San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-21
THE INCOME TAX.

The following editorial from the
rabid-Democratlc States OF New
Orleans, can be heartily endorsed
by every Republican as well as
sensible Democrats.
"Unwlse and vicious as the in
come tax is or was, as whole, the
decision of the Supreme court yes
terday has emasculated il and
rendered it more oppressive and
vicious still. The rescue from its
grip of revenues derived from rents
Of real estate and interest on state
and municipal bonds throws the
whole weight and injustice OF the
law on the producing classes Of the
country, and while the Populist
howl set up in its support was
against the wealthy classes Of the
country, as the matter stands now,
those men of moderate incomes
only, and who represent the intel
ligence, thrift and energy OF the
population, will be held up by the
Federal tax collectors.
Between such legislation as the
income tax and other direct taxes,
for, Construe it as the judges may,
the income tax is in the worst sense
of the word a direct tax, and sound
Democracy, there is the same in
herent antagonism that there is be-
tween the heel Of the man and the
head of the serpent. The Federal
government should raise its rev.
enues from revenue du ties on i'm
ports, and leave all direct taxation
to the states. The whiskey tax,
the tobacco tax and the tax on
playing cards and on other vices
are all wise and just taxes, but they
should be levied and collected by
the several states for their own
support and maintenance. And,
in certain emergencies, even the in
come tax may be defensible; but
only when levied by state; never
should such tax be imposed by the
Federal government.
The income tax which was so
roughly handled by the Supreme
court, was both populistic and mo.
narchical; POpulistic in that it
was demanded by that most dan
gerOus Of all passions in a Repub-
lie, a hatred OF, and a desire to
despoil the rich. It is monarchical
in the fact that sooner or later all
such taxes have a direct tendency
to create an autocracS. Those who
pay the taxes will in the end gov
ern the country; and those who
pay the taxes have a right to gov
ern the country. That all taxation
shall be equal is a Democratic
principle, under which the poor
man as well as the rich; every
member of the community indeed,
except lunatics and mendicants,
shall contribute just proportion
of the revenue to sustain the gov
ernment. Thus the income tax is
anti-DemOcratic, and tends in one
respect to Populism and in an
other to autocracy; but As Popu-
litism in its last analysis is anar.
chy, and as anarchy can never gov
ern organized society, every law or
principle Of Populitism in the end
IeuuS W utSpOUlSIu. DUH IeSpuullC-
anism and Despotism are organized
forms OF government protecting
life and property, and either may
govern wisely and well, and hence
as we have said, every step away
from Democracy toward Populi-
tism is step toward Despotism.
The income tax has proved to be
a dead failure. 1t was abhorrent
to US at its incipiency; we are re-
joiced that it has been so emascu-
lated that its absolute repeal is
now necessary. We should have
| preferred to see it declared I'M
constitutional as a whole, and
we are pleased to see
that at least one-halt OF the court
held it TO be so. But as it stands,
it must go; and the Federal
government must look to the more
legitimate levy of revenue duties
for its maintenance. A specific
duty of two cents a pound on
sugar and a small revenue duty
on coffee and tea will more than
supply all the deficiencies that
may result from the paralysis OF
the income tax.