The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-02-23
THE INCOME TAX.
Public Sentiment Divided as to Its
Practicability at the Present
Time.
Leading Men of Both Parties Favor
an Income Tax Law Of Some
Kind.
The Tariff Bill Will Be Discussed
in the Senate for Seme
Weeks.

WASHINGTON, d.. c., Feb. 15.-[Special. i
ttHas the income tax measure hurt us, or
will It hurt usf" Such is the question
Easked by almost every Democratic member
& almost every visitor from his section of
he country and from those with whom he
corresponds, for it cannot be denied that a
tery considerable number of members are
ON the anxious seat upon that subject.
The answers are from everywhere-verbal
fend by letter. Incoming visitors talk will
kHreat freedom, and there are funny results.
The important ones may be mapped ont
nus: Take as a model one of those disease
laps which accompany the census and by
Arious shadings mark out the strength of
bcal opposition to the income tax. Then
axe another and mark out the region
where q great deal of wealth has concen-
trated, especially where it is concentrated
q few hands, and the two maps will cor
Pespond to the tenth of 1 per cent in the
3Dhading. After all, this is only what we
1hculd expect, for there is a heap of human
5ature in a man, and it is those who object
b paying out money who generally succeed
b acquiring most of it. New York is by
%pmmon consent recognized as the head
1enter of the opposition. The other At
COuSu ClblCo ohlC diOiS III thV SNoto
& der of the number of their m~illionaires,
ut as one goes toward the west the oppo-
Ion steadily decreases
"Debasing' New York City.
Take in like manner a line of cities along
b northern edge of the country, in which
% opposition is strong, and going from
here southwark it as steadily decreases,
nd this is true to so great an extent on
49, atkar Enana,a1 an1 n,,o,,,N ..,,,n,
\ lat a man who is a stanch Democrat in
Jew York or Massachusetts would make a
Very fair Republican in Missouri or Kansas.
3 1t is now. asserted positively by the party
&ealculators that without the income tax
Esxeature there would only have been seven
NDemocratic votes against the Wilson bill
namely, the Louisiana sugar men, one from
New Jersey and two others who are not
4amed. Perhaps the best speeches thereon
1 vere made in the house, but certainly the
most emphatic are made in the hotel lob
}oies and rooms. One of these by
~ Texas member, commenting on Bourke
ockran's speech, is good enough to report
IN full:
There are three strong arguments urged
against an income tax. The first is that it
would debase the morals of the rich, and
what a pity that would be in New York!
The poor there are already debased, you
KNOW, and nov if we debase the rich, what
Twill become of that city3 Sodom and Go
\ morrah will not be in it for comparison.
You see it will work just like this: A man
has an income of, say, $1,000 a year. Of
shat $4,000 are exempt. On the 81, 900 he
would have to pay $40 income tax. OF
fcourse he must swear to a lie to escape it,
and he would have to keep on swearing to
"a lie year after year or as long as he had
That income, and when Il man gets in the
habit OF swearing to Il lie he is liable to
take to tobacco m whisky, or even to pro
kgressive eucher, and then run into all man
ner of outrageous vices.
Uniform Laws Unknown.
1.-THE second great objection is that it
would check enterprise. The man with an
Aincome of 5000 who is too conscientious to
Qapwear to Il lie would say this: If 90 on
3fmaking $1,000, those pesky collectors will
Tmake me pay $40 a year, aud so, by the holy
mickey, I'll quit. | won't make any income
But the chief beauty in the bouquet of
3 arguments is that the tax is sectional or,
as they say, not uniform in it's application.
#Weh, what law is uniform on individuals?
IN me that l know of. IL they mean uni
prm in its equal application to every sec
|WE~ "a 'hO Siioh, ~ CcTUfluly Is. 1ut II
Sy44y mean uniform to all classes and indi
fvtduals alike then there is no such Law
le1ther indeed can there be. The tax on
Nhisky doesn't apply in prohibition COM
eunities. The tax or tobacco is purely
Muntary.
In fact, the state law against horse steal
Dc doesn't apply to one in a thousand of
ne population. Nevertheless the
I Pat the bill is sectional has some force.
here Is only one man in my county who
pay any income tax. He owns most
|& the neiRhborhood he lives in and is Law
" up money to buy all the land that Joins
I'M. AS his income is probably s., 900 a
y ar, this bill would make him pay $50, and
know to a moral certainty that it would
4 feak the old fellows heart. 1t is indeed
letional SO far as he is concerned
The senate finance committee, on motion
chairman Voorhees,, has decidedly out
re Shakespeare's Hotspur-or was it
QWen Glendowera Said committee has
N94led spirits from the vastly deep, and said
EP1ts, contrary to experience, nave come.
@pe circular sent out calling for notes and
ygestions on the Wilson bill has brought
m every part of the United States volu-
pous replies, which might be described as
long, loud and not at all hilarious howl.
5&5| Tar as looked over, about one-half of
e replies declare the country is ruined
he Wilson bill is passed. About one
- declare that the country is ruined If it
not passed. The remaining sixth is about,
pally divided between those who declare
y the country is ruined anyhow and past
,emption already and those who say that
country can't be seriously hurt and will
lust itself to any law that may be passed.
Just the same, this little minority
4 pa like to have some important changes
bose parts of the schedule which affects
particular industry. In reply to an
Iniry as to the length of time required to
assify the replies and the general senti-
pts therein, one of the clerks saws the
sent force might do it in seven wears if
b worked industriously.
"a Set for Trial.
XNW