The Washington herald., 1914-07-05
Who Pays the faxes 2
Not Kansas Farmers
Man from the SunfIower State Wiling to Aban-
don Some of His Ideas When He Hears
Undervoofs Figures Elucidated.

Grand Army button. and probably get
pension"
.Yes. so month under the Sherwood
law. which is the most patriotic and
sensible Law ever passed by Congress"
Then. you receive $50 year from the
government, and # is paid by the men
who drink whisky, outside OF Kansas.
They don't begrudge you your pension.
They are glad to pay Il because you
helped save the Union.S
DO you mean to tell me that the pen
, sions and the expense of the army and
the navy are paid by the men who offend
against the laws of God and man. by
taking poison into their systems. to make
them charges on the people who liYe
healthy moral lives?" askedsthe man from
Kansas.
Only a Poor Farmer.
well, that may be true In Kansas"
said the New Yorker. but you see, the
laws and morals of Kansas do not spread
over the whole country. BY your State
prohibition laws, you in Kansas do not
pay any of the whisky tax or beer tax,
and that makes S246 900 900 In Uncle Sans
revenues. Then, let me see, there are
something over 1900 pensioners living
in Kansas, and they receive about 80
ernment collected $7s2.OOO Internal reve-
nue. taxes in Kansas, presumably on
tobacco, which you say is poison, but
not prohibited in Kansas, and on oleo,
while New York paid s4s. 600 900 internal
revenue, and Illinois paid s5S000.0o0 II
seems to me you Kansas people are ahead
OF the game. / don't know whether you
paid any corporation tax or income tax,
or not
mo. I didn't pay either. for I'm only
poor farmer. and it's enough TO pay
the State taxes and the road taxes. TO
keep the roads in good order so we can
run our automobiles to town"
well. then, you didn't pay any Gus
toms tax, or tax on beer. whisky or to-
bacco, and no income or corporation tax,
SO 1 don't think you contributed a fat
steer or even a fat hog TO Uncle sam. In
fact, I can't find that you payed any part
of this S7S3. 200 which Mr.. Underwood
says was raised by the new tarir law.
But you do get $3.50 year from the gov
ernment which is paid by the men who
drink whisky, bad as that may sound in
Kansas"
You may be right. I'm not very good
at figgers when they get into the mil
lions, but I'm sorry the Government Is
in league with the devil-I mean the men
who sell poison and cause so much sin
is a very serious question with US in
Kansas and we-hope to reform the whole
country. and prohibit the manufacture
and sale Of whisky. beer and even tobacco
throughout the United States. Is Nthere
no other way for the Government to get
revenue than from the men who drink,
smoke and chew"
"oh. yes! There's the income tax"
An NnhoIy PartnershIp.
That's so. I've heard the prohibition
preachers say that the income tax opened
the way to break the unholy partnership
between the government and the brewers
and distillers. Why don't Congress make
the income tax big enough to take the
place of the tax on whisky, beer and to-
bacco and give us a stainless flag?
We've heard that so much in Kansas,
that our people are sensitive about the
stain on the flag
Il think Congress could do it, said
the New York man, but / think II
would raise a merry row in Kansas. You
see, we have a / per cent income tax on
all incomes above 5000 for a single man
and $1,000 for a married man now. and
Mr.. Underwood says that this income tax
and the corporation tax has, produced
about S75,OOc,OoO. He thinks It will be
S1OcoOo.0OO next year. There is a good
zeal OF kicking over New 1OTk ABOUT
this exemption. Our millionaires think
it is not constitutional to levy an income
tax on a part of the people and they
want Congress to remove the exemption
and let the tax fall upon all alike
You farmers OF the country have an
income of about 5000 10000 a year. and
IL you paid an income tax the govern
ment could get $50, 10000 from you, but
not enough to take the place Of the tax
on beer. The men who work in the fac
tories get about $500. .oOO, 900 in wages and
an income tax from them would raise
S35. .OO0 900. The railroad men get about
8. 100. 600 in wages and they would pay
10000 income tax. The miners re-
ceive about $3.50, 600 in wages and could
pay $500, 600 income tax, and the servant
girls, BARRIERS, men of all work, earn
about 81 .OOO. 900 a year and could pay
800 COO This would give the government
S12S, 500. 900 which, added to the income tax
and corporation tax collected this year.
would make 500. SEQ 900. or not enough to
take the place of the tax on whisky and
beer. II Congress should double the IN
come tax and remove the exemption. we
might raise s407, 100. 900 in that way which,
added to the S292, 10000 customs revenue,
would make s6se, 10000 or $4,000 900 less