The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-04-07
CLAUDE L'ENGLE's IDEAS
ARE NoT Compile ATED

For a statesman. Claude LEngle's
ideas are remarkably simple and d.
rect In the following, ne says what a
whole lot Of US common people have
been thinking, and we also have the
wish. IL not the hope that he may in
duce a number OF other congressman TO
think the same way
I'm all the possession talk that has
been printed in Washington newspa-
pers on the most interesting legisIa-
tive subject-the kind and character Of
the tariff bill that viii be presented
when the extra session meets Tues
day-nobody has said a word about
cutting down the appropriations TO
make up for the deficit estimated at
$4,000. 900 that 1t is predicted will ap-
pear when the new tariff bill goes
into effect. So as nobody else has
said It l will say It'll can see no rea-
son why it wouldn't be dead easy to
cut s150000.0O0 or $2O0,000,000 from
the appropriations when the total
foots up close to $1,000. 900. 900 each
year.
But, as / said. none of these tariff
experts have ever mentioned this
simple way out of the difficulty of adj
justing a reduction of the tariff to the
revenue needs of the government.
Hence. 1t is that the income tax pro-
vision is bothering the ways and means
committee a whole lot. We are told
that experts are daily figuring just
how much income tax it is necessary
to produce the s150.000.ooO apparent
deficit.
81 surely am new at this game. for
this way Of going about fixing an in
~
wrong way. What looks to me the
right way to do, is to pass a tariff bill
as nearly in accordance with the viii
OF the American people as Is possible,
and to cut the appropriations down to
the amount that the new tariff bill
will produce Then. an income tax bill
may also be passed at the special ses-
sion without it's revenue producing
possibilities being considered which is
as it should be, for it is the only way
to get fair and proportionate income
tax bill; one that would tax a man ac-
cording to his ability to pay and ac-
cording to the benefit he receives from
the maintenance of the government
that protects mis- life liberty and prop
erty.
This Of course, means that a grad
uated income tax is the only one that
can approach uniformity which is. as
everybody knows, the basic principle
of all taxation, in the absence of which
all taxation is tyranny. A tax of two
per cent on the income of a man earn
ing $4,000 a year would mean some
thing to that man; he would feel it; II
would bear upon him. A tax of two
per cent upon the income of a man re-
ceiving 100000 a year would not be
felt by him; it would be no burden. AL
that 1T would mean to him would be
the cutting off of part of the large
surplus he already had above all his
needs. This IS why an income tax Law
should not be considered from its
revenue-p producing end. Let the Con-
gress pass a fair, properly proportions
ed graduated income tax law, and lei
that law produce what revenue it will
and then the next Congress can spend
the money or still further reduce the
tariff duties, which last is the plan thai
catches me. However. as I said before
am new to the game and this is only
set down as my idea of the thing
may be wrong, but it looks right"