salary, from any profession, trade
employment, or vocation. or from any other source
whatever, from ist day Of January to Dist day Of
December, 1862. both days inclusive and subject to
an income tax under the excise laws OF the United
IrOHl all sOuTCct, SI,llc.
1t will be observed that this affidavit
gives "a true and faithful statement of the
gains, profit or income Of Samuel j. Til
den from lst day of Janu-
airy to 3lst day of December, 1862, both
days inclusive, and subject to an income
tax"
Now, what gains of Mr.. Tilden were
subject to an income tax" that year?
Charles N.Emerson, lawyer and assessor
for the Tenth Massachusetts District, says,
in his Internal Revenue Guide" at page
Is: Lawyers and physicians may return
either the actual fees received during the
year, without regard to the time when
they accrued, or to the amounts due to the
business of the year. But when the tax
payer has heretofore adopted one method,
he cannot now be allowed to make use OF
the other"
Commissioner Lewis decided that "a
merchants return Of income should coycr
the business of the year 1862, excluding
the previous years. Uncollected accounts
mus be estimated" and that physicians
and lawyers should include the actual re
ceipts for services rendered in 1862, to-
gether with an estimate of the unrealized
or contingent income due to that year. y
(Redheld's Handbook OF the United States
Tax Law, p. 376.)
An examination of the internal revenue
law will satisfy one that these official in
terpretations we're fully warranted. 1t is
ought to have been compelled to pay an
income on receipts for services rendered
before the act went into effect. That
would have been to compel every man who
had failed to receive his dues for q series
OF years to pay an income tax thereon,
while the great portion of the public only
paid for gains Of the year.
These service, then had been rendered
for series Of years-"for longer time.
To be specific, they had been rendered
according to the affidavit, during the years
1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862. Now
according to Commissioner Lewis's deci
sion, Mr., Tilden was required to include
in his statement only THE actual receipt:
for services rendered in 1862" excluding
the previous years, together with an est
mate Of the unrealized or contingent in
come due that year. This he did. He
fully complied with the law.
We very much mistake the nature o.
the American people if this assault upon ;
fearless statesman, made in the interest o.
public plunderers and profigates, does no
secure for Mr.. Tilden hundreds of thous
ands Of votes among minded Republi