Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-24

SdAdlOI IrOm lnOSC most aDIe 10 pear
Il To the shoulders OF those weaker,
poorer and less abis to protect them
selves. The report CT the New York
special tax commission reported the
conclusion that the richer a person
grows the less he pays in relation to
his property or income and that per-
sonal property largely escapes taxa
ton for either local or state purposes.
Tie state tax commission OF Massachu-
settles estimates the value of personal
property in that state properly sub
ject TO taxation at over s5,600,000, OF
which less than one-fifth is taxed The
mayor OF Philadelphia recently stated
In the press that the differentiation
OF property in that city is more than
three hundred millions. Such condi-
tons seem 10 be the rule in nearly
every locality and in every state
The small property owner cannot
hide his property nor shift his tax bur-
dens, as can the rich and powerful,
but must bear the crushing weight of
not only that portion of taxes that is
rightfully his but also much of the
burden that should be carried by the
rich.
So much for the chances of the
small taxpayer in matters of state and
local taxation. But the worst is yet
to come. What about federal taxa
ton? In the raising of revenue to run
the national government, wealth is
not asked to contribute anything what
ever. Practically the entire expenses
Of the government are met with funds
raised by taxing the things the people
eat, wear and use.
One afternoon, several years ago,
sat in the Office Of United States Sena-
tor Moses E. Clapp. of Minnesota, in
rerviewing him on the subject of taxa
ton, for a newspaper article. He had
told me that in state taxation the
| poor man, and the man of moderate
means, was everywhere paying taxes
for the rich. What about our national
fiscal system?'' asked.
He replied by turning in his chair
and pointing out of the window to the
marble wall OF the capitol across the
courtyard.
do you see that wall yonder?" he
asked. Which stone is bearing the
greatest weight. the one at the bot
tom or the one at the top?" We'll, "
he continued, that is the way it is IN
der our present fiscal system. Those
at the bottom are standing the bur
den OF the weight of taxation. What
we need in this country is an income
tax"
Under the present fiscal system a
millionaire pays no more tax toward
running the national government than
the poor man with a large family.
This seems almost unbelievable, but
It is true and will not be denied here
or elsewhere.
Why. then. II may be asked, have
the people been willing to wait so
long for an income tax? This is a
question | cannot answer. My own
explanation of the hardness of an in
come tax upon the statutes would be
that 1t Is because the average man of
this nation has not been aware until
recently Of the true state of affairs
The majority of persons have been
under the erroneous impression that
some portion of the taxes they have
been paying to the local tax collector
each year have gone TO defray the ex
penses of the national government, tC
= help maintain the army and navy, pay
, the great army OF Uncle Sans EN-
. ployes. and maintain the various de
/. partments of the government.
The money paid to local tax collec
! tors, however, goes exclusively fol
: tire maintenance of the township, city
, county, or state in which il is paid
: and not a single penny CT this money
I comes TO the national government.
Where, then, does the $1,000, 900, 00C
which is necessary to meet the annua
! expenses Of the general government
come from? II is not picked up GU
: OF the streets. No; it comes from thu
t pockets OF the masses Of the people
= and is taken from them when they d.
J not know II. That is, the people pa,
? their national tax In the form of ar
{ tificial prices for the things they eat
: wear. and use. IN other words, tn
= government raises 1912, 100000 annual
4 ly through a tariff tax, which is Iait
4 on nearly every article of CONNER
use.
e With the exception Of the amour
), raised through the recently passet
y corporation tax, the balance of the 81
r 000,000.000 expended annually by tn
: government comes from an internal
revenue tax, which, like the tariff tar
e is on consumption, and falls no heav!
!. er. If as heavy, on the rich than on tn
4 poor.
r In order to make It perfectly plail
0 how it happens that a man with
g large family working on a section Q
J, a railroad is actually paying more tc
ward running the national government
Z than a millionaire bachelor who is to
e proud to marry and raise children,
I will cite one illustration out OF a mu
/ titude which could be given.
: The Payne-Aldrich tariff tax on sue
5 ar is approximately cents a pound
Every time the American housewife
l. buys pound of sugar that is IN real