The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-03-18
MARCH ls, 1899
TAXATION.

Justly and wisely to levy taxes Is q
problem only matched in difficulty.
perhaps, by the problem Of spending
them honestly and effectively. Spec.
nlation upon revenue by political
economists seems chiefly to have re-
suited in demonstration by each of
errors made by others. The ideals set
up by students Of taxation, even the
"guiding sprinciples'' some prefer to
speak Of, are picked to pieces and ex-
planned away by keen-eyed critics.
Such is the elasticity and adaptable
ity Of human society that no tax. Of
what ever kind Or name, continues for
any length of time to be what it appears
70 be. Clap an additional tax Of 81
barrel on beer, and the barrel will
shrink in size, and the farmer will get
. modicum less for his barley. Put
high import tax on the English tin
plate, and the next thing you know
giant trust grows up at home, and
levies arbitrary tribute upon every
can Of fish, fruit and vegetables. Tax
real estate, and the renter pays. Tax
factories, and the payroll is cut down.
Tax railroads, and the shipper pays
II in the form Of rates. Tax ships and
shipping materials, and nations
merchantmen will vanish from the
sea.
So easily and surely is the burden
shifted. that the effort TO reach those
who ought to pay snd to pass over the
needy has virtually been abandoned.
What We do now Il principally to ex-
hsust expedisnts 70 get revenue any
way we can. What we ought to do is
levy the taxes - - 70 interfere with
trade and fpdustry in the least degree
possible, When > man is doing q
rushing business he, will pay high
taxes cheerfnlly. When his efforts are
restricted spd hsmpered, the smallest
tax u ; Rreytous burden.
The fscal dilemma in which Great
Brihsn finds herself presents in many
vsys the sntithesis Of our own. Taxes
sre 10 each case inadequate; but her
inedequacy is that Of free trade, ours
q that Of protection. In our case we
keye taxed imports 30 long and so
persistently that their volume afford
900 slender basis. In her case free
trade has built up an empire Of such
magnitude that its stated incomes are
no longer equal to its multiplied needs
Of expenditure. In past times she grew
up to the position where protection
had nothing more II would do for her
and this is the position up to which
we are now growing. Long ago she
had to lay hold Of the income tax.
Soon we shall have to do the same
Oregonian.
The fact that these arguments are
borrowed by the Oregonisn from those
adduced by the democratic orators and
press for years past does not detract
from their truth. Recognizing that
those who were making good returns
on their Investments were most able
to bear government expenses, and
were the greatest beneacsaries OF the
government, during Cleveland's ad-
ministration congress passed an in
como tax. It was opposed by the party
which the Oreeonian represents and
was declared unconstitutional by the
supreme court. However, there are
many republican journals like the
Oregonisn that are beginning to recog-
nize the truth of the democratic con.
tention that tariff tax is not sufficient |
ss revenue measure; that it makes
trusts possible, and that it must ere
long he supplanted by direct or in.
cnna eax