The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-21

WASHINGTON. Jan. 15.-Tne rich men
of the United States will be hiding
behind their woodpiles during the next
few months. The Democrats of Con-
gress are bound that we shall have an
income tax, and they propose to collect 2
per cent on all incomes of more than $4,000
per year. This will affect hundreds of
thousands of men in the United States.
and if human nature is the same to-day as
it has been in the past. not one-tenth of
them will pay the taxes. 1t is laws like
this which make it very difficult for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of heaven. In
1868, when the United States was BOOM
ing, we had an income tax on all persons
who made over $1,000 per year. and less
than 100000 people paid taxes on their in
comes. The number who received more
than this and escaped taxation amounted
to hundreds of thousands, and it was even
worse when the limit was raised.
1t was not long after this before the
amount of exemption was Increased to
$4,000, and then the taxable incomes were
returned to the number OF 10000. and
this number fell right along until 1870,
when Senator Sherman estimated that
only $4,000 reople were paying income
taxes. At this time we had a population
of about &C. 600, 900. and nine-tenIhs of the
people and ninety mine hundredths of the
property-hO lders of the country escaped
taxation. At incomes of over $4,000 it
will be worse yet. The gold plated liar
and perjurer will be abroad in the land,
and the tax will to a certain extent be a
premium on corruption.
If 1t could he justly collected it would
bring in millions. l have been looking
over the rich men of the United States
and estimating what they will have 10 pay
if they are taxed on the incomes that they
ought 10 have in proportion 10 their sup
posed wealth. Every Congressman on his
salary alone will have TO drop $50 year
into the treasury. The Calumet Ministers
will each fork over $50 to Uncle Sam. and
President Cleveland will have 1920 de-
Quoted from his White House income. Pri-
vate Secretary Thurber will yield up $50
and the justices of the Supreme Court will
each have S120 year less to spend on the
capons which line their fat round bellies
If in addition to this they return the in
comes that they should have. SuppOsiDg
their wealth brought them per CEN,
Ceveland's two hundred and odd thousand
dollars would make him pay 500 more of
an income tax, and Secretary Lamont will
have to plank down the same amount out
of his profits Of stree t-railway investments.
Every millionaire in the Senate ought at
this rate pay something Ike $1,000 a year
income tax, and if Don Cameron. Cal Brice
and Johu p. Jones do not vince when
they are asked to give up $1,000 and up
ward apiece 10 the treasury l am much
mistaken in the men. Senator Stewart is
said 10 be worth a million. He will pay
$1,000. Watson c. Squire has a million
dollars worth of real estate in the State Of
Washington. and he is too sharp a business
~ him
$4,000 income He ought to pay $1,000
OF all Of John Sherman's big fortune
doubt whether there are many do liars lying
idle. and Villas will probably have TO drop
$1,000 q year from his Wisconsin assets.
Fully half Of the members of the Senate
have incomes of 5000 and upward in ad-
dition to their salaries. They Will have
to pay 500 and upward apiece. and Henry
Cabot Lodge, George c. Perkins and Sena-
tor Stockbrldge are among those who Will
be expected to pay their thousands. The
most of these men will kick when the bill
comes before the Senate, and the general
opinion is that il will not be allowed to be-
come law.
The million aires of the United States !!
Their name is legion. Each one of their
millions ought to bring in between $40 600
and $50, coo year, and from this tax they
should pay at least $1,000 per million.
Look at the list and see some of the golden
tax ought TO fall to prove whether the 6g-
ures are genuine. William Waldorf A stor
is said to be worth S150.000000. His vast
wealth is in lands and houses in New
York City, and it is supposed to bring him
in 6 per cent. If this is so he gets more
than So 600, 900 a year, and his tax will be
more than 900. or about SIS 600 per
month The Gould estate. IT is said.
amounts to over 100000 000 and at 6
per cent it Will bring in s6,000.000 year
and would have to pay tax of S120 600.
One of the biggest fortunes of the United
States is that of the Vanderbilts, which
amounts to in the neigh borhood of
5000. .000, and which, if reduced to gold.
would equal more than zoo, 600 pounds of
the precious metal. It is all safely and
conservatvely invested. and it probably
brings in an income OF $4,000, 600 year.
and it ought TO paw tax of something like
1000 per month, or over 5000 a day
The two brothers. William X. and Corne-
Illus Vanderbilt, are together supposed to
be worth nearlv $500. 900, 900, and when
William II. was living got an idea at the
Treasury Department of his immense es-
tate. was looking into the investments
of our mlilionaireS in 4-Der-cent bonds and
] was told that at one time Cnmmod ore
Vanderbilt had held S45.000,0 600 in these
securities alone. The amount appalled, me-
and the income from it made my eyes as
big as saueers. The interest was paid
quarterly, a0u THIS one man got from tn G
United States Treasury per cent on this
amount every three months. Without the
slightest risk he received from the United
States Government a check for $3.50 600
every ninety days. 1t made me feel ike
an anarchist. | could have forgiven him
the receiving ten times this amount from
an investment in which he stood some
chance Of losing. but TO receive $50, 600 a
month, 5000 day. or over $500 an hour,
without doing stroke OF work or riskiug
a cent of loss was entirely too much for
me, and for the moment l flaunted the red
flag and envied him.
1t is hard TO get an idea of what these
millions mean. and the enormous incomes
which they bring in. The Astor fortune
If put into 81 bills and pasted together
would make a craZy-quilt big enough 10
cover tittv-six farms of 100 acres each. The
Gould estate would carpet more than 5000
acres. and if the bills were pasted together
end Tor end those which could be realized
from the Vanderbilt fortunes would make
green ribbon more than $4,000 miles
long. or long enough to almost reach
around the earth. And still there are
other fortunes nearly as great as these
Coils Z. Huntington is said to be worth
$4,000 600, and he ought to pay $4,000 a
year of an income tax
| would like to see the long face of Rus