The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-11

When We get where We must tax en-.
terprise and impose fine upon business
intelligence by taxing laudible ambi-
ton and exempting and rewarding mis-
management, We need the aid and COM
miseration of other nations. 1t is the
praiseworthy ambition of every good
citizen to make of his particular bust
ness an honorable success The income
tax Furnishes him for this and encourages
him to do exactly what Ananias did.
And to go still further with the smile
he is supposed 70 report the income Of
his wife Sapphira. Sapphire is not a
citizen. She has no rights, and the col
lector has no authority to question her
! about her income; but !, for instance,
still carrying out this idea, will be re-
quired to report my wife's income, and
! if our united incomes should be over the
stipulated amount l must pay tax on
! it, so my wife is not only disfranchised,
but the fact is emphasized by making me
a detective, and l must not only pay a
| tax on my efforts to earn more than
| S., 500 per year, but must 60 through
my wife's pockets after she has retired.
| no matter how difficult it may be to as
! certain where those pockets are and how
| to get into them, in order to ascertain
what she got for her butter and eggs
! during the current year, and II l fail to
do this and to add it to my own income
| am traitor to my country.
| Whatever future generations may
say of our intelligence and statesman
ship l know not, but am positive that
their remarks regarding the income tax
will be entirely unfavorable.
| am also required TO report the in
come of minor children and to go
/ through their little toy banks while they
( are asleep
| / Twas postmaster once, and point
I to that era of prosperity with pride.
/ held the office but four years, and yet it
was period of uninterrupted peace and
comfort. Wheat was 81 a bushel and
! hay $50 per ton. Everybody had en-
I ployment, and dress sleeves did not re-
( quire crinoline to hold them in shape.
I There were no strikes, and poor people
did not study Delsarte.
/ My office was rinsed out thoroughly
every spring, and have never repeated
word outside of my family which /
read ON any of the postal cards passing
through my hands. / regarded the Office
as solemn trust, and / never failed to
put back the illustrated papers and
magazines into their wrappers after
had glanced over them. Good white oak
and hickory wood sold for 81 per cord,
and we were at peace with all the ma
tions of the earth. Letters left uncalled
for for the required time were advertised
in my own paper, and patrons of the
Office who suffered from drought had
their stamps licked for them without a
murmur.
Only once had congressional ambi
tons. ana that was temporary. l visit
co Wyoming at the time of her admls-
sion to the Union as state, and the
legislature offered to make me a senator
if | would become a citizen, and was
tempted to do il, for it was great hon.
or, but ] rememb ered how close the air
is in the senate chamber and how many
Interruptions L would have while doing
literary work and while other senators
We're speaking and when | needed abb
solute quiet. 50 ! declined the seat. Be-
sides. too. the salary is only 81. 900 per
wear, and | would have TO make cam
paign speeches every fall without any
box Office receipts. | would have TO give
a large parE Of my salary 70 various
charities, and little red babies would be
named after me, each of whom would
have to receive a silver mug. Tine pa
pers at home would attack me every
time | failed 10 vote, and even harder
perhaps when | did vote. My business
at home would 20 to the dogs, and if
failed Of a reelection / would be mad
and sick at heart Ny boys would grow
ND 70 think the government ought 20 pro-
vide for them and the railroads give
them passes. Ny wife would need a
new dress, and we would feel hurt X
we did not get a. much attention as the
senators from New York and Massachu-
sets. would have 70 bring my team
here 20 Washington. where feed is high,
and the reporters would be all the time
asking me what was done during the
executive sessions. and they would roast
me and rake up old personalities If re-
fused TO tell them, and the senate would
despise me IL did not refuse, and there
you are.
On the whole, decided TO remain
free a. 4 bird. free to eat with my
knife. free 20 express my opinions, free
10 ride on the horse Cas-, free 10 attend
whichever church | chose, free 20 crit
else legislation, free To 20 10 sleep in
the press gallery AID free TO write as
am now writing
Yesterday / received advance sheets
II a new poetic Volume which viii soon
astonish the weird. Il Is ~ a rising
uost, who asks ne - mention the book
casually IN the paper, 50 tEat TIE p1b-
lie NAV be prepared FIR II ana not fool
away irs MONEY ou other literary trash
p-iOr - the appearance II this work
Il frank oatbcTss q poetic passion
rbe poet writes O. the title page a. fol
lows:
= al 80 posus raw WRITER
Va = i.-l to fzer 4. = rsle-
A. 80 49, =; ~&s l.:<A