Telegram-herald., 1886-05-02

meat - tax sno0id ever Go issssd az
Il Its Reed = sh0~s bsy9nd sns esyI
tie psopls ssoald nof have . peeRnlsrs
bardsn saddlsd npou them. unless Iis
necessity De sppsEest. When oHes tai
is lsid. TIE hrst cardinal pant ls, that Il /
shoald fsll With equal sf~cs 0pon a. /
/ :. each shoald pay according 10 hs
ability 10 pay. 10 ID tins .ith nsshs- /
1atiesl exsct8sss, 70 : problsa witch |
has never bsea, aud probably never viii /
be solyst bat il should bs the aim Of al
lsgI ls.Ors, Ia the levy Of tai, to come
as nsar true equality as sound Judgment
a1d wise discretion may dictate Testing
The method OF raising the revenue OF our
national government bY this ruis, our
system Vt taxation Is unjust and lnsqnlt-
able. add throws the main burden Of
paying the taxes apon the poor who are
the least able 10 bear II. the proportion
Of annual savings which Is abs )rbed IN
We mean that sum which remains at the
end OF the year after lIqutdstIng all eX-
psnses, except taxes. Ths rich are
Obliged 10 devote 80 per cent. OF their
savings toward taxation; the middle
class. 65 per csnt. sai the poor class 81
per eeat. by the poor class" Nc mean
ell those having al income OF 500 or
less. These a auctions arc made from
carefully prepared tables by THOMAS Il.
SHEARAAS, Esq, based upon the hast
Census. THIS means that taking into
,count all taxation, federal. state and
local, whether paid directly or indirectly.
il sbsorbs 81 per cen% OF the poor mans
savings. The property OF ths poor Ii
easily accessible 10 tue knowledge and
scrutiny OF the tax assessor whereas,
/ II is we'll known how Intellectual are all
/ devices for compelling the personal
property Of the rich 10 bear It's just pro-
portion OF the tax burden. Ii is very
easy matter for the holder OF mortgages,
bonds, etc, 10 hoodwink the ia -gatherer
and tins is TOO often done. There In no
method OF taxation which puts the
heaviest part OF the load on the one who
is best able to bear it, so we'll as the tax
on fair-sized incomes. This principal
has been recognized by all high-minded
statesmen, AMI forms an important part
OF the fiscal policy Of the leading nations
OF the world. The income tax OF Great
Britain yields a revenue OF S50,000.000: oi
France about 800 200, aud of the Neither
lands Sl0000000 These sums come
people who are able to pay it; and these
amounts constitute a large proportion
OF the revenue OF those countries-ir
Great Britain about l5 per cent OF the
revenue comes frem the income tax il
France II per cent. and in the Neither
lands % per cent.
IL We we're to impose proper income
} tax in tie United States, it ought to yielC
/ a rever ne Of at least, S6O.0O0,0 600, and j
: would relieve the poor classes to tina
: extent, aud just that much lighter woulC
: be the yoke they now have to bear Tn
f prosperity OF the poor ought to be tn
CONF ass to steer by on the voyage of tax
alton; the rich will always take care tina
they DO not pay more than their share
But We fear 1t is useless to point on
the evils II our present system. Agail
and again has the attention OF Congress
been drawn to The justness of the incom
tax, but to no purpose. They clap take
I on everything except the very thing the
ought first TO be taxed. About sixty pc
cent. OF our entire revenue is collecte,
from duties on imports alone; and nearI
4, the whole for,e Of this tax falls, indirectl.
upon the 100000 people whose income
are less than 500 year.
There certainly ought TO be a change
instead of so much tariff tax, let us hav
an income tax, and the burden of th
tariff tax will then be that much lighte
to those who uniustly must pay 1t
greatest proportion. Let us have fal
play. Look at it now! Taxes on almos
everything that comes from abroad; an
on everything which Is manufactured q
home. Taxes on raw materials. and the
taxes on every article which the raw ms
terisl enters into. Taxes oItthe plow O
the farmer, and the thread OF tie seam
I, stress: on the spade OF the lsborer an
I, the tools Of the mechanic. And when on
i, OF our citizens contracts bis last sickness
I, be Is covered with taxed blankets. and hi
taxed medicine is poured out for hir
into taxed spoon; and when be expire
he is put into a taxed shroud, and the
. laid into taxed coffin; hIs funeral sci
mon is preached by minister who take
his text from q taxe1 bibl his relative
have to pay s90 for $50 tombstone; an
at last be Is gathered TO the bosom OF hi
fathers TO be taxed no more. Instead {
continually giving the poor man the be
end of the poker. an income tax woul
put the seddle on the right horse, vher
I Il properly belongs.
The New York Star is quite sure ths
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