St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-21
A GRADUATED INCOME TAX.

The GLOBE predicts that before the
campaign is ended the Democracy of
Ohio Will find its hands full with the
income tax plank of its platform. 1t
come out fairly and sQuarely not only
for an income tax, but also for a grad
uated income tax. This means that the
greater a mans income the higher shall
be Cne rate per cent at which he shall
be taxed. For one with an income of
$4,000 year, perhaps the rate may be
per cent; but if his income is $40, 900,
the rate shall not be l per cent, but
perhaps as much as 2 per cent. The
man with twice the income of his fellow
under such a system pays four times as
great a contribution to the governments
support.
There is a great deal of objection in
many quarters to an income tax at all.
1t is criticised as inquiStOrial, unequal
and impractlcable. Its critics say that
he man with great wealth gets no more
protection from the government than
the man with little wealth. and that
really the largest part of the states
expenses is incurred in suppressing the
criminal classes, who usually have no
property at all. They also say that
mans income is no index of his
capacity to contribute to the govern
ment's support. A bachelor, for eX-
ample, with $4,000 year may be in
finitely richie, for this purpose than one
with a family who has five times the
income.
The friends of the plan are, of course,
ready with answers to these points, but
the whole subject is as yet quite i'll
digested as far as this country is con-
cerned The graduated income tax is
very modern wrinkle, however, and has
been brought forward by those who
hope by its means to check the accumu-
lation of large fortunes. Perhaps these
things are evils and ought to be pre-
vented, but a good many intelligent peo-
| pie do not think so. A great many in
| telligent people, too, who do think that
large fortunes are evils are by no means
sure that a graduated income tax is a
| good device by which to check this ac-
| emulation. If the Republicans sue
coed in getting the fight in Ohio concen-
! trated on this issue, the Democracy will
! have to call in a great mass of experts
with figures and arguments, and will
have to work quite hard to convince the
disinterested voter that they are on the
right track. This seems to be a ease
where plank was put INTO platform
without being tested in advance. and of
which no one can say whether it adds
to the strength of the structure or not.
PROMISES NOTsGOOD.
The cOlored voters are more numerous
in Indiana than in most of the states nth
of the Ohio, and they have furnished
the Republicans all the maiorities they
have had since the war. They have mad
Republican smiles and taffy sweetening
their campaign zeal and voting efforts,
but in the subsequent eras and the dis
pensations of things they think they
have not bad their share. Their condi-
ton of mind over the matter is indi-
Gated in this statement by one of their
leaders at indianapolis:
! HARRISON has ignored the claims Of the
| young active, intelligent cOlored men, and
| followed the old rule of taking care OF the
| old party hacks at the risk of the party wei
fare. Not one Of the many promises given
the negro during the last campaign has been
redeemed. and the Indiana colored men are
| determined TO resent the Sights which they
have borne so long without complaint.
They insist that HARRISON cannot