The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-05-27
AN INCOME TAN.

President has decided to recommend
he restoration of the income tax,
he repeal of the ten per cent tax on
State Bank circulation, and the repeal
If the Sherman act.
Whether Mr.. Cleveland has really
Indicated this line of policy or not,
t is not our present purpose 10 dis
>uss, but rather to refer to the popu
ar objection to an income tax as
such. Although we believe it to be
the most equitable OF all forms OF
direct taxation, we cannot conceive
however that the exigency OF the
times requires any direct form OF
National taxation.
Briefly stated, the principal obiec-
ton made to this shape OF taxation
is that it imposes an unjust burden
on capital, and the comparatively
few who by great ability, energy and
enterprise have gained wealth.
But in any equitable system OF
taxation capital in 70hate0er SHAPE
held Should aiaga1S be exempt from
taxation. while the value Of its earnings
or its income Should aLz0US bear its
equitable and proportionate. share OF
the public burden.
Let us illustrate what we mean.
A small farmer in Cecil County
after receiving notice from the
County Treasurer that the Sheriff
with an execution will be upon him
if he doesn't pay his taxes by April
1st of each year, in CONSERVATION
hurries to Elkton to avert this threat
ened calamity. He is harassed to
make both ends meet. He has
worked hard all the year, and after
paying his fertilizer bills, and receiv-
ing a frightfully low price for what
he has grown, he almost despalringly
admits that lie don't belIe0e he aVlll
haze anything left to pay his taxes
5Viih.
In other words, that he has no
surplus earnings on hand, or surplus
produce to sell, by which to pay,
simply because he has produced only
enough for his mere necessities and
expenses for the year, and possibly
may have fallen short of that.
The proposition is plain, that his
Individual earnings. his own surplus
production, or as he puts it "7Ohat
lie has Lef," affords him the only
means of paying.
This means ncome-the earnings
of his year.
Stated then as a principal, the net
production Of a community, the
combined net earnings of all its
citizens, is in reality the only fund
on which any system of taxation can
draw.
This is very plain.
The individual taxpayer has just
so much, or just so little surplus
after the years expenses are paid,
from which to pay, that you cannot
increase his capacity to pay by null
tiplying the directions in which the
demand for taxes is made. You can
divide up the items on his tax bill as
much as you please-tax on real
tax on personal-tax on stock-tax
on implements. You may make the
bill as long as the moral law,
but you can't increase the size of his
purse, which contains no more than
his net earnings for the year.
Here we have in the WHO
opinion the true idea of legitimate,
and equitable taxation-the tax
income-the value of his
surplus earnings must pay it. 1t all
comes to that i'll the end. Hence
we believe that the most equitable
and just tax Is an income tax, not
one assessed merely upon net surplus
earnings, for this would be a tax
upon thrift, since any one could
avoid the tax by spending all his
income, while the thrifty and eco
nomical man who saved his income
would be burdened with the tax,
while the extravagant escaped; but
a ht upon tile income 0alue Of a
mans gross annual earnings.
We are aware that there is a pre-
vailing prejudice against an income
tax in any shape. But it is an I'M
educated prejudice. AS a tax, it
isn't halt so inquisitorial as thor
oughly assessed tax on personal
property, which takes down on its
inevitable list every visible shape of
property OF the poor man, while the
invisible coupons, and evidences Of
rich investments OF the more favored
classes escape. Besides, it is the
only means Of reaching those who
hold large blocks of securities and
stocks which to SO large an extent
now escape taxation altogether.
1t can be collected too.
The vast majority of our citizens
are honest, and even if such tax is
made up by assessment or estimate
and not upon sworn return, a cor
recter basis of taxation can be made
by popular knowledge OF men, as in
by their manner OF living, and
other indications, than is
now made on personal estates by the
average assessor.
JAMES E. MURDOCH, the actor
whose zeal and devotion to the Union
during the rebellion earned for the