Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-14
From the New York Times.

IOHI IHe NEW 1OTR Lines.
One of Mr.. Tilden's chief sources
of strength is the belief in his great
wealth, wealth which he has been
lucky enough to acquire himself, and
chiefly within the last fifteen years.
Mr.. Tilden is anxious to have it be-
lleVed that he was an earnest .upholdeI
Of the Government in its war with Sc
cession, and did his full share in
strengthening its hands. Yet we find
on inquiry in the proper quarter that
Mr. IiIden, whose voluntary contribu-
tions to the support of the nation s
life do not appear where those of 9th
ers are found, also took care not to
contribute his due share Of the invol-
untary contributions which in theory
ali OF us were compelled to MAKE. In
other words, our great retormer, our
defender of honesty, our earnest sup
porter Of the Government, contriyed
i'll every questionable way to pay Just
as little as possible Of the tax due
from him ON the great wealth re was
acquiring during the ten years or more
that tax was imposed upon incomes
The first Income Tax law was pass
ed in August, 1861, and imposed a
tax upon the incomes Of that wear. to
be collected in the spring OF 1862.
Amendments were made in. July, 1862,
and at various later periods As is
well known, every enc was compelled
to make return Of his income under
oath and with considerable detail. Mr
LIlden made returns for the years 1862
and 1868, but after that time he seems
to have come to the conclusion that it
was cheaper Tor him to make no return
but to leave the Assessor to guess at
his income, and then pay a tax upon
the sum So. o.guessed at, with the penal
ty OF fifty pei cent. added, which Ulle
law imposed for failure to make a re-
turn. And so Mr. Tilden made no
return of his income after that Of
1868, for all the years during which
that tax continued, which wa. down
to 1872. We presume no one will
suggest that year after year he submit
ed to pay a penalty for not making a
return, and to pay besides his just
share Of the tax
The inevitable conclusion is, that he
found it cheaper not to do as an hon
est citizen, as a sincere upholder of
the Government, would have done
make out correct return of his in
come annually, and pay the tax upon
it. If any one has a lingering doubt
upon that subject, it will vanish when
We say that during the entire period
of the imposition Of the income tax,
Mr.. Tilden, millionaire as he was, paid
a tax on an average income, penalties
of about fifteen thousand
dollars year. This, be it remember
ed, was during the years when he was
receiving that large income from his
occupation as railway wrecker which
has made his enormous fortune
1t was during those years that he
was reorganizing the st. Louis, Alton
and Terre Haute Railroad Company,
from which, alone. he admits under
oath, that he received in one year
twenty thousand dollars in cash and a
large amount of bonds that he was,
as partner counsel and Trustee, COB
bling up the Galena and Chicago Rail
road Company in Illinois !; that he was
appropriating to himself the great
profits Of the Continental Improve
ment Company, and the Grand Rapids
and Indiana Railroad Company, and
the Peninsular Railroad Company, in
Michigan. It was during this period
that, as counsel of Oakes Ames, he
gave the advice which led to the Cred
it Mobilier, with its crop of frauds and
scandals. ..rss
1t was during this period, too, that
he stands charged upon the books Of
the Erie Railway Company with TWEEN
ty thousand dollars paid to him for le-
gal services, extending over two months
only It was during this period that
he purchased his costly residence at
Gramercy Park. Yet with all these
sources and evidences of large III
come, this earnest supporter of the
Government contriyed to pay a tax on
an average income of only about ff-
teen thousand dollars year. IF the
laws were enforced against our model
reformer, we have no hesitation In
saying he would have to. disgorge a
large sum out of which he has cheat
ed the Government.
: Why do not the authorities take
measures to compel him to pay up?
There is, We believe. no statute of