Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-05-06
THE INCOME TAX.


Of our last weeks editorial supporting
the principle Of the income tax, wherein
we said that "a person With an income
of more than $4,000 year can well spare
small part OF the surplus TO Tighten the
burden OF those not so shrewd or tortnn-
ate as himself, and then comments as
foliows:-
ssThe Herald adn;res trankness. where
evet found. The above j. socialism. pure
and simple, bat it at least has the merit
of being open and above board. What il
proposes is to fms a man Tor being too
prosperous, to put a premium on the
small and the mediocre, to. limit the re-
ward for shrewdness. industry and enter
prise. Just such q law a. this has been
found unconstitutional, as all class legis-
Iation should be found. II merely iilus-
trates a singular development Of the situ-
alton caused BY the recent attack on bust
ness.
"The proposal OF an income tax
means forbidding men to be too prosper
Gus; II proposes to penalize them II they
rise from the ranks and become indus
trial leaders. This, gentlemen, is not the
sort OF stuff that has made America the
industrial leader OF the world today.
ssLet rs consider things carefully and
hesitate to place q further premium on
the conspicuous waste Of government to-
day By enacting a law that is not only
improper but unnecessary.
"What We want is not q restriction Of
opportunity but restriction OF criminal
and deliberate extravagance.
The Herald failed to present our entire
argument for the income tax, briei as 1t
was, but prefers to assume that We favor
it because Of its sociaIistic bearing. That
is not the only, or the chief, argument
for the income tax, but it is 50 argument,
notwithstanding.
With the passing OF years come
changed conditions in this country, As
elsewhere in the world. We must
change our methods aud our laws to meet
them. The federal government, as well
as each state, is confronted with the seri
/ Gus problem OF how to raise the necessary
public revenues in the least burdensome
! way that shall, at the same time, be fair
AhA justly @4uabAca ~ nave AmAEu ~
: visible property to the limit, and all in
) visible property that could possibly b
. brought to light. We have hxed imposi
7 and internal revenue duties as high q
5 can possibly be barne. We have taxed
collateral, and in some states, direct in
e heritances. And still we End our rev
3 enues insufficient, with the task of pro
r viding more or facing a deficit.
r Now, IL We except the taxing OF inheri
!, tances, every tax already imposed, bear
S hlrder on the poor man and the person o
5 ordinary means than il does on the rich
: Not only is this true relatively, but actu
}, ally. A poll tax to be met BY man il
d Strengthened circumstances really repre-
g sents more to him than hundreds Of dol
g lars to person of great wealth, for
! may take his last dollar, while the cthe
|. has means abundant remaining. The
IS no man who is smart enough to accumu
e late or to conserve fortune is too dull {
+ find means of placing large share Of
t beyond the reach Of the tax gatherel
e while his poorer and perhaps dulls
g neighbor has no such avenue Of escap'
n Il is true beyond all caviI that the pei
Is sons in America With annual incomes {
70 less than $4,000 pay a larger actual propo
is tion in taxes than those whose incom.
,e exceed that amount. The limit might |
q lowered materially, and the statement /
lie no less accurate. So that an income tai
N of small rate, fixed on the excess aboN
10 such q limit would only partially restol
2 the equality, as il is found in practic
u and there is where it counts, not in me-
IN theory.
" The word Socialism does not seal
ns nowadays. II has ceased to be q
epithet. Much that we have adopted an
b established as a part Of our fixed syste
is socialism, pure and simple. o.
schools, our highways, our governmel
~ in all its branches, are supported by .
ID ciaIistic principIes-the revenues derivs
or being applied for the general good of .
rs and not for the special benefit of the pa
g. ticular taxpayers. We are embracing 5
on. ciaiism more and more every day.
On means humanity. But for it the 20
y. would starve-on what other basis shou
ty the well-to-do be compelled to give the
OF support There would be no popular e
IL ucation, no public highways. very lit
de that makes for modern improvement
ms The step to an income tax Is but she
and easily justified. In almost eve
in country Of the civilized world there is gu
las tax, yielding abundant revenues. I
IN Limitation Of opportunity that it impoi
lite amounts to nothing. Who would be
Iii TERED from making s6, 900 year because
nd a meaRre $40 tax7 Nor is it any pena
s aimed at prosperity. OF course certs
th- class win characterize it thus. because
NO hits them, and they must put up 80
'et- kind Of talk, but such a tax would
curb Individual or general prosperity