St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-04-26

royal navies, nor the lame justifica-
ton that our system of raising rev.
enue, with all the past experience in
its favor, was inadequate, and must
be superseded to obtain more rev.
enue by the rigors to which the sub
jects of Germany, England, Austria
and Italy have been, not uncom-
plainingly, compelled to submit. The
charge of an excess of revenue, lately
iterated against protection, is al
ready abandoned by the party
whose dominance it is expected will
cease March 4, 1895, but which is
now on wild hunt for revenue to
fill the vacuum to be created by a
democratic tariff.
If more revenue instead of less had
been desired, and not the creation of
deficit, solely to make room for an
unequal income tax, more would
have been easily obtainable from
light duty on some of the articles in
the long list now tree, or by an in
crease of tax on malt liquors, and
that without the addition of dime
to cost of collection.
SOME OF THE OBJECTIONS.
trust those who think, by shut
ting their eyes, that they can swal-
low the income proposition at sim
gle gulp without danger to their di-
gestion, or to that of their constitu-
ents, will listen while 1 very briefly
present what appears to be some of
the objections to the measure which,
as feel, will bear heavily upon
many humble and plain people.
Any income tax, Mr.. Morrill, said,
which fixed the tax at one "a tie in it's
application to all persons was mani
testify unjust. That derived from
rent of houses (always needing an
nual repairs) should be less than
that on land; that derived from
labor less than that upon real prop
erty, and that from professional
men WHOLLY dependent upon their
health) less than that upon brewers
and distillers. To make things
equal, some discrimination had to
be made. The income tax bill, he
continued, by it's proposed seizure of
many important objects of taxation
upon which the several state govern
ments have hitherto been largely de-
pendent for a considerable part, and
in some states for the whole, of their
annual support, will prove serious
invasion of the sources upon which
they now largely base their taxa
ton. Nearly every state imposes a
tax upon the real estate and person.
al property of it's citizens, especially
upon their stock in railroads and
banks, mills and factories, and their
coal, iron, copper, gold and silver
mines, their stone, slate and marble
companies. their debts and bonds
due and collectible. All these sources
and all corporations which yield
dividends or interest are now to be
squeezed and stripped, first by the
national government, and then be
subjected to a second stripping by
the states. This double taxation is
a wholly unnecessary and uncalled-
for intrusion of the United States
into domains long exclusively occu-
pied by the several states and they
will not welcome with alacrity a
joint occupancy, though it be with a
great and superior power. 1t is the
old case of Ahab, moved by Jezebel,
coveting Naboth's vineyard, when
Ahab held far more ample and
legitimate field about to be aban-
doned to free trade.
This ill-timed income tax is even to
hold gifts of personal property as
legitimate marks of its tyranny. The
tokens of regard bestowed upon par
ties celebrat ting their golden wedding
must be accounted for and their
value sworn to before a notary pub
lie as component parts of their an
nual accretions. Or, if an aged man,
confident that the flial affection of
his son would care for his future
wants, should think it better to be
relieved from growing burdens and
as gift his personal property, even
such gift must pay toll to the gen.
eral government.
DIRE CALAMITIES.
In conclusion, Mr.. Morrill, said:
Should this bill, aided by the con-
current action of the senate, ever
reach the dignity of a law enacted
by congress, I should profoundly
regret it on account of the dire
calamities with which it's tariff
chapters are pregnant. Through
Oul tDS WOilO II WOulU also DC re-
GREETED by the friends of the free
popular government that the great
republic of the United States, though
everywhere at peace, should forfeit
its ancient reputa ton of a treasury
properly supported and seldom
empty, and suddenly earn the poor
fame Of being unequal to the legisla-
tive task of proposing a revenue
measure for the ordinary support of
the government without a frantic
and desperate resort to an income
tax-the resort only of nations
which are always wrestling with
financial deficits. Surely we cannot
afford to decorate the annals of our
renuhlic wit b a vile cnnv of this for