Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-26

unfinished by the government of $4,000, 600
people heretofore claimed to be the most
prosperous of the world
Can a democratic Congress feel proud
which makes such conspicuous discrimina-
ton in favor of wealth and official position,
and which is wont to enter tariff closet
and shut the door to pray2 "God, thank
thee, that am not as the rest of men, ex-
tortioners, unjust, aduterers, or even as
this publican, | give titles of all that !
get" Can such Congress be proud of this
ill-born income bantling never wont to be
owned or caressed here except in the face of
grim visaged war, as their browning grace
and contamination of promised but mis-
carried tariff for revenue only ~
Even those in the grammar of political
economy will hardly deny that the removal
OF the tariff from foreign manufactures
must to the whole extent of an income tax
This ill-timed income tax is even to hold
gifts of personal property as legitimate OBJ
jects of its tyranny. The tokens of regard
bestowed upon parties celebrating their
golden wedding must all be accounted for
and their value sworn to before a notary
public as component parts of their annual
accretions Or, if an aged man, confident
that the filial affection of his son would care
for his future wants, should think it better
to be relieved from growing burdens. and
should therefore transfer to his son as a gift
his personal property, even such gift must
pay Toll to the general government
personally my income tax under this bill
would be so light that ] should be ashamed
TO grumble about the tax. At my time of
life 1t cannot hurt me much nor very long,
and above all others the members of Con
gress imposing this tax should not escape
from it. Nor does the very small number
in the State have the honor in part to rep
resent who may be taxed on incomes of
SlOOO or more, excite my solicitude. But
the great wrong to which | would call at
tention is that Of the numerous small stock
holders every business. and corporation
that ever earns dividend are to be subject
ed to an income tax, however inconsidera-
BILE and fragmentary may be the amount of
their whole personal income or means OF
support
a not less serious objection is that like
the tariff part of the bill proposed it is
local i'll its application and throws the onu;
principally upon the Northern States. Thi:
will be obvious to those who examine the
record of the income tax from 1868 t.
, 1873 which shows that during these II
years, while the total tax collected wa.
: $347, 22O, 1920 only $l1, 1914 1920 were
collected from the / States once known as
the Confederate States. The State of New
/ York paid in one year S2l $40, 600 10, oil
just about twice as much OF course th'
North was not ignorant of what the result
would be then, nor is the South ignorant OF
what the result would be now. The lattel
feel no doubt that the best place for an in
, come tax is that long ago pointed out for
boil on some other fellow.
Should this bill aided by the concurren
? action of the Senate, ever reach the dignit,
of law enacted by Congress, should pro
foundly regret it on account of the dire ca
lamities with which its tariff chapters ar
pregnant. Throughout the world it woul
q. also be regretted by the friends of free pop
l ular government that the great republic o
the United States, though everywhere a
) peace, should forfeit its ancient reputation
of a treasury properly supported and seldom
empty, and suddenly earn the poor fame o
being unequal to the legislative task of pre-
posing a rev enue measure for the ordnar
support of the government without a fran
; tic and desperate resort to an income tax
L the resort only Of nations which are alway
wrestling with financial deficits. Surely W
cannot afford to decorate the annals of OF
Z republic with vile copy of this foreign e,
20 crescenCe.