The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-02-02

class Of property, which chooses as 1t victim
S5.0O0 out of the 65 00O,O 900 people of ii
country. Only In the pla form Of the Populis
n was found the demand hat Ia now being q
D up as test of Democracy. The only diffe
Q ence Is that the Popusts wanted graduate
. tax. and this IA not graduated. The bill W,
? really framed upon the income-tax plank
the late Socialist convention that met In Ne
York.
at Ia said that the Supreme Court has
} cid"d that'the income tax Is . constitution
one, but deny that such a decision is I'm
40 long a. there IL a possibility that upon
J more complete and exhaustive presenta 10
taking of evidence are In violation of the o.
binary rules of law and the decision OF q rev
nue. collector is made final. 1t lays a create
burden on the honest man than on the dish0r
est one. The honest man will pay 1t and tn
dishonest one won't. 1t is bounty uro
fraud and perjury and tax on thrift and In
dustry."
Pence Of Colorado: The "Ponulists want q
income tax, but they want II graduated Il
line with that demand shall tomorrow. un
der direction of the Populists memb rs, intro
| duce an amendme mt TO make this tax ne
cent on incomes from 80 500 to $1,000
2 ner cent on incomes between $1,000 anC
$50, 900; 3 per cent on incomes from $780, 0l
To $4,000; 4 per cent on incomes between
500 600 and 800 ono. and per cent on ali ia
comes above 100000. The graduated feature
of this tax is its chiefest value"
Tom johnson of Ohio: "Any tax on what
| man has Is better than one on what he
needs. I shall, thereto e, vote for this bin
but under protest am against all Income
tax on principle. favor 1t over tariff be.
cause YOU can reduce 1t without having to
meet the opposition OF all the wealth of the
country, as has been the difficulty In the case
of the tariff. You protectiontsts are the worst
kind Of sociali.ts. You believe In interfering
WITH trade and exchange In the Interest of the
rich. Ordinary socialists do the same thing
in the interest OF the roor,a aud I'd rather have
their way than yours"
jerry Simpson Mr.. Walker opposes this
bill. be says, because it will oppress the la.
boring man. Why. bless your old soul, you
protect the hogs and the cattle our in Kansas
Feed them and shelter them and nurture them
and care for them In order that we NAV eat
them. That's the way you'll protect the L.
boring man. You are against this tax, he
cause 1t can't be showed off on the laboring
man."
Cochran of New York made the greatest
speech Of the opposition, and its eloquence
and mower were such that though the major.
ity Of the house was strongly against htm,the
applause that followed bis close lasted for
several moments. He denied that there was
anv need of It because of deficiency In the
"The result Of tar fl reduction 10
to increase the revenue. Either the
experience of all mankind and the lesson Of
all history are less vsluahe than the specu.
latinns- of the gentleman from Tennessee or
Else there will be no deficiency" And be
argued:
81 regard this income tax proposition "a
he entering wedge to a system of retaliatory
p gislation which would result In the dis
II reimbursement Of large part of our people |
Adam Smith, whom the advocates OF this tax |
have so misquoted, lays 1t down rs an inf j. |
ib'e rule that tax on the profits of trade
which ia where nineteen.twentieths OF this
Ak would fall, inevitably rests at last upon |
he consumer. How could 1t be otherwise?
traders profit in the smallest margin that
viii allow him to continue In the business
Ind make reasonable profit II by tax or
my other means 1t IA decreased he must raise
l's prices, and the consumer must pay the
Inference. This tax amounts to an increase
a bis rent, an increase IN the sum be must
'av for insurance, or any other increase In
he fixed exnenses OF conducting bis bnst.
TESS. And the consumer must paw 1t ALL"
d the very came chapter of Adam Smith
hat the gentleman quotes 1t Ia laid down az
Principle that everything connected with tax
hould be public and open in the sight of
very one, else you SOW seeds of corruption
| 4
he flower of oppression and wrong. I will
pl you the situation that we are coming to
this bill passes. Instead Of taxation It will
. baksheesh 1t will he eAsier to settle with /
be deputy collector than with the govern.
rent, and the secrecy which you provide Will
e the shield for the corruption and fraud. :
he bill avoids making mans affsirs public !
' effecting a secret competition with the Of !
cers of the law. helltve there has never h
Of been . state Of human society where re- q
ards for crime we're numerous that tho j
lime did not flourish. By making perjury 9
ot properly burden to be objected to, but !,
10 badge Of liberty. will never favor . sy.- i,
n that puts even the poorest of fellow-citi. Ii
.ns 10 the attitude Of participating In the 8
gifts Of governmental forma pauhreris. In g
,vipg bis expenses paid for him BY some .
,e richer than be ia Property always looks =
1t for itself. An that property can expect Ia X
Iuity under the law. and that equity you n
'opose to destroy bv this BILL This bill full. fl
q the predictions Of economists Of old as to b.
IT constitution. They said 1t would be all Ell
yht Is long a. the people were poor and q
,hes were evenly distributed, but that, when g,
q few accumulated wealth and the many y
ouId BIZ used for the oppression of the rich. ST
9 who have watched this country grow and N
We seen that property here has always been ~
Ter than anywhere else on earth, now see az
th alarm this proposition, now made for a. q,
first time, to establish class distinctions. 81 81
Byron of Nebraska, followed in reply and eli
he Ia one OF the finest orators of the house n
bad an ovration and showers of c0ngratu- p.
ions much Ike Cochrsn's. He produced 81
blanks used for the assessment of person. he he
taxes IN New York to show that the tax la
s moreIipquisitoriaI than the incomeltsx. He ma
I'd the -tnr, OF Hetty Green with an fl To-
ne of 90 COO 600 living In the commonest nj
". "That woman he said "does not pay r.
much to the support of the government as vi
poorest Isborer with family of children, liz
ibis tax affects one section only 1t 10 be- az
se that section has all the wealth of the re
utry." I'M
lowers of California said that In spite of the ~
that be had some time ago committed m,
lsef against the income tax idea, he pro. vi
ed to vote for It now. His previous &C. sti
} not afraid to say that he had been mis-. IN
en- and changed bis position. The income e..
4. be said, was the only redeeming feature 70,
he Wilson bill. ali ali
'r Everett of Massachusetts said there was an
lstice in the bill because 1t taxed the earn. ba
, of professional men and salaries just the ~,
le o. the income of business or Investments. a
ides that the tax wac too easy to raise. Az
enever an administration WANT ed 10 beck no
sgsnt all 1t would have to do would be to Or
w up the income tax another peg. Still DO
her. granting that the tax was just and p M
table, 1t was not being passed IN the IT,
It way. He had come to congress 10 vote iy
q tariff reform bill. not for an income tax. life
people had never heard OF the income tax PM
% they elected him. This was no PROF or dri
to put through SO novel and important o be
me.
Other Matters. 6.