The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-07-31
GENTEEL ROBBERS.

who are seldom brought to the bar
of Justice.
We refer to the oily tongued, fine
ly dressed tax dodger. whose chief
end in life is TO beat the government
out of money
They wall and rail at the miserable
condition of public highways, poor
public buildings and in general terms
they complain about everything and
everybody in official authority. They
as a rule, are the kickerS of the Coun-
try but are always unwilling to pay
honest taxes on their holdings.
1t is an interesting question why
so many men who are mean in moth
ing else shirk their Just share in the
support OF government. The ques-
tion is an old one, but always inter
esting. And a first assay at answer
ing 1t might be the suggestion that
most OF the men who ''shirk their
gust share in the support of govern
ment' are mean in other things also.
But this would be very Inadequate
reply, for it is quite true that very
many persons who are "mean in
nothing else" resort to WAYS that
are dark and tricks that are by no
means vain TO get rid of paying the
taxes which the law calls for.
The primary reason that men hon
orable in their private dealings act
in this way is the general belief that
such is the prevalent custom. 4 man
argues that. if practically everybody
scales down his personal taxes to
about one-fifth of what the laws r.
quires, he would be paying not his
own shares. but five times his share
II he sets himself down for the full
amount. That is the difficulty with
which the collection of personal
taxes has had co contend alwavs In
this country. Ii is difficult. If not
possible. to overcome. There are
large numbers of persons. of course.
whose conscience will not allow them
toswearto lie on any such plea. but
there Is n large number with whom
such Is not the case. and the chance
that the conscientious consideration
will kick the beam seems to grow in
something like direct proportion to
the amount of money involved.
Aside from the mental or moral at
titude of the taxpayer, the question
oil the attitude of the taxing power
in this matter is a subject of pecu- |
liar interest. For half century and |
more, there have been efforts. more
or less spasmodic. but sometimes /
very earnest and long-continued. in
almost every part Of the country. to
secure tine full collection of personal
taxes. These efforts have. We believe
IN every instance. resulted in con-
spicuous and dismal failure. A lead !
ing cause of this has been the fear
entertained in every community that
the exercise of rigor in the collection
OF personal taxes would serve to re-
pei desirable residents and to drive |
capital away" This is an unavoid- |
able incident of our system of State |
and local self-government.
But 1T Is "A curious circumstance
that the Federal income tax, when
1t was in existence, suffered in pre-
eisely the same way, and in an even
more extreme degree. No serious
attempt was made to collect the tax
in adequate amount from persons of
oil large income in general, although
there was not, in the case of the Fed
eral Government, any such consider
alton to stand N the way of rigor
as applies to our States and cities
But doubtless the precedent of the
personal property tax, coupled with
the American dislike of 'inouisitorial
methods, accounted for the income
tax experience. That there is no in
superable difficulty in the matter
appears amply from the experience
OF England, where a vast sum is col
iected every year in n general feel
ing that 1T is equitably gathered and
honestly paid. The English are at
least as much opposed to .fnouisi-
torial methods" as We are, and no
American would like to admit the
possibility that our people are less
honest or less loyal than the British