The daily sentinel., 1913-03-22
INCOME TAX IS
EXP[A|NtObY
C.TAVENNER
TheCongressman Writ
er Tells of Democrat
ic Purposes In Letter
to the Sentinel.
(By Clyde H. Tavvener, NJ. c.


Sentinel Special Service.
Washington. March 22.-Is 1t
just that the men who own 80 per
cent of the wealth OF the United
States should shoulder but 10 per
cent of the burden of taxation?
The democratic position is that 1t
Is not just. What the democrats pro-
pose to do. beginning Immediately
with the converting of the extra ses-
sion of congress, is to take some of
the tax off Of such articles as WOOL
ens,- cottons. sugar, meat and lum-
ber. aHd then place tax on the
incomes of the wealthy.
This Is class legislation. the stand
patters and protectionists say They
were never heard to complain, how
ever, of the existing class legisla-
ton which taxes the hats, coats and
shirts of the masses almost II per
cent, while not requiring men like
Rockefeller and Morgan to pay
single penny of taxation to the ma
tional government on their swollen
fortunes.
The masses of the people produce
the wealth. and by legislative advant-
age few get possession of it. and
now these few object to the trans
taxation derived from the tariff on
lumber. which are but few of sew
eral thousand items on which the
masses are paying tax.
What Income Tax Means.
Few persons realize the far reach
ing importance of the fact that the
United States will soon have an in.
come tax on its statutes
First of all, 1t means that million
aires will, for the first time since this
natiCn had stood, bear a fair proper
tion of the burden of taxation.
1t is estimated that $100,000.000
will be raised annually by taxing in
comes. This means that amount of
taxation is to be taken off of the
things that the people must have in
order to live.
Under the fiscal system at present
in use in this country, with the eX-
ception that comparative small
sum is raised through the new cor
poration tax, nearly every penny of
the money necessary to run the gov
ernment, maintain the army and ma
Wy, construct public buildings, etc.
is raised by taxing the things the
people eat, wear and use. The only
tn1QS tndt pTOtecllOn uOeS NOT ldN
is wealth. A man with fortune of
$10,000,000 is not required to pay
single penny of tax to the national
governmnt. This seems almost un-
believable, but it is true. The man
working on the section for $l.50
day with family of five children,
Is at the present time actually con-
tributing more to run the national
government than the millionaire
bachelor too proud to marry and
raise family.
The United States of America is
practically the only one of the great
nations where such condition ex-
lists. Nearly every first class nation
on earth levies either an income tax
or an inheritance tax. Uncle Sam
has neither.
Why have we never been able to
place ali income tax on the statute
books? is the question that naturally
arises. Here is the answer: High
protectionists have prevented the
passage of an income tax law, be-
cause they know that the more mon
ey the government collects from tax
ing incomes, the less excuse there
will be for tariff tax. To take pro-
lection away from the tariff trusts is
to interfere with their monopolies.
And how could the tariff trusts reg
ulate prices and gouge consumers
without monopolies?
II fiscal system requires mill