The age-herald., 1898-05-07
MIR. DINGLEY'S
 WAR MEASURE
BY ETHEL EDITH mARMADuKE.

| ment 1t became possessed of power. It has | preached patriotism, but not always prac-
 ticed it. It has placed upon the statute l books of the republic in twenty-five years 1 more class Legislation than has been en- | acted during the lifetime of the nation. It
 began as the enemy of the poor. Its policy has been and is still to befriend those whose
 purses are lined with gold. When Mr. Ding | ley, chairman of the ways and means con- | mittee, presented to the house his war rev. enue measure he grew eloquent in defense | of his pet scheme. The war was on, he l said and the money must be forthcoming | at once. He knew the democrats would antagonize many features of the measure | He anticipated this, and was not disap- | pointed MT. Dingley's idea Is to tax the poor and issue bonds for the benefit of the | rich.
 | Nothing so charms and captivates the
 money sharks of the banking interests of l the nation as a bond issue. Those who con- | tro the destinies of the great financial in- | stitutions laugh with ghoulish glee when | they see the government is short of money and bonds are to be placed upon the mar ket. MT. Dingley's scheme to place an in- | ternal revenue tax for war purposes only upon commodities of consumption which strike the pockets of the poor, is but an- other illustration that the republican party has not changed its course Mir. Dingley prepared his measure alone. But two mem- bers of the ways and means committee were with him when 1t was drafted. Not democratic member of the committee saw the bill or knew it's provisions until 1t came, from the public printer and was ready to be introduced in the house.
 Revenues have to be raised to carry on the war. Why should not the rich at this time show their love of country by being willing to be taxed? Why should they be made the favored few? Rich people sell dom take up arms or go to the front and bare their breasts to the bullets of the enemy. They do nothing to protect the honor of the nation or to fortify it against invasion from a foreign foe. They are
 made the beneficiaries of the war instead of the victims. If there ever was time in the history of thu American republic when an income tax was justified it is at
 the present. Suppose the supreme court
 of the United States did declare the income
 tax unconstitutional. The supreme court,
 the highest judicial tribunal in the country,
 is not unlike other courts. It has reversed
 it's decisions. Since it declared the in-
 come tax unconstitutional with five judges
 opposed to it's consttutonality and four in
 favor of it, two new members have been
 added to succeed two who died. Who knows
 but the two new justices may be in favor
 of its constitutionality? Jn times like
 these when the prices of all necessary arti-
 cles have advanced it is making another
 drain upon the middle. or producing classes,
 and inf1icts more hardship upon them to
 bear the burden of an excessive internal
 evtnue taxation.
 The republican party has ever been tho
 friend of the bondhoders. Its proposition
 to issue $500 900 worth of bonds at the present time is net Q patriotic measure. It is here that selfishness takes the plase of patriotism Why should not bank deposits be taxed as well as anything else? There are few deposits in banks which draw in- terest. It is the money of people deposited in banks more as convenience for the holders while the bank may make money by lending the deposits. In other words, they earn money from money which, in fact is not their own money. A tax on bank deposits would not be unreasonable, nor would it inf1ict hardship upon any class of individuals. Why not tax incomes for war revenue7 The man or woman who draws more than two thousand dollars a year is better able to bear a tax to support the war than is the man who draws but one thousand. Why not levy a tax upon iron, coal, steel, railroads and other forms of wealth that are exempted under MT. Dingleys bill. By doing this more than one hundred million dollars would be raised for war revenue. Another hundred million could easily be raised from war income tax.
 | It is evident that the Standard oil company has decided pull with the committee of ways and means. This conn., many is the most insolent octopus in the world. It is the richest corporation in this country. Under MT. Dingley's bin 1t is exempted from taxation. The bill levies a tax upon every kind of patent medicine now manufactured. In the civil war sim liar tax was placed upon patent medicines. At that period of the country's history the patent medicine business was in It's in- fancy. It has now grown to be one or the great commercial enterprises Of the age. It now constitutes the principal stock in the drug store and in many localities 1t is sold in the general and department stores. It must have it's burden of taxation. Why not place tax upon every railroad ticket that is sold? This could easily be done and would produce an immense revenue. All classes of people travel-the rich as well as the poor. In levying a tax upon railroad tickets, however, the revenue should come directly from the corporation. and not out of the pockets of the people. A tax should be levied upon tickets, at so much according to the value of the ticket, based upon mileage. and the roads not al- lowed to increase their rates of fare to cover the excess of price In internal rev. enue.
 It Is the peoples war, and they are no ao otr hal nf nqy yiuR