Washington sentinel., 1898-12-10
Gives the Democ.
racY a Winning bSsue.

:
hoped to see-an issue upon whic
4 the Democracy can appeal wit
confidence to the national judf
9 ment. By asking for over sos
600, 900 Tor the support OF the reg
ular army in time OF peace he ha
, raised tv questions that touch tn
heart and the pocket OF ever
American citizen who does no
profit by legslized injustice anC
oppression. These questions are
"Shall the United States be more
heavily taxed for military Purpo'
ses than any other country on
earth?"
"Shall this unheard- Of burden ol
taxation be carried almost exclu-
siVely by people Of small means,
while the wealth our ornaments
protect goes iree1"
If we spend 500, 900, 900 year
tor the army, SI5o. 900, 900 for pen
sions and $50, 900 900 for the navy,
we shall be paying S366.ooo,ooo
for military purposes. That is
nearly twice as much as any power
in Europe pays tor the same OBJ
iects. 1t is more than we paid in
taxes for the entire support Of the
Government as lately as last year.
The amount Secretary Alger asks
for the army alone is more than
Germany pays for her army and
navy combined. We have been
accustomed to commiserate the
European peasant, crushed under
the intolerable burden Of standinP
armies, and now we are asked,
with no necessity whatever, to
subject ourselves to a burden
twice as great.
But the distribution OF this bur-
den Of taxation is even worse than
the load itself. Mr.. Rockefeller,
to take the most conspicuous sPeci-
men OF class, has fortune OF over
5000, 900, 900. His power to ac-
cumulate, possess and increase this
fortune depends upon the protec-
tion Of the Government.
Mr.. Roc ckefeller's income is over
Sac, 900. 900 a year. That is equal
10 the combined incomes OF forty
thousand families, each living on
earnings OF $500. Under
the Republican system Of national
taxation, which is based not on re-
sources but on personal consump-
ion, Mr.. Rockefellerjs income, if
divided among forty thousand
would be taxed forty
thousand times; concentrated in {
lis hands, il need be taxed only
,nce. In other words, with forty
housand times the means of a
vorkingman, Mr.. Rockefeller is not t
obliged to pay more than a work. a
ngman's taxes.
In some respects he pays less.
lie uses no beer or tobacco, and so !
scapes the taxation levied on .
hose humble luxuries. He does d
ot play cards, and so does not Il
ay for the revenue stamp on every a
ack. He does not live in rented =
ooms. and so is not taxed for his $,
ease and his rent receipts. He r,
oes not borrow money on mort b
age, subject to a mortgage stamp St
TX. He has his family physician, y
nd so does not buy taxed pro- q
rietary medicines. He drinks no 81
lore tea than sewing girl starV. e.
lg on four dollars a week, and il PI
E used a quality as fine as that q
pped by the Emperor OF China he =,
ould still pay only the sewing tb
rl's tax Of ten cents a pound. fu
.e uses no more taxed sugar than tn
consumed by day laborer, and &C
ears little more taxed clothing.
Practically all OF Mr.. Rookie he
Hers gigantic income is abso- te
tely exempt from national taxa co
on, while every person of moder- IN
e means is taxed to the earth. =,
Is that right1 The Democracy an
,es not think so. II believes bu
atincomes and not family expen- CO
lures should be the measure Of ue .n
Nation. nr
No extravaganza in Government m,
Necessary expenses to be met to
taIr methods Of taxation. tn
There is an issue ready made TO we W..
= hand Of the Democracy, and Sn
is winning one. sta
Free Trade an the sulus. -,