Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-05-26
Az INCOME TAX

1t has been stated by those who
usually speak for the President that
he will recommend the leyying Of IN
income tax. The President il now
not as popular - he might have been
mot even with his own party-but
Il he makes this recommendation
much Of his lost popularity viii b re-
gained. OF courss the very wealthy
will censase him, bat they are but =
very small per cent Of the people.
The burdens Of taxation should fall
on those most abs 70 besr them
The Democratic theory, however, u
that : tariff il tax, and falls on I'll
alike, without regard to their wealth.
This, however, we doubt. A tsri4
forces those Who prefer foreign To-
American goods to pay tax for the
privilege Of buying the foreign brands,
but the history Of our tariff has been
: lowering Of prices Of goods manu-
fscfured in America The tariff has
been the means Of building mp great
manufacturing industries, and compe-
tition 1t home has resulted in redu-
cling prices soon after the establish
ing of those industries, and billions
Of dollars have remained in America
that would otherwise have gone TO
other countries. Even il the tariff
were . tax, the fact of building mp
home industries and thereby keeping
money At home that would otherwise
go abroad would compensate every
citizen for the tax and many times
over. The Democratic theory Is that
with a low tariff there will ba . fall
ing of in revenue, and the loss must
be made up in some way, and Cleve-
land will propose an income tax.
However, it is very doubtful that un-
der . low tariff the revenue will be
lessened. Increased importations Of
foreign goods will make up for the
reduction in rates of tariff. Bat
Cleveland expects . redaction in rev.
enue and proposes to make the loss
good by an income tax An income
tax would not be bad idea, aside
from any tariff considerations. In
monarchies the wealth sustains the
burdens of taxation far more than in
America. Governments protect the
wealth of mlllionaires and they
ought to pay literally for that pro-
lection. Thirty-two thousand men
own over one-haH the wealth of the
United States. At the present rate
of increase of wealth ia the hands oi
a few, how long will it be until thi.
small number owns all? At the
present rate only q very few years
and the number that will own al
will gradually grow less and less a
halt will have to be called, and very
soon. If not, the history of the
French revolution will be re-enactse
, on American soil. There will nt
; avoiding it. Like causes product
like results, at all times. In addition
to an income tax, or what would per
haps be better instead of this pro
posed tax, would be national Law
that would cause tie bulk OF th,
wealth of millionaires to revert to th'
, national treasury, or the treasures o
tbe States, after their death, but Civ,
: their families a suficiency. If eacl
, member of the family of Gould, 70
instance, had been allowed one mill
, ion each, enough, and more thai
E enough, for any one, something lik
, $15O,OO would have been distributed
, and the burdens of the producing
| classes been greatly lessened- Tn
: more millionaires we have the NOR
paupers we have. Aillionaires ma
be . benefit to any country lin
tied number of them-but the suppl
). can more than equal the demand, an
+ the supply in the United States is a
;. ready far in excess of the demane
How to cause the wealth Of the cour
try to be more equally distributed
: the great question of the age. Whe
e one man accumulates one bundre
n and fifty or two hundred millions in
It lifetime, he has not accumulated
e by honest methods. Such . thin
II would be impossible, and an assuml
!. ton that it was honestly earned
= beyond ali reason. Norwithstandin
= 1t was not earned by honest mean
II the government protects him in Il
possession of those ill-gotten gain
!, well knowing that all be has is n
d his by right. But a governmel
e could not very well do otherwise.
y 1t should go into the business of il