The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-05
NEW YORK AND INCOME TAX.

Ing the 1uC91Qe TAX Dill dS a LAX upon
the enterprise and thrift of the people. :"
They oppose it unanimously and with
out regard to party affiliations. Indeed
their hostility to the measure is SO pro-
nounced that that portion of the country
not embraced in the corporate limits of
New York city might have suspicious of
some hidden purpose or Interior motive
in its strenuous efforts TO defeat this
rider Of the much debated and thor
oughly dismantled Wilson bill Outside
of New York we hear little about it,
pro or con, though 1T contains no ex-
emption clause applying to non-resi-
dents of that great city. So far as heard
from the Chicago millionaire, the San
Francisco nabob, the northern lumber
king nor the southern cotton baron have
had word of reproach toward the
friends of this bill. 1t is Gotham alone
which raises the cry and empties her
flood OF bilge water upon every state,
municipality or party who would like
to see it become law.
For once there is probability that the
whole nation will not stampede and fall
terror stricken because Wall street shows
the white of its eyes, and touches the
button which simultaneously closes the
mouths of congressman and throws the
executive into a cold sweat of dispair.
The fact is that great big majority of
the people of the country are in favor of
this law and, sooner or later, it will be
enacted into statute and enforced like
other laws, either with or without the
consent of New York. The plea that it
is a tax upon thrift is all claptrap.
Where is the day laborer or the man Of
small means who would not stipulats in
advance to pay liberal tax on the same
kind of thrift which would insure him
an income of over 81, 900 a year? Who
would not pay literally for the native
endowment or financial device with
such an attachment?
The press of New York begs the ques-
ton, and willfully misrepresents the
facts, in saying the city sis to be pluu-
dered beyond all other cities, and more
than almost any other state by this in
decent tax"
The aggregate, of course, will be
greater, but that their proportion will
be the same cannot be debated. Lying
implication is as mean as lying outright,
and nobody will be caught by bait SO
transparent as that.
In making up the items of New York's
account with the country the west has
some reasons to protest against the
methods which have contributed to her
vast accumulation Of wealth. By reason
of her extortiops and Determinations in
freight rates the people of Kansas have
contributed enough annually to turn out
several full fiedged bonanza kings. Our
roads are owned and controlled chiefly
by New York and Boston and the accru-
the Golfers of these much abused, tax
ridden centers of wealth. The vast
sums drawn through such devices as life,
accident and fire insurance companies,
the amount expended in luxuries not
found in other markets, and the money
drawn from other states and cities
through sight seers and pleasure seekers
would tax the credulity of most people
unacquainted with the ways in which
the machine is adjusted. So far as the peo-
pie of the west are concerned they will
hail with delight any fair means of ad-
justing the account which has been SO
long running against them. If our in
ming is TO come through an income tax
we will back it with that kind of unani-
nifty which sometimes takes all the
wind out of the biuff and bluster out of
bully. What we most fear is the fidel-
ity of the present Congress. Whether it
will close its ears to the slogan of public
opinion and listen to the siren persuas-
i've notes of corporate capital or not, re-
mains to be seen, but there will be
other Congresses, even after the last
surviving member of this august body
shall have turned his toes to the daisies.