The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-02-12
The s,oo, 100000 Income Tax Bill.

There is evidence that it is in the
mind of the Democrats at Washing
ton who will presently proceed TO
slash the tariff, that what they will
leave OF it will not be even the tar
if for revenue only" which the Dem
ocratic party has declared it to be its
policy to establish
That is, it will not be tariff for
sufficient revenue.
Representative Hull, of the ways
and means committee OF the House,
has in preparation an income-tax bill
designed to produce $100,000,000 min
imum revenue year. This Is to be
introduced, it is understood, as soon
as the income-tax amendment to the
federal constitution has been ratified
by the legislatures of three-fourths
of the states. Its purpose will be to
supply that part of the necessary rev.
enue for the maintenance of the fed
eral government which the tariff, at
ter reduction according TO the Demo
cratic program, will no longer pro-
vide.
Not long ago 1t was proclaimed by
the advocates of tariff reduction that
reduced schedules would soon pro-
duce larger revenue than that at
present derived.
II that were believed, there would
be no need of hasty preparation of
a bill to open source of revenue
which was always represented as one
to be reserved for use In case of
emergency.
1t is clearly evident now that the
Democratic program includes the re-
mova of protection from the indus
tries of the eastern part of the Unit
ed States and the imposition of the
income tax, the burden of which will
rest most heavily upon that region.
1t will be remembered that when
the question of ratification of the in
come-tax amendment was up before
the Legislature of this state, one OF
the arguments that were employed to
overcome opposition to IL was thai
there would be no harm in giving to
the Congress the power to levy such
a tax, as it would not employ that
power unless conditions should arise
| that would make necessary an ex-
| traordinary increase in revenue to
| meet extraordinary expenses.
Yet so soon, even before the Con
gress has the power to levy the tax,
preparations are being made to inn
pose this direct burden upon the peo-
pie. THE tariff is tax" has been
the Democratic cry. That is not fact.
1t is fact that an income tax that will
produce revenue to the amount of
| $100,000,000 will be a tax equivalent
to more than one dollar upon every
man, woman and child in this coun.
try.
But doubtless incomes under a Ger.
| tain sum '-'-' - ovemntad. therefore
the per capita amount upon those liza.
BILE to taxation will be many times
the one dollar.
| And thrnrrh such exemption there
will be a division of the population
into two classes-the class which
contributes to the support of the gov.
eminent, and the class which does
not contribute. There may be those
who will rejoice to be in the latter
| class, but II Is to be believed that
| they will not be many. The spirit OF
Americanism will revolt against any
support of the government from
which any part OF the population is
by law excluded. The patriotic citi-
zen whose income is under $1,000 OF
$4,000. or whatever the sum may be
at which exemption is to begin. will
feel that he ought to contribute his
small share toward this revenue to
the government when the man whose
income is many thousands must con-
tribute his large share.
However, that is incidental. The
important fact is the intention of the
Democratic party to substitute the
revenue from an income tax for that
which will disappear because OF free
tradeward tariff legislation. Thus
American Industries will be crippled.
and then the people who will suffer
most from the Gripping will have to
bear the heaviest part OF the tax
Albany Journal.