Middletown transcript., 1894-01-27
INFAMOUS AND INs1J1T1NG.

INFAMOUS AND INSULTING.
Under the above title the New York
Herald tdem. Of Wednesday has the
following editorial on the proposed
income tax, which we hope win be
read by every patriotic citizen of what
ever party
A more Infamous measure or one
more insulting to the American people
has never been prepared for submission
to Congress than the outrageous In
come Tax bill made public yesterday.
In Its mildest and least offensive
form an income tax bin muStbe odions
The bill Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee is about the most sweeping.
obnoxious and inQuisitorial that could
be devised.
1t ieyies tax of two per cent, upon
afi incomes exceeding four thousand
dollars derived from any kind OF pro-
perty rents, interest, dividends or
salaries, or from any profession, trade,
employment or vocation carried on in
the United States" !" either by citizens.
non-residents or foreigners.
Every person having an income Of
more than three thousand and five
hundred dollars is required to report
tine amount Of his income, gains and
profits" to the deputy collector of the
district, or to ''such officer or agent as
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
may designate" This rsturn must Be
made under oath, and ..the deputy
collector, officer or agent'' is authori-
zed 20 increase the amount of any
return If he has reason to believe that
The same is understated, Then
comes this extraordinary inquisitorial
provision -
In case any such person having a taxable
income shall neglect or refuse to make and |
render such list and return, or shall render |
false or fraudulent list or return. 1t shall |
De the duty of the deputy collector az /
1fncer or agent designated by the Commits |
Iinoner of Internal Revenue to make such /
lists according to the best information he /
an obtain, 6y the examination of such |
person or has books or accounts or anu
'sner evsaence and to add fifty per centum |
. penalty to the amount of the tax due /
p such LIST IN all cases of wilfnl neglect or
eIusal TO make and render list or return,
md in all cases of false or fraudulent
ist or return having been rendered to add
me hundred per centum as q penalty to the
mount OF tax ascertained to be due.
This, it will be noted. creates An
rmy OF federal spies, empowered to
avade every counting room, every
tore, every business house, every
manufacturing establishment and
ven every home in the nation and ran
ack books, accounts, correspondence
nd papers of every description. be-
ides catechising the victim or any of
is employees as to what bis profits and
'ssas are, how much be makes. how
luch ne spends, what he owes, what
saves and 80 on. To assume for
loment that Americans would submit
such despotic inquisition into
leir private business and personal af-
Hrs Dy horde of paid officia spies is
IMPLY an insult to people who wrote
the fundamental chart of their /
'yernment, '.Ihe rsg7M of the people !
be secure in their persons. houses.
lpers and effects against unreasonable !
arches and seizures shall not be vio- G
ted.u r
The people of this country do not d
'ileye in tax which is socialistic and !.
,ctional. They do not want tax i
hich begets fraud, blackmail and v
rJury. They will not tolerate 81
onarchicai, inquisitorial tax, whose t,
lection calls for an army of arrogant :
icial spies. o
1t would be simply suicide for any p
rty to enforce such an Infamous i'm N
'sition upon the country. Let the f,
mocrats beware lest thsy make the :,
ckless blunder Of supporting the out =
seous measure which their Ways
q Means Committee has devised.
ir