The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-21

udu duN tAlSGOuCCs III ObhSA "OlNe1 ~
was debt due him from the company
before the income tax law was passed or
had become operative. Now, debts due
are not income; they constitute parts of
mans capital, and in many cases nearly
all of it. The income law took effect
from the 1st of January, 1862. If man
had a mortgage due him or any other
debt considered good) before the ex-
istence of that law, and collected it
afterwards, that is not income, but so
much of his capital converted into money,
and in no sense subject to the income
law. All receipts of money are not in
come (if they were so the income law
would very soon have swept away all the
property citizen might possess), but
only such receipts as constitute the
gains or earnings of any year during the
existence of the law.
Now look at the affidavit which Mr..
Tilden made in regard to his income of
1862, the first year of the operation Of
the income law. That affidavit has been
published in the Democratic papers, but
the Radical sheets generally avoid it as
not answering their purpose. 1t is in
the prescribed form of the revenue Office,
and sets forth the gains, profits or income
of Mr.. Tilden from January 1st to De-
cember 81, 1862. The $4,000 revenue
from the railroad company, as before
stated and as plainly set forth in his
chancery answer constituted no part of
his gains, profits or income for the year
1862, but were the earnings of previous
years, when there was no income tax law.
| would like to see the Radical gentleman
who ever paid the government an income
tax on his gains, profits or income for any
year previous to 1862 when there was no
income law and the government required
no such tax at his hands, When some
such loyal gentleman as that can be
found, let him be produced. Perhaps
Zack Chandler will take the stand on
that point.
The whole matter resolves itself into
this simple statement: Did the income
tax in any manner affect gains, profits or
income earned or unearned before the law
was passed and in operation? If there
is any Republican lawyer of character
aud ability who will proclaim that doc
trine let him appear. But" say some
of the Radical papers, although you
may escape this charge, Mr.. Tilden, we
still have other charges against you for
having made false returns for all the
other years during the existence of the
income law"
Well, gentlemen GbeIers, you have shown
your falsehood and deception in regard
to the income returns of Mr.. Tilden for
1862, what right have you to expect to
impose upon the public eredulity in re-
gard to any similar charges? Fortu-
nately for him, it Is understood ne never
made any further returns, but, as did
many others, left the assessor to impose
what taxes he saw fit, and paid them.
If he had made other returns, no matter
how large the income he returned, no
doubt you stood ready to charge him with
perjury as you have in this case. Sian.
derous libels are left no further food in
this direction.
Now, gentlemen, you who are the organ
izers of campaign falsehoods, next in or
der of your assaults upon the private
character of Governor Tilden come bur-
glary, arson, and murder, in regular sue
cession, and your work is done, your
honorable labor of calumny in this cam
paign completed.
The writer of this is old enough to re-
member the campaigns of 1928 and 1882,
and sided with his opponents when An
drew Jackson was the Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency. The old Gen.
eral was lIbeled and lampooned in the
most approved fashion, not only in his
public character but in his domestic re-
lations. Coffin hand bills, as they were
called, representing six cofius in row,
illustrating the murder as it was called,
by General Jackson, of the six militia
men, were placarded everywhere, and a
gloomy campaign picture they made;
but every fresh issue of that and other
libels only struck another nail in the
coffins of his accusers, and Jackson was
triumphantly elected and reelected.
The same causes will be likely to contrib
ute the same results. This is cam
paign of foul-mouthed SANDER and false
hood on the Republican side, solely from
lack of material with which to wage an
honorable contest upon its true merits,
But the urpose of the people is reform
in the government, and of that purpose
they will not be cheated.