Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-03-22
WHERE THE FAULT LIES.


There are large number of persons who
are opposed TO the income tax and strenu
ously deny that there is any necessity ior
such an impost They also attribute ii to
the Democratic party, and they blame that
party for gratuitous leyying of taxation
which might have been spared those who
are to pay it.
1t is true that the Democratic party is re-
sponsible for the law, but it is not at all SO
plain either that it is unnecessary or that
the Democratic party is responsible for the
state Of facts that led up to it. That state
of facts may be concisely said to be in.
creased ex penditures ofthe government, and
diminished sources of revenue. Those who
have controlled public affairs for the last
twenty-five years have so conducted them
as to make an income tax logical if not an
inevitable outcome OF their action. To
charge the responsibility for the levying Of
the income tax upon those who have been
the immediate agents 10 bringing ii into law
is to take but a superficial view Of the stu
Tor its appearance. 1t must be traced in the
policy of the government for long period.
Il is an item in the political literature OF
the country that during the administration
Of John Quincy Adams the expenditures of
the American government amounted to but
$l3,O00,O00, and IL was charged that his ad,
ministration was extravagant. Notwith-
standing the fact that the country increased
in area and wealth during and after Mr.
Adams administration the expenditures OF
the government largely increased and con
tnued to increase up to the opening Of the
war. The war Of course made the expend-
itures enormous. A heavy taxation was i'm
posed which enabled us 10 pay off much of
the war debt and brought surplus into the
treasury. A surplus did what surplus al
ways does, ii induced habits of extrava-
gance. There was period under it when
ii sesaned as II our legislators sought TO de
wise means for spending money. This habit
OF extravaganza had its inevitable effect. 1t
sent the national expenditures constantly
nlbDcT until tuC1 lCdSuSh buV
amount of 100000 year.
Our national Legislators, ifthey had paused
and reflected for moment, would have re-
allied that no nation in the world had ever
spent anything like $500,000,O00 per year
without resorting to an income tax TO meet
the outlay. But it may be said, and with
some truth, that our nation is not like most
other nations OF the world in the extent oil
its resources for taxation, Admitting this,
cessary to prudentiy employ the resources
for taxation aside from incomes, il income
taxation was to be avoided. This is exactly
what we failed to do We had a tremen
dous mint to draw upon in our customs du.
ties and, if we had used this in business
spirit for purposes of revenue, it might have
been that we could have postponed, il not
have avoided, the levying OF an income tax.
The unthinking and interruptions increase
of government expenditures and the failure
TO adopt ordinary prudent methods for the
raising Of revenue must account for the ab
solute necessity of imposing an income tax.
When the Republicans reached the extent
of running the expenditures of the govern
ment up to $500 000,O 00-it was inevitable
the income tax had to come-and it fell to
the hands OF the Democrats to place it on
the statute hook