St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-22
VOLUNTARY TAX PAYMENTS.

VOLUNTARY TAX PAY MENTS.
Young Mr.. Bryan. of Nebraska. is
man'festly an exceedingly stupid polt-,
icai economist, as well as rash and III
discreet politician. He has Just con
ceived and brought forth scheme for
the raising of revenue that is striking,
In its originality, and, if adopted. would
no doubt be equally striking in Its rev
suits. This marvel among modern
statesmen would have it made, tile
duty of every person liable to tax
upon his income to go to the officers and;
pay 1t, aud not subject him to the sys-C
tenn of prying agents of the govern
ment. which has been suggested as its
diSagreeabie feature. He thinks those
who had no desire to escape the pay,
ment of the tax would object to the in
QUESTION. He will propose tax ON all
incomes above $500 at the rate of L per
cent; per cent on $1,000; per cent on
$4,000; 6 per cent on S25, 600, and 10 per
cent OH $4,000.
MIR. Bryan must have a sublime faith
in the honesty of his fellow beings-a
faith. we are sorry to say, that is hardly
JuStlhable as result Of experience 1t
is doubtful if there is an instance upon
record of a man going to the assessor
and insisting that his property be listed
for taxation. and then haunting the Of
flee of the collector until his share of
the public burden was paid. Men now
adays are not built that way. They are
far mere likely to hide their wealth
under bushel, as it were-to conceal it
from the prying eyes of the minions of
the law who may desire portion OF it
with which to defray the expenses of
government. Experience has shown
that men who are regarded as rich by
the community, and are anxious to be
regarded as such all the rest of the
year, are miserably poor-almost penni-
less-when the assessor makes his
rounds-so poor, indeed, as to excite
deep commiseration and suggest the
eXpedlency of starting public SUBJ
scription for their benefit. For 1854 days
in every year they boast of their fast
horses, their elegantly appointed man.
Slons, their superb jewels and their i'm
posing bank accounts; but on the three
hundred and sixty-fifth day-the day
on which the assessor visits them
all these things have taken unto
themselves wings and have flown
away, and the pOorhouSe yawns to
receive them. Their poverty is
really distressing. and the as
SCISSOR feels, after visiting them, much
as if he had been guilty of an attempt to
Cypress the worthy poor, and might
have far better endeavored tn steal the
pennies off dead baby's eyes. Men
who are scrupulously honest in every
other relation of life: who would scorn
to defraud any man of his Just dues;
who are punctiliOuS in the payment of
all they owe. to their business associates,
do not hesitate to defraud the state
whenever the opportunity offers. Men
who scorn lie in their daily relations
with their fellow men deliberately per-
Jure themselves when swearing to their
lists of taxable property, and seem to
think they have done no wrong. De-
plorable as it may be, the fact is that
vast majority of citiZens-gentlemen
and Observation-Disclosures defraud the
government of its dues by persistent.
unblushing lying and perjury. A
strictly honest return to an assessor is
so much of a curiosity that, had it been
exhibited at the worlds fair, it would
have carried off whole stack of blue
and red and white ribbons, gold, silver
and bronze medals. and honorable
mention" without limit. That such an
article was rot placed on exhibition is
doubtless due to the fact that it does
not exist.
Mr.. Bryan is young and callow. Had
he understood human nature better, he
would not have made such stupendous
ass of himself as to offer such PROPOSE.
ton. Ii he had to depend upon the re-
ceipts from voluntary tax payments for
his salary, he would never be able to
pay his board bill; he would not even
be able to smoke nickel cigar. The
tax gatherer must go his rounds armed
with bIudgeon and writ of attach
ment, or the public treasury will for
ever remain empty.