Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-07

Alleged VIII Re Sectional.
! Fifth 1t is alleged that the income tax
will be sectional in its operations, and that
nearly all of it will be collected from the
great cities in the northern and eastern
states. 1t is not a valid argument against
| taxing surplus incomes that these incomes
are more easily earned and accumulated in
some localities than in others. What mean
| the constant publications noting the vast
development Of profitable railways mining,
manufacturing and other Industrial estao-
! lishments all over the south?
| Sixth. The income tax is objectionabl Bile
because IL prizes into mems private affairs
and makes public the amount of incomes
| received by those paying the tax. But the
| law, now proposed, effectually bars such
| publicity by making it a penal offense for
any officer of internal revenue to publish
| or communicate the amount Of any indi-
vidual income.
| Seventh. 1t is claimed that the tax tends
| TO discourage industry and thrift. and viii
operate as a bar TO the accumulation Of
! property. Does any man believe that the
/ growth of prosperity and the accumulation
| of large incomes will be stopped through
! fear OF two per cent tax on superfiuties?
! Eighth. But the tax will lead to enormous
/ evasions to escape il and offers a premium
| upon deceit and perjury This is equally
| true of all taxation upon personal property,
/ and the assessors Of real estate even, Who
are sworn to assess the true value. are said
/
As human nature IS constituted. IL may be
| true that some men Will lie at all times
/ and perhaps that all men will lie some
| times. But that all men viii lie at all
| the tax system in all nations.
| Ninth. II is declared that the tax is in
! capable of collection because it is odious
10 those who have to pay IL. 4 tax which
produced &}J0.Odo.OUD in eight years in the
United States while under the stress and
! strain of war can hardly be declared in
! capable Of collection. A tax bill Is always
| and everywhere an unwelcome visitor.
With the Least Oppression.
| What are the most proper objects OF taxa
! ton? Are they not those which can be paid
with the least oppression TO all and the
| least obstruction to the comfort and pros
perity of the people? Among these may be
classed the luXuries Of life, incomes, sue
| cessions and inheritances. Taxes on the
| means of living are. of all others. the most
| oppressive and unequal We are still sub
| ject to the highest tariff known in any
civilized nation. and even the sweeping re-
| ductions of the new tariff bill Will leave an
| average duty Of ~ IL per cent charged BILE
upon the gross amount Of dutiable articles.
The objections to a progressive or gradual
| ed tax had such weight with the House that
| the proposition to tax incomes from one
| thousand to one hundred thousand on a
! creScendo scale from per cent up to > per
cent was voted down by tWO-thirdS ma
| Jority. while the single tax project receiy
| ed only six votes.
! One special reason in favor of an income
| tax Is that il is the only national tax not
| levied upon consumption. a mixed system
| of direct and indirect taxation appears 10
| be the most eXpedient, and, in the long run,
| has proved itself the most popular. Taxa
| lion which is so much denounced is not an
injustice and grievance if equitably
levied If government in the last analysis
| is a necessary evil, IL Yet does for every
| . L. l.
| furnishes him protection at all points at
| home or abroad in the peaceful and undis-
| turbed pursuits OF his own interests. The
| charge Of the unconsttutionality of an in
| come tax is answered by the unanimous
| judgment OF the supreme Court, rendered
many years after the war.
| The doctrine of unity Of taxation may be
regarded as unSOuul. and the burden Of
| taxes should be diHUsed over the widest
possible area. The income tax is hailed by
| many a. 4 step towards equality of taxa
| ton To lew the whole Of our national tax
| upon cons Imptiyu l. ~ perpetgate 4 system
which taxes the E.Ost heavily those who
| have the largest families to maintain. and
observation shows that this class ar,. not
the rich. Surely non, would wish 10 apply
strictly that hard SCriPtUral text. That 70
him that hath shall Be given. hut from him
! that hath not shan be taken away even
| that which ne hath People should De
| taxed out Of their superb bundance and not
| out OF their necessities.
Popular Discomfort.
| Finally. il is not 10 be expected that great
social and financial problems which have
heea Tor ages the despair of statesmen will
/ DE settled by single years legislation.
| That our fiscal system. incluiing both IA
! ticnal currency and national revenues is
| sadly out of joint is abundantiy manifest
! from recent experiences. The great ground
| swell OF popular discomfort, whatever It's
| causes, unemployed labor. over-production
| unwise taxation, uDSound currency. over
weening accumulation of wealth 10y the few
| or the rapid growth OF vast and oBpressiN -
| n lists and monOpolies is worthy the earn
| est study OF thoughtful men EVERYWHERE
| The proposed income tax may be viewed
| with composure as an experiment. notWith-
! standing the face that the most sensitive
| nerve in the body polite is the pocket
| nerve. That which the great governing
| classes of England have voluntarily inn
| posed upon themselves for half a century
at the average rate OF over ; Der cent need
not shake American society to its fouuda-
| ton when levied at only two-thirds of that
| rate. Sooner than have the whole country
! torn up by tariff disturbances recurring
| every few years with costly pauics fuan-
| clal wrecks and commercial manufactures
| ruined, why not seek a system which would
| give US at once an elastic revenue and an
| elastic currency II demagogues and So
| cialistS ever do get the uppe- hand in This
! country il Will be because Of the obs;inacy
| of the representatives % wealth in resist
! lilS 100 loiiS lllfltl1 anu sanitary reforms
in legislation. Meanwhile, let none expect
/ that the embodiment OF pure reason Will
| dictate our legislation or look for the usher
! ing in OF an economic millennium. Let US
be mindful of the truth of that ancient
| couplet:
| w hoe er expects a perfect tax to see,
| Expects what never was. nor is, nor e'er
| shall be-"
| Amid the mutations of politics and the
| strife of warning opinions let US eXemplifv
| the maxim of one of the wisest of modern
| publiciSts, that because We cannot do per-
| feet justice is no reason why We should
| not do as much justice as We can"
Before We Were Born.
The next address was delivered by DR. A
] r. A. King on the subject. How Old Are
We?' The question" he said lis ..ener-
| ally understood TO mean the number of
! years that have elapsed since our birth. IT
| is not so generally understood that the du-
ration OF our existence as living beings al
ways includes a considerable number of
years prior to the event of birth II NAV
be distinctly affirmed also that human life
before birth presents in somewhat urinli-
tive way many of the phases that charac-
terize II after We are born. 1t is well
known that even before our mothers were
born we lived as ovules in their ovarian
stroma. The ovaries of fetus in utero