Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-07-10
jiNGOISM AND INCOME.

YET ucCluc- tn'g wiz.
jiNG0ISM AND INCOME.
tFrom the Springfield Republican,
The wealthy commercial class Of this
country are chiefly responsible for the
plunge of the nation into a career of
colonialism and the expensive mill
tarism which Is its necessary adjunct.
If they had resisted, the Mckinley
administration never would have dared
to venture the jump. But they thought
they saw great commercial expansion
growing out of territorial expansion.
They saw in the seizure of new lands
and weak peoples new opportunities
for syndicate exploitation. They were
attract by the idea Of making the
nation world power" after the man.
ner of European monarchies, with all
that is implied in tendencies toward
an aristocracy of wealth, and govern
ment Of, by and for the few at the ex-
pense of the many. They thought lit
tie of the costs in blood and treasure,
because these costs, under our system
of voluntary enlistment and indirect
taxation. are visited upon the masses
of the people, and what little thought
was given to the bloody phases of the
enterprise came speedily to be lulled
to sleep by clerical assurances that
the hand of God was directing the en-
terprise.
AS these classes-with many indi-
vidual exceptions-are largely respon-
sible for the increased cost of govern
ment, they ought to be made TO bear 1t.
They would be made to do so were
they living under British rule. Pres
ent taxation in England Is $170,000,-
900 yearly in excess of what It was
before the Boer war began, and more
than ore-half of this Is levied upon
the rich through an increase in the
income tax. The expenses of imperial
ism in the United States should be
stead we have just repeaied every tax
which bore upon the wealthy classes
and have carefully retained the taxes
which rest upon the consumption of
the masses and increase the general
costs of living.
The direct costs of imperialism, now
on peace basis, can be measured by
the following comparison of army and
navy appropriations for the current
fiscal year with the similar appropria
tions made for the fiscal year prior to
1897, prior to the outbreak of the
, Spanish war
Army. Navy
1903 ......... sol, ,530,136 S7S,6TS, ,o63
1897 .......... 23252, sos 29.416,245
Increase -. .$6s277,52S S49,262, IT'S
Or total increase for both arms of
the service. within half dozen years
Of Sill, $40, ,246. or over 900 per cent
and this with peace proclaimed in the
conquered colonies.
This increase-rather, perhaps, the
whole military and naval budget
might well he met by direct taxes up
, on responsible wealth, which strives
to appear irresponsible and is allowed
to press the government into costly
, land grabbing ventures for syndicate
exploitation, while successfully evad.
Ing Its fair share of the resulting bur.
. den.
Quite possibly tax on surplus In
s comes, rising and falling with any In
. crease ordecreasein military expenses
would not avail entirely to sicken tn,
5 wealthy class of policies of subjuga
tion, blood and, glory. 1t has not thu,
r availed In England But 1t would b,
{ soldering in its general effect. 1t woult
5 induce TO greater thoughtfulness on the
! part of highly influential-a -infu
ential-element in the state; and would
render less attractive schemes OF con
quest for supposed commercial ends
1t would cause syndicated wealth les.
e eagerly to climb the "glory-crowned
: lights from which to view the king
= doms of the world as its own by III,
n right OF armed might
y 1t is reasonable and just that som,
;. of this burden of imperlalistlc govern
d ment SHOULD be loaded upon supernu
Q Gus wealth, which is so greatly re
e sponsible for it. 1t is most unrea son
Y able and unjust that pretty much al
G OF Il should be fastened upon the con
' sumption Of the poor in such u name