The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-05-22
For the Income Tax.


N(emDhis AppedL- Il UdLdRche: Col
Josiah Patterson, while in CONVEX
ga ion with an AppenL-AUGIGnche
reporter yesterday on the subject OF
his position in favor of an income
tax, said:
- saw the comments OF the up
qledL-A UaLdnche OF my letter to tht
editor of the McMiRhUitLe Standard.
That letter was not written tor pub
LEGATION, and therefore does. not pur-
port to be q discussion OF the i'm
portant questions which 1t touches
All Democrats are agreed that tariff
"a a fax. 1t is not disputed that our
revenues are chiefly derived from
tariff imposed OIL the imported ne
cessities of life. Democrats are
agreed that such tariff operates "a
An incidental tax Oh all nk0es +arles OF
like kind and quality manufactured
in this country. Democrats are fur-
ther agreed that this system OF tax
alton, inaugurated and maintained by
the Republican party, has depressed
agriculture, Impoverished labor ana
brought about an inequality OF wealth;
| i'm this country which is without
parallel. II the Government was
economically administered strictly
revenue tariff would be sufficient to
maintain it. But government ad-
| ministered at q cost of $500, 00O, 0O0
annually cannot be maintained by
tariff taxation without permanently
| fastening upon the country the enor-
NOUS burdens under which the PEG
pie now groan. The war, in the
| Judgment Of all parties, necessitated
AN income tax. What excuse was
there for it's repeal? Under Repub-
lican rule we now pay $50, OOO,O OJ
annually in the way Of pensions.
The surplus in the Treasury has been
practically exhausted and the pen
sion roll continues to increase. The
question is, how are we to meet these
UNPRECEDENTED demands upon the
| Treasury and at the same time revise
the tariff so as to bring subtantial re-
lief to the people. To my mind the
remedy is to restore the income tax
and require the accumulated wealth
of the country to contribute a part OF
it's annual accretions to the support
of the Government. Whenever the
income of an Individual or corporation
exceeds sum fixed, say $1,000, l
wOuld tax it. 1 would shift as far as
[ could the burdens of government
from the neeessaries of the people and
place them on taG shoulders of those
who have amassed wealth. This is
right Inherently right. II the
. DTODOSlIlOn WIS " pave
streets by taxating the clothing peo-
Pile wear, the implements the me-
chanlc uses in his daily labor and the
utensils snd furniture of the house
hold, the people would rise up in
arms against it. Vet this is exactly
what the General Government does
In our State governments, wearing
apparel, household furniture end the
implements of Industry are exempt
from taxation and property pays the
taxes. Why then should we not re-
wise the tariff so as to relieve oul
wants from taxation and place the
burdens of government in a measure
on the incomes derived from accumu
lated wealth? 1 am for the income
tax, because it is just; because it vii
bring the owners of aggregated wealth
into sympathy with the people in de-
manding an economically admins
tered government, And because i
will tend to the distribution Of wealth
and the ameIioratiOn of those who, by
their labor, produce it,"