The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-13

circumstances and has afforded an ex.
cellent opportunity for a general dis
cu,sion of the whole subject OF Amer
lean fin nee; but it can never be per-
mitted to side-track the more impor-
tant questions expressed and implied
in the new declarat on of independence
adopted at Omaha on July 4, 1892.
There NAV be men in the peoples
party who would favor the backward
step which the ngle issue p lrty would
propose to take, but they are few in
number where the principles of the
Omaha platform have been studied and
their import comprehendel and we
warn any leader of the peoples party
now tn t his leadership Will be without
following amo g those who have made
the party what it is if he shall permit
himself to be led into this snare
Free coinage of silver if accomplished
and other thin rs left as they are
would do the people no good. 1t is
only in conjunction with other meas
ures that it would afford relief. If we
should secure the free co mage of silver
alone by drawing to the support of that
measure all who favored it. and vet
oppose the other measures which are of
so much more Importance. we should
men who were opposed to every other
principle of our demands. The men
who now corner gold. would, under
their administration. also corner silver,
and the only difference in the condi-
tions then and now would be that the
gamblers would then have two metals
to speculate in where now they have
but one Their operations would be
little more compl icate1 perhaps. but
none the less successful or profitable
If republicans and democrats who
are dissatisfied with the action of
their representatives in congress upon
the silver question desire to cut
loose from their former mornings and
launch new party based upon a single
idea, let them do 50. Such action will
hurt the other parties more than ours;
and if they once separate themselves
from their old political associations
and begin to study economic questions
with an independent spirit, it is safe to
predict where they will eventually
land. We have no use for such party
and shall decline to go with it. If the
alternative is presented to us of sup
porting republican principles in free
silver party or in the repu blican party
we will go into the repu blican party to
do it. We do not. however apprehend
any such contingency. The members
of the peoples party are too we'll
grounded in their faith to permit their
most important demands to be side
tracked by such a concentration upon
any single issue of minor Importance"
A GRADUATED INCOME TAX.
1t Is the Most Efficient and just, and Is
What the People Demand.
For years the farmers organizations
have been advocating an income tax.
Until recently the politicians have ig-
nored the demand and even classed it
as one of the ''vagaries' of men who
didn't know what they were talking
about. The tide is turning. Eminent
leaders in all the parties now admit not
only that such measure would be just,
but that it is almost necessity.
We are very sorry to see that there is
a division of sentima mt concerning the
matter. Already bills are being pre-
pared, one of which merely provides
for an income tax, while the other pro-
vides for graduated income tax. We
believe the people are more generally
in favor of the latter. The former is
better than none, but the graduated
tax is more just to the masses than a
uniform tax on incomes
A graduated income tax would make
wealthy men interested in economical
government It would lift an unjust
burden off the shoulders of those
least able to bear it. 1t would confis-
cate no property, but would tend to
narrow the chasm between the very
rich and the very poor.
The law should begin on incomes
lower than the salaries of congressman
say 50, 500-for it would make them
more particular in voting appropria-
tions, and looking after irregularities.
An income tax of two per cent, on a
congressman's salary would be only
500, leaving him 81 600 The man with
a $4,000 income after being allowed
81, 900 for annual expenses of self and
family would still have So 900 to store
away for rainy day; while the more
than SO, 600. 900 common people who do
not have an income of $500, after spend
ing $3.50 for bread and clothes would
only be able to lay up $50 year. At
this rate it would take 60 years to ac-
cumulate what a man with a $4,000
income could lay up in one year after
paying an income tax and spending
81, 900 year on self and family. AS
far as the cost of the necessaries and
comforts of life are concerned there is
very little difference between the poor
and the rich, for the rich man does not
necessarily eat more food or wear more
clothes than the poor man.
The larger the income the greater
the opportunity for accommodating, and
the greater the amount of protection
required from the government. In
view of this, men of large incomes
should be too magnanimous to oppose
such legislation. 1t will be found,
however, that capitalists, regardless of
party utilization, will oppose such a
measures: but the masses of all ma rtios