The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-08-26
THE INCOME TAX DODGE.

posed 10 pensions Those who loan money are the
same. Every three months $4,000 600 are scattered
all the North and soon pass into the hands Of
all The majority Of all soldiers pay indirect
tax ON all articles II wear aud food. Now, IL those
who have large incomes were compelled TO pay
part OF the tax there would be more money 10 pay
pensions. and part Of this money would come from
those who have not been wrecked in body and
mind by hard service. feel that this fight against
the income tax is waged 10y the rich against
the poor The members Of the Pension Com
nliitoe Of the GAR in some respects rich and
wealthy compared with the rank and fle.
do not feel like condemning any measure Of any
kind that looks 10 the suppurt Of pen
sioneis. The whole trouble with Con-
gre-smen is that each has some pet measure
OF his that lac works for, and they do not agree
Tor fear man will have his bil passed and the
Others viii not There is another matter, the We
toes Of President Cleveland. I feel that lac did
wrong in al least case. but know he did right
IN another Every old soldier knows well that
there was a lot of dead-beats bounty jumpers and
deserteR that never deserved pension. would
like Go some take mp those pension cases and
show what merit they have, and NOT take the " old
soldier and put him Ia the place Of the man that
had his bin vetoed. Nearly every case Is known
90 be Job 20 pay some friend FOR work done, and
you will hear men opposed to pensions give you
and then Try 10 place deserving men in the
same boat. Why is 1t that this Congress paid more
attention 10 private pension bills than TO correct
the general laws9 There are thousands of us
who have some interest in a general law,
but have not any political Influence Tor
a private bl ID Is reported that a United States
Senator who had lots do with private bills, took
/ 500 for a claim, and then laid the blame on his
partner After The people in that section had made
! IL hot, The fee cancelled. l don't take much
stock IN politicians in either party. The Dem
ocrRts charged with the thing, and the
Others had 20 years 90 fix matters. The bondhold-
ers can have these matters fixed from either party
10y asking. u is no use TO raise a howl because
old soldier is turned out Of Office or does not
get Inns private pension. These same old soldiers
when they held Office did not help comrades ex-
cept when it was to their own interest. l would
like 20 see things stated fair and not for the pur
pose of helping this or that party, and hope the
day will come when incomes will be taxed to pay
pensions and when men talk against this they
are men that do not pay taxes. but escape while ex-
soldiers with their little homes 20 pay State taxes
on, have TO pay duty all they wear and cat
NEW YORK.
Our correspondent fails utterly in getting
at the root OF the income tax proposition.
There was not a particle of honesty in it.
The men who proposed it on the floor of the
House had not the slightest expectation that
it would pass, nor had they particle of
desire 10 increase pensions to ex-soldiers.
The whole thing was cunning scheme TO
defeat pension Legislation during that ses-
sion. Ii was something flung in TO distract
attention, divide the friends of soldiers, and
defeat other propositions This was so APP
parent that we are sure that our correspond
ent, if he examines the proceedings at all
carefully, cannot fail to see it,
Theoretically we are as earnestly in favor OF
an income tax as our correspondent Practi-
cally We are opposed to it. Nobody doubts
that the millionaires shirk their share of
taxation, and throw their portion of the
burden Of supporting the Government upon
the shoulders of the comparatively poor
But what chance does our correspondent
think there would be that they would no,
be as successful in Sinking their portion OF
the income tax as they have been in shirk.
ing other taxes? There is the gist of the
whole matter. If man could he made tc
pay honestly and fairly on his income il
would be the fairest tax that could be
levied. But he cannot The whole expert.
ence of the civilized world is to the effect
that of all taxes that on incomes is product
ave of the most dishonesty, corruption, per
jury, and other crimes. The reason is clear
If We except the comparatively few who art
working on stated salaries il is wholly i'm.
possible TO find out what any mans real
income is. For example, no machinery
could be put in operation TO tell what tn,
income of Jay Gould or the Vanderbilts is
They now defeat the most earnest efforts O.
the Assessors TO find out how much persona
property they own, and they would b,
equally successful in defeating an income
tax law. There would be world of spying
Of corruption among those charged with car
rying the law into execution, Of false swearing
by those who were intended TO be reached by
the law, and the thing would resolve itsel
into honest men paying more than their shar
Of the taxation and dishonest men escapin,
theirs entirely, bringing about a general de
: moralization, which would place honest mel
al greater disadvantage with dishonest one
than they now are. Income taxation is onl-
, practicable in old settled countries, Xix
Germany and France, where the police an,
Government officials know every man
business, how much he spends on his family
c and how much he has in bank,-things tina
our people will never tolerate Let our Col
= respondent sit down and think seriously {
! how he would frame a law TO make ia
r Gould pay an honest tax on his income, an
yet not have the law embarrass every bus
ness man in the land, and he will begin /
! realize how widely apart the theory an
" practice Of income taxation are.
4 The men who advocated the income Ia
e scheme in the House had no idea Of its pa
: sage, but if by any chance il had passed an
% become law they expected that IL won
speedily become so Odious that il won
damn all pensions, and this would ha'