The Washington herald., 1915-01-01

able individual, and provides a penalty
for misconstruction or violation of its
terms. Consult your attorney, II you are
in doubt. as TO the accuracy Of this
statement.
Under section &C" p. 81 Of the tariff
law. all taxable single persons. and all
married taxable persons. living apart
Cthat is separated, divorced, or living
alone, or possibly with another persom
are allowed an annual exemption Of
5000 each on their individual net in
comes. For two such persons the totas
annual exemption amounts to 5000 For
two taxable married persons, who are
living together. in accordance with moral
civil, and social laws. possibly hampered
by large family and other dependents.
the total annual combined exemption for
both is limited to $1,000, as against 5000
annual exemption for two persons living
otherwise. This is a fine, impost, or
financial loss of 5000 to each taxable
family living together.
Penalty for Decent Living.
ing apart, though they may engage in
the white slave trade, keep houses of
Ill repute, sell liquor in violation OF law,
etc, are allowed an annual exemption
OF 5000 each. or 5000 total, which would
he reduced by this law to 5000 total for
both should they abandon their dissolute
living, reform and live decentIy together
in holy wedlock.
Consider seriously these horrible fea-
lures ard provisions Of this law. Is 1t
possible that the Congress which passed
this law and the President who signed
il did so knowingly or in ignorance OF
its provisions? Either horn of the di-
lcmma is equally indefensible. This
loosely and carelessly drawn law is the
result of haste, without due considera-
tion by Congress, "a party caucus law"
VIII the decent women and men of this
country permit such a vicious law to
stand without amendment?
Bear in mind the fact that the women
of this country have been struggling un-
der high prices to provide their families
with food and other necessities of life,
and at the same time paying a tax to the
government. as required by the high
tariff law in force until October ; last.
when the new tariff law went into ef-
feet. Since then the cost of living neces-
sites has not been reduced. but on the
contrary. increased.
Women DOubIy Taxed.
What has this Congress and the Pres
ident done for the relief Of the woman
without a vote. other than make empty
promises and raise false hopes? 1 will
tell you. They have double taxed her.
After collecting tax from her under
the high tariff law. the new tariff law
imposes a second tax during or covering
the same period during which she had
been taxed. viz: from March l to Oc-
tober 3, 1913, thus further. through an
unfair and unnecessary retroactive tax
law. passed as a party caucus meas
ure,' without due and careful cOnsid-
GRAFTON, study and analysis. increased
her already too heavy financial bur-
den. plus an additional tax, fine or I'M
post OF $2.OOO if she be a married wo-
man maintaining the family. by living
with her husband, as God and our laws
intended she should. Failure to pay this
impost, subjects her to a further fine
or Imprisonment, by a government Of
which she is not a part or in which she
has no voice. The party caucuses, in
their haste to pass this measure for pO-
litical purposes evidently overlooked the
well-knOwn fact that it costs more to
marry and raise a family decently than
il does to live singly. This law in its
wisdom provides a remedy, however,
which is-if married, break up your
family. live apart, and thereby save
81 900 each per annum; II single, do not
marry. and thus avoid a government
fine, impost or loss of 5000 per annum.
To the credit OF women, in the States
where they do vote, let IL be remem-
bered, no such atrocious law has ever
been enacted by their votes and never
will be. Woman is to the home and
children. what the compass and anchor
is to the ship.
The women without votes demand Of
the men with votes the Immediate re-
peal of the unjust and unfair discrim-
ination against women, imposed by the
tariff law of 1915 6 G. F