St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-30
AN INCOME TAX.

Facing the fact that any such reduc-
ton of the tariff as the party is
bound by its pledge to make will
leave deficit that must be made
up from some source, some Demo
cratic papers are urging restoration
of the income tax. placing $1,000 as the
minimum tax limit 1t is said that the
president favors it. though this must be
put in the doubtful list with nine-tenths
of the policies Of the administration
conceived by the desperate but ener-
getic gentlemen whose job it is to tell
the country what is being done in
Washington.
An income tax has whatever merit
there is in popularity, and none other.
The great mass of the population who
lie below the limit will take grim sat
isfaction in seeing those above it help
support the government, and this will
be strengthened by the knowledge that
people whose wealth enables them to
enjoy such incomes manage success
fully to shield that wealth from the
assessors. 1t will be in the nature of
reprisal for obligations evaded. AS such
tax will please the 80 per cent of the
voters who will pay nothing under 1t,
and the offended 10 per cent will be in
significant at the polls, we may expect
this tax to commend itself to the average
congressman who is anxious only to
placate the voter.
But the tax is undemocratic; it is
wrong in its principle, and as pernlcIous
in its effects as is the direct personal
property tax of the states. 1t is I'M
democratic because it is openly and
iagrantly unequal, because it recognizes
and SpecialiZes class distinction based
OH wealth. 1t IS wrong in principle be-
cause it eXempts property, and is a
further step in the direction of COM
pleXity of tax methods when the steps
should be turned towards greater SIM
plicity, towards fewer instead of more
objects OH which to levy taxes. 1t is
wrong in principle because it, like our
tax on personal property. will fall
with full force on fixed incomes within
its limit and will be easily evaded by
those whose incomes result from bust
ness or other gains. 1t will add another
inducement to the commission of per-
jury which now rises like moral MAS
ma over all the states with the annual
spring forays Of the assessors. Because
no man can calculate the extent to
which the inquisiterial nature and easy
evasion of our personal tax law has
weakened the moral sense of men it
does not follow that it has not had that
effect. Inevitably. the lesson that
teaches man that he is justified III
swearing falsely 70 tax returns weakens
his moral structure in other directions.
An income tax shares with customs
and personal property tax this serious
and fundamental objection.
The GLOBE believes that it is the
mission of the Democratic party to
move forward, not backward nor side
ways. in the matter of taxation, as III
every other matter it has to deal with.
1t has shown that it is progressive
party, not conservative or reactionary
one; and because it has shown this 1t is
in power. 1t should adopt American
methods of getting its revenue-as SIM
pie and direct as possiDle-and this is
the direct tax, app0rtioned among the
states, leaving them to collect it from
their citizens as their wisdom shall de-
termine.