The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-29

the number Of persons in Sweden compe-
tent to vote even for members of the
lower house was but 8 per cent. OF the
population.
In NORWAY an income tax may be levied
By the storthing. put only those Norwe-
gians can vote for member OF the sror-
thing who '.are exercising or have exer-
cised Official functions; or who possess
land IN the rural districts. which has been
let for more than five years, or who are
burgesses Of some city, or possess either In
II or sorne village a house OF property OF
the value Of AZ least so crowns." say SO
An income tax is levied in Great Britain,
bat there the plural voting of therich land
owners is not yet abolished. and the prac-
ticaI effect Of the registration laws Is to
distranehise large section Of those who
pay no income tax, that Is to say, whose
earnings fall below 500 year.
But in Great Britain the income tax is
fair and honest tar. compared with that
proposed by the Wilson bill, because the
taxable minimum. being placed as los as
$500 year, is distributed over relatively
large class. and the class which pays the
income tax has special political buiwark
in the hereditary branch of the national
Legislature, /. e., the house of lords In
England, therefore. representation or poll
ticaI power is practically apportion ed TO
direct taxation. In America, however.
the SociaIist-Labor party demand 'pro-
gressiye income tax, the small incomes to
be exempt" In this demand of the Popu-'
list party. made in 1892. they are now virtu-
ally supported or reinforced by the Demo-
cratic party. IL was President Cleveland
who proposed tax on incomes: il was q
Democratic house Of representatives. that
passed bill for an income tax containing
the principle that the smaller incomes
shall not be taxed. and 1t is said by dis
tinguished social labor demagogues. abb
surdly calling themselves Democrats, that
Democratic senate is ready to approve
and enact this socialist principle.
The national Democratic party in Its
Chicago platform did not demand an in
come tax, but the congressional Democracy
have adopted this socialist labor princi-
pie. and are likely before the next election
10 adopt the other wild principles of Pop
ulism. viz: government employment of
the unemployed, state, government, or
municipal control of the railroads. tele-
graphs, telephone. ferries, gas and electric
light plants, and juries taken exclusively
from the industrial classes. not TO mention
free silver and iliimitable imitation of
paper money currency aud government
warehouse certificates.
The probability is that the law is not
constitutional. for it was only the other
day that United States District Judge
Kicks, at Cleveland, O., decided the So
called state tax inquisitor" law uncon-
stitutional. The case before the court was
brought by the executors of the estate of
John L. Woods against the auditor of the
county to enjoin the collection of taxes
on property which was alleged 10 have
been concealed amounting to IS, 500 600,
and which had been placed on the dupli-
cate by the auditor.
The court held that the statute conferred
upon the auditor quasi-iudicial powers in
cases where he was financially interested;
that his interest in the result was IN the
nature of a bride against the taxpayer, and
was therefore invalid under the Four
tenth amendment to the constitution of
the United States. The same rule was
made to apply TO other cases involving
taxes to the amount of more than 5000, 900.
Millions OF dollars OF taxes throughout
the state are affected by this decision.
Since the law went into effect many large
capitalists have moved ont of the state to
avoid the "tax inquisitor.