The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-12
THE INCOME TAN.

For a great many years past the
Democratic party has stood commit
ted 10 an income tax, and during
President Cleveland's second admin
istration a law was passed levying on
all incomes of 81 900 and over. This
law on a second hearing before the
Supreme Court of the United States
was declared unconstitutional by a
ma jority of one, Justice Shiras re-
versing his former position. Since
that time no effort has been made
towards any legislation of this kind.
There are very few intelligent peo-
pie in the United States who doubt
the fairness of such measure. No
one can question the fact that the
wealthy receive the most benefit from
the effects of civil government. Their
interests being greater, their needs of
public protection are necessarily
greater. 1t is therefore, but just,
that they should contribute their just
proportion of taxes.
1t is an open and notorious fact that
the more money a man has the less
taxes he pays in proportion. Take
for instance, John d. Rockefeller.
lie is rated at from $l50,000,000 to
S2O0, 0009, 000, yet he is assessed for less
than $500, GOO in New York, his home.
So it is in thousands OF other cases.
There can be 10 law devised to com
pei the rich to contribute their just
share for government purposes eX-
cept by al income tax. Ever since
the creation of government there have
been tax dodgers and this class has
been almost universally confined to
the rich.
How manifestly unjust this is too.
While we poorer people are groaning
under the burden of war taxes who is
reaping the benefit. How many peo-
pie in Hartford county are gaining one
cent from the war in the far East :?
The answer is too patent to require
second thought. Yet We are yearly
paying thousands of dollars war tax.
The rich people want this war and
they should be compelled to pay for
it, and there is only one way to do it,
and that is, an income tax. We are
t1ld it cannot be enforced. This is
not true, for they do enforce it in
England. Others say that a consti
tutional law cannot be passed. We
answer that by saying that such
one is now On the English statute
books. Any lawyer who has given
the subject careful study will tell you
that proper law can be drawn. Be
low We give a synopsis of the English
law written by Matthew Marshall, for
the NeoO York Sun.
A~Fhe income tax was first EN-; loyed
by Great Britain in order to raise
money for the prosecution of the wars
with Napoleon Bonaparte. William
Pitt introduced it in 1913, and it was
continued until 1915, when the defeat
OF Bonaparte at Waterloo and the
peace which ensued enabled the Gov
eminent to dispense with it. There
after it was not reimposed until 1919,
when Sir Robert Peel used it in order
to compensate for certain reductions
in the duties on imports which formed
part of his reformed system of finance
Mr.. Gladstone, in 1858, proposed to
Il, + Of /, .
years, but the Crimean War inter
vened and prevented the carrying out
of his project. In 1874 he again under
took to abolish the tax, bat before he
could do it he had to resign his Office
to Mr.. Disraeli, afterward Lore
Beaconsfield, who refused to relinquish
so convenient a source of revenue.
Ever since then it has constituted
permanent item in the British scheme
of taxation.
The tenacity with which British
statesmen, without distinction o. part,
have chung 20 this tax, is easily eA-
plainable. At present it is s pence il
the pound, or 3! per cent. and at that
rate it yields e!5, O00,0OJ annually, Or
about one sixth of the total amount
required for the ordinary expenses OF
the British Government in time Of |
peace. The assossab!e incomes on
which it is laid are, also, constantly
gro wing with the growing prosperity |
of the British people, anil il il borne |
by them with resigna ion, if not cheer
fully, although At times, az, for in
stance, during the Crimean War, ii
has been as high as il pence in the
pound. Pitts tax was 10 per cent.
and produced about g5, 800 900 annual
Iy. The rate in 1903 gas ) per cent,
about "a, 500, 600 and when,
in 1906, it was raised to 10 per cent.
and kept there, it yielded Ell, 600,0 900,