The Advocate and news., 1898-05-11
Total for the period. -. .$347 900, ,89786

Total for the period. e. .$347, ,22O S97S6
"This includes $452,55O tax collected
on income Of 1863, under resolution OF
Congress July 4, 1864
At the time that act was passed the
class interests OF the country had not
become 80 completely master OF the sit
uation as they have since grown to be,
and besides, the temper OF the people at
that time was not as amiable as It is now,
and but few people objected to paying
what was found to be due on their in
ttines. But as soon as the war was
ended and contraction of the currency
was begun in the interest Of bondholders,
the income taxpayers took in their sails,
and the amount OF their payments fell of
from $73,434,7O912 in 1867 to $685.
311.62 in 1873.
The income tax provision Of the tariff
law Of 1894 was fought bitterly before
and after its passage by Congress, and 1t
was taken before the Supreme court of
the United States befort 1t had time to be
In operation. The law was sustained,
but, like liquor dealers, the rich men
were unwilling to yield, and on re-
hearing the former decision was reversed
and the law held to be Unconstitutional.
When framing the revenue bill which
passed the house few days ago, 1t was at
FIRST proposed to insert an income tax
provision, but the proposition was aban-
dcned, not because anybody believed such
a provision could not be so framed as to
stand the test of judicial examination,
nor because any member Of the commit
te; or Of Congress looks on an income
tax as unjust, but because 1t was discov-
cred that 1t Is Objectionable to some peO-
pie who would have to make larger con-
tributiOns to the public revenues than
would be agreeable to them, and who
would rather expend million or two
II defeating its operation than to pay
their proper proportion Of taxes.
A joint resolution to amend the cOnsti-
tuition was pending in the Senate last
week, when 1t was taken up for consld-
Grafton, Mr.. Mills, OF Texas, proposed an
amendment authorizing Congress to tax
Incomes. The amendment was not in
any way related to the subject matter of
the resolution as 1t then stood, which
merely provided for the succession to
the Presidency In case, under the laws
now in force, there should at any time be
no person authorized to exercise the Of
flee of President, and objection was made
to Mr.. Mills amendment, but he ex-
planned that his amendment was an en-
tirely new section, not intended to de-
feat or modify the original resolution.
What he wanted was new and another
proposed amendment to tine constitution
Both of them could be submitted to the
Legislatures Of the States as we'll as one.
The Senate, however, was not ready to
venture SO far as that into forbidden ter
ritory, and the Mills amendment was laid
on the table by vote of 80 to 30. With
the exception OF Mr.. Caffery (Dem.), of
Louisiana, who voted In the affirmative.
the vote was strictly on party lines.
The jugtness of an income tax has
never yet been successfully cOntrOverted
except for reasons that would set aside
our whole system Of taxation, if sytem we
have.
Our national revenues, except In time
OF war, have always been chiefly derived
from duties on imports, and that throws
the burden largely on the poorer classes
OF pe0ple-Ithe classes that do the hard
work OF the country In war as well as In
peace II the sugar duty is 2 cents a
pound, the poor man must pay as much
sugar tax as the rich man IL he uses as
much sugar. The same rule applies on
any and every imported article whose
price In this country is materially as4