The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-26
THE REAL INwARDNESs OF THE IN
COME TAX.

An attempt will be made to amend the
income tax feature of the tariff bill SO as
to reduce the limit of exemption to 81 500.
That would certainly very much improve
the provision. A tax levied on all incomes
above small amount is theoretically a
perfectly fair tax. In practice it would
probably not operate so fairly, but
every form of taxation fails somewhat
inpractice. Some people manage to
conceal their property, or a part of it,
and escape the full measure of taxation
that they ought to bear. But an income
tax which exempts ninety-nine one hum
dredths of the population, and imposes
its hnrdens entirely on few rich people
is indefensible in theory, and never can
be made to operate we'll. In essence it is
not a tax, but penalty for being rich
No doubt such a tax would be popular
large class in every community that like
to see rich men made TO disgorge. But
the American Congress ought to base
laws on something better than mere
prejudice. Justice should receive the
first consideration, and there is certainly
no justice in decreeing that men with
so large incomes as $4,000 should escape
entirely the burdens that government
entails. The limit of exemption in Eng
land is $500, which may be too low for
this country. But $4,000 is altogether
too high.
It1,ar. ia 10 oh kt,of
the exemption limit will be reduced to
$500 or at all. 1t is unfortunately true
that the income tax was put into the
bill, not because the revenue tosbe derived
from it was needed. for Senator Voor-
hees himself has confessed that the whole
$50, 900, 600 which it will produce will
be in excess of the needs of the treasury,
but to pander to the socialistic sentiment
that is abroad in the land, especially in
the West and South. The idea was Dor
rowed from the platform of the Popu-
lists, the chief corner stone of which
was hatred for the thrifty and well-to-
do. The Democratic platform had not
a word about it. But when the tax was
suggested it was found that it took i'm
mensely among numerous class, class
larger in the West and South,
but by no means small in the East. The
reason it took was because it was aimed
at rich men. II the exemption limit had
been lowered to $1,000 or $500 it would
have been deprived of the discrimination
which gives it, its popularity. There
dou btless is demand from those who
are imbued with socialistic notions-and
there are very many of them-for an in
come tax that shall punish the rich,
shall compel them to shell out. But
there is no demand for an income tax
that will compel every body to:pay in pro-
portion to his revenue. If the bill were
amended so as to lower the exemption
limit to $500 the loudest shouters Tor the
bill as it now exists would lose all in
terest IN this feature of it. They would
then prefer that it be abolished altogeth-
er. There are probably votes N the
West and South in discriminating in
come tax. There would be none in an
income tax that distributed it's burdens
evenly Therefore there is very little
chance that Democratic representatives
who are looking after their fences at
home will ever consent to an income tax
of the latter kind.