The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-02-16

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templates removing the income tar
from the Wilson bill and putting ia
ito place tariff on raw sugar, coffee
tea and coal, is one that will cause q
storm OF protest from the country il Il
should prove to be true. II the senate
should persist ia an attempt to accom-.
plish such change il would draw
down on itself condemnation q hun.
dred times more severe and more ex.
tensive than appeared during its OBJ.
-tinste resistance 10 the repeal of the
Sherman law. Even in the revenue
form . tariff tax is tax on consump-
ton, and the democratic party has
fought that system Of taxation and 60
completely exposed it's injustice that
the people are waiting with open
arms to welcome any move tor Q more
equitable substitute for it. An income
tax is an equitable substitute. In ab-
stract morale il Is the most Just tax
that can possibly be laid. At the
foundation Of the science OF taxation
lies the question, should we tax prop.
erty or the product Of property? So
far as justice is concerned it is fairer
to tax the product. The owner is bet.
ter able to pay. 10 tax reproductive
property sometimes amounts to prac-
tical cOnfiscation. The only reasona-
BILE objections that have ever been
made I, the principle Of taxing the
product are the difficulties of admins.
trstion.
The objecti MS that are now being
urged to the income tax ia this coun.
try are puerie and absurd. 1t is
said that it is a "war tax" 1t has
been war tax" in the United States
because in time of peace il has been
impossible 10 secure any form Of tax
alton that hears eQuitably on wealth
We have been far behind the rest Of
the world in the science OF taxation,
and only in the past ten years has the
country begun to be aroused to the in
justic' OF our system, aud to impose a
just share OF the burden of public ex-
pense on those who benefit most by
public expenditures By our new tax
law OF Indiana we have made some
spproach toward the equitable taxa
ton Of wealth, but there is still much
TO do before justice is attained
Though the income tax is in = sense
new 20 this country it il not new toI
the world. Ii is the Oldest form of
taxation known. Il was the form re-
corded TO have been given by the Di-
vine Being TO his chosen people, His
tax was on the product -"lhe fir.tIing
Of the beasts" and 'aIi the 1.-THE Of The
land. whether the seed OF the land, Orl
OF the fruit Of the tree" 1t has been
used in many nations since that time. |
As u distinguished writer recently
said: 1T is the most scientific. the
most equitable and me most pra tics-
ole TAX that can be imposed. The
weight Of authority Of political econo-
or nearly ell the civilized countries of
Europe. In England il wss introduced |
after tremendous struggle wit. the
privileged classes. but Is now SO firm.
Iy entreDched in the financial policy
Of that country that no political party |
and no statesman or politician OF any
would dare 10 propose its
repeal: in fact there Is no income tax
question in England. The income tax
is accepted as . permanent fixture by
every body"
II is said that the tax is inquisitorial.
II il no more inquisitorial than the
property tax, which IL ia existence in
every state in the union. Every prop
erty. ,wner is required TO answer un-
der oath as TO the amount aud charac-
ter Of the property he owns. Iii said
that it will cause perjury. No more
20 than the property tax. In fact the
very class of men who evade the prop
erty tax BY perjury would be caught
by the income tax The men who have
heir property In stocks and bonds, or
loaned at interest on personal security,
Or otherwise in form that easily ad-
mi,s OF concealment. The country
has Just had an int resting revelation
u this nature In the case OF the Gould
state, and il is q matter ofopen com.
ncnt that = large per cent. Of the Il
wealthy people Of the land resort to \
raul Of one kind and another to
avoid taxation. IL so far ss the in il
,ome tax reaches them il will be an
.genc, Of the highest justice.
Hut besides these there is argc
lass -wno enjoy large incomes on
account OF advantages given them bv
he laws OF the land, aud some who
nave them by defiance Of the laws.
Here are all the protection beneficisr-
es. including the trusts and combines. g
Here are those engaged ia interstate p
commerce. Here are the owners OF p
national bonds aud other non.tsxsble
securities These form the largest =
part Of The opposition to the income 8
lax. and il 10 only natural that the {
greatest opposition to that measure
should come from New York. for !,
hat city has, by q policy ofexemptiDg ),
property from general taxa
ion, drawn 10 IL very large number :.
,t people Of this class The fight for !,
IN income tax 10 emphatically . strug.
lie OF the MISSES against the privileg- :.
"a classes, aud the people are as thor !.
,ughly in earnest In support Of II ss
hey are for tariff reform, or for any
,ther mode of release from industrial
,eryitude. Ii would not be wise for
me senate TO attempt TO deny their de. u
msud. The rich mems club" 10 not = =
IN good odor. now and II will not take
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