Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-27
NOVEMBER 81, 1894
The Income Tax.


The Income Tax.
7. "a rrported that Mr.. HI VIII oneF
motion at the opening Of the session OIL '''7
Senate for the repeal OF the income '"N'
We think that this report VIII iurh o"'
~ he untrue. Senator Hi did all tha'
law IN his mower to prevent an income
tax from being imposed; but wne" l.
became the law Of the land ne at o"'e
declared in support Of It, the "o''""
spoken Of might prevail In the Se"'.e'
lint It would unquestlonnbly fan III inc
House Of Representatives.
The report as to Mr.. Hllrs motion y
based upon the fact that when the M
come tax was levied no provision was
made for defraying the expenses OF us
collection. This was an meHcusape
omission. but Congress will hardly AZ
low the revenues Of the government 70
J.. diminished by thirty millions OF doi-
,o,s bacausc one branch OF that BODY
does not like income taxes. Nheh 'he
senate is confronted with the require
mont that II shah either provide FOR col
Letting the income tax, or else shail pro-
vide for levying other taxes aggregating
thirty millions Of dollars annually our
"uppar chamber Will do it's duty In the
premiscs. The income tax Will be col
lected.
II is assumed by the New York pa
pers and some other papers which sneeze
when a New York editor takes snuH'
that the income tax is exceedingly IN
popular. 1t may be pronounced law
odious in the eyes OF the few mon who
. have to pav #, and containing features
which ought TO cause It to undergo the
strictest revision year after year, ana
insure its constant Improvement as long
as 1t shall continue in force. 1t Is
law which IS responsible for no little
false swearing, and leads misery men
into acts of omission and commits
sion. 1t operates oppressively upon the
honest, conscientious taxpayer but Is
laughed to scorn by the INSCRIPTIONS
and dishonest. Yet. we repeat. Congress
will not allow thirty millions of dollars
of revenue to be lost 20 the government
when by enforcing the income tax that
large sum may be saved. But when we
add that nobody will have to pay the
Federal income tax except persons whose
incomes exceed four thousand dollars
year. we state a fact which will always
render the tax popular rather than an
unpopular one.
AS to the House of Representatives..
we may say that the income tax is by
no means unpopular in that body. The
members may claim that they were
driven into its support, but they will set
I'D this claim with a poor face. There
are likely to be many of them who will
take pleasure in providing without de-
lay for carrying out the provisions of the
income-tax law as il stands upon the
statute-book. 1t is estimated that half a
million of dollars will be re-
quired for this purpose. If all
the Democrats and all the Re
publcans in the Senate who protested
against the new law were TO combine
10 refuse TO make the appropriation just
referred to. II would never be granted
by the Senate. However. when We have
said that the revenue from the income
tax Will be absolutely necessary for the
support of the government we have said
enough, we think, TO convince our read
ers that that tax will be collected as
soon as possible. Nobody would favor
an extra session Of Congress unless for
enforcing that law, and no congressman
will vote 90 make an extra session ne