The sun., 1894-05-05
The Pirate Tax.

The object OF the men who are trying to
folst an income tax upon the country is
perfectly clear, although q good many Of
them still continue to lie about 1t or to
deceive themselves. That object is not to
provide revenue. The proceeds Of the pro-
posed income tax are estimated at only
29,O0o.O0O or s3o.ooo.oOO. sum OF no Inn
portance compared with the amount that
could and should be raised by revenue tax
upon sugar or tea or coffee. The object Is
to satisfy for the moment. but really to
stimulate. that blind and ignorant hatred
for wealth which has been preached as
gospel by Populists and Socialists Of many
names. and which Democratic demagogues
have fostered. Speech after speech and plat
form after platform have raved about the
evil doings OF plutocracy and the pluto
Gratis. A whole army OF cheap ranters and
hysterical newspapers has taken up the cry
OF plutocracy until many doubtless honest
folk have come to believe that this harm
less Greek derivative represents some real
danger to American institutions. The rant
ing demagogues and the hysterical news
papers have gone upon the theory that as
there are more poor people than rich 1t must
be popular to attack the rich. Behind these
duu hoWicib oS
wealth is a body not well organized. not
confined to any definite locality. but conf
posed Of all the active or passive enemies
OF society. the dreamers and cranks and
fanatics who would reconstruct 1t. the GRIM
inals and semi-criminals who would profit
by any violent change. and the great gang
OF the shiftless who cannot forgive Q pros
perity which they have never made indus
trious effort to obtain.
Tho union OF native American shiftless-
ness with undigested foreign socialistic
or communistic or anarchistio ideas has
been under way for some time. 1t has gone
30 far that the proposition that the Gov
ernment or the State should provide the
citizen with employment excites no sur
prise. The Populists. with their numerous
demands for aid from the Government.
represented for time such dissatisfaction
with the existing condition Of things as
was not expressed by tho soclalistic Labor
party. Now the Democrats have boldly
accepted from the Populists the Income tax.
one OF the most ingenious OF plans for In
creasing the power OF the central Govern
ment. furnishing wealth and accumulation.
and beginning the process OF conflscation
OF property.
While the present distribution OF wealth
in the United States will make an income
tax bear most heavily upon the East.
and therefore such tax may find support
In the South and West from supposed
motives OF self-interest. the sectional incl
dence is not the essence OF its evil char
acter. The bleeding OF one section OF the
country for the imagined benefit OF other
sections would be a great mistake and q
great wrong. So would be the beginning OF
class taxation. So would be the extension
OF Federal interference with the private
business OF citizens and the enlargement
OF the already overgrown army Of ofice-
holders. But the wicked and abhorrent
thing about the income tax is that 1t Is q
first and fatal surrender to the enemies of
property. the first days march toward
communism.
The Westerners and Southerners who are
now chuckllng fatuously. and grasping. as
they think. all opportunity to get even
with Wall street." forget that wealth and
the rights of property In New York and
wealth and the rights OF property In Ala
bama and Missouri will share one fate.
The cranks and the criminals will make no
sectional distinction.