The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-04-14
THE INCOME TAX.

|
The rest of his speech was given up 20
the income tax question, and his opening
words defined his position in unequivo-
cal and forceful language. against
such a scheme" he said. "unnecessarily
| ill-timed and mischievous-su suddenly
sprung upon the country in the hour of
| its distress, undemocratic in its nature
and socialistic in its tendencies-I enter
| New York. They utterly dlss ent from
any proposal to get revenue from the
general government by taxing incomes
Their dissent Is practically unanimous
and altogether implacable."
He iptinated that the tariff bill was
constructed on lines laid down by the ad
miDistration; tGst 1t was en- anomalous
state of affairs when The president should
be able to give congress Information as
to what had occurred in a committee OF
the house, and said "Iu these later days
the distinctions between the con victions
ani prer"gaives of the execu tive on one
hand and the legIs 4tive depart ment ON
the otber. d no; Seem to be always OBJ.
served. The truth is the first informa
ton which congress had of the aIiege
details of :he proposed hIii was in the
mfssage itself.
But the stranres port of this unprece-
dented proceeding was in the fact that
the very date OF the message, to-wit;
December IA, 1898. neither the full com.
mittee of the ways and means, nor the
Democratic members thereof had agreed
upon any income tax or npon other in
ternal taxation.
"The senior eel ator from Indiana (Mr.
Voorhees) calls this allegation a NOISY
and resoundlng charge Let me tell him
it is not half as noisy as the constant
vltuperations which are on every hand
from blatant demagogues who are abroad
in the land loudly inveighing against
the wealth of the country and impru'.
IDENTIFY demanding Its coufscation
through every means which their devil |
ish ingenuity can invent.
"The pubic should not be misled into |
the notion that only those whose incomes |
exceed $4,000 are >affected by this bill |
That is a mistaken idea. In the first |
place, all those having incomes less than |
$4,000, but more than $500, are put to
the annoyance of making sworn returns,
snd they neglect at their perit.
TARIFF FOR REVENUE ONLY.
In outlining bis position he said that
81 of tariff taxatIon should be imposed
where it Is necessary for the needs of the
government economInally administered.
but whatever these needs are the nec4
esssry revenues therefor should be sup
piled from tariff taxation and that alone,
save and except the taxes upon liquors,
and tobacco, to which the
country has long been accustomed and
which for obvious reasons need not be
disturbed. To show the sectional dis
of the tax be referred to the
income tax of 1S63-73, which extorted
from the people an aggregate sum of
$347, 1896, ,897 SO. OF this sum the east
ern states paid 18 per cent; the middle
states SO per cent, and together they paid |
IL per cent. New York alone paid 80
per cent. 1t has not been claimed that
the percentages would be materially |
if this bill become law.
"For my own part, as Democrat" be
said, II prefer indirect taxation and tara
IF reform above direct taxes and tariff
extinct on. prefer taxing foreign pro-
ducts rather than taxing home products.
I follow Jefferson in regard to even the |
species of indirect taxation on home pro |
ducts by interna revenue taxes as not |
geod to be extended aud the first to be |
nd of when their need is past.