Jackson County journal., 1918-07-19
By ROBERT McBLAIR,

| tCtIS. II w DIS pOIlIdlt VI Ills 'ldtIlII
! Colonel Simpkins, who had four times
been promoted for valor during the
/ Civil War and had died bravely on the
, field of action. Mr.. Simpkins' throat
ached now for two reasons: First, he
reverenced and adored the memory of
his father; secondly, his age and his
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let him
20 10 wGr himself. And as he observed
the martial bearing and uncOmpvumis
ing gaze of Colonel Simpkins he saw.
I in imagination, the khaki clad lads Of
the new generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand mics of sea to
fight, maybe die, for liberty.
MIR. Simpkins peered around to make
sure that neither Bess nor John (whO
were at the teasing ages of sixteen
and seventeen) were where they could
see him, then he Strengthened and
threw his right arm up for salute.
But his gsuty shoulder twinged, and he
groaned. He couldn't even salute.
Damn said Mr. Simpkins, and
with his other hand fiercely twirled his
white mustachios
He turned and limped into the Ii
brary and sat down creakily before the
mahogany desk on which were lying
the blanks for his income tax state
ment, blanks which he had rather
grumpily got from the Internal Reve-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
con on his way home from the club.
Mr.. SimpkinS' income for 1917 had
amounted to just about $4,000, and he
had been rather snappy on the sub
ject of taxes ever since he had dScOv-
cred that the more income a man has
the greater the percentage of it he
pays in taxes. He could think of sew
eral men who, like himself, were mar
r1ed and had two children, and vet,
although their incomes were nearly
half of his, they would pay only a
small fraction of the amount he paid.
He gloomily drew the blank nearer
and began filling in the information
that it asked for.
AS Mr.. Simpkins' income was $1,000
he had to figure out the amounts pay
able on each of the successive smaller
classes of incomes in order to arrive
at the total due from himself. He
passed over the first class Who must
pay taxes, that is, single men ia;, king
over LOGO. His calculation for l.ar-
ricd men then showed up as follows:
FIRST, they pay 2 per cent (under
the 1916 laWo on all income over
$4,000, deducting 5000 for each of their
children under eighteen years. In Mr..
Simpkins' case this was S212, which he
put down in the "payable' column
He saw next that, under the 1917
law, married men pay an additional >
per cent. on all over ,OOO-with the
same allowance for children. This
added $252 to his payable" column.
lie then observed that for every
$1,000 jump in his income over $1,000
he had to pay a SurtaX, the percentage
growing larger with each jump This
was 500 more added to his burden.
And on top of all this came an "Ey
cess Profits tax of s per cent on all
occupation income over $4,000, max.
ing $72O more.
Tie total. then, he must pay was four
teen hundred and thirty-four dolla<s.
"Whew" exclaimed Mr.. Simpkins
angrily: There's young Henry Will
kins, who married Jake Johns0n's girl
he makes $4,000 and he doesn't nav
cent. OF taxes. l guess this is his war
as we'll as miner
thinking of young Henry Wilkins.
ne remembered that Mrs. Wilkins went
every afternoon to make bandages for
the Red Gross and that Henry. who
was lawyer, was aiding the Local
Draft Board with its questionnaires.
We'll, he admitted to himself
that makes difference"
lie thought next Of Judge WillOugh.
by, whose income was about $4,000
lie only pays 500" commented Mr.
Slmplins, not quite so angrily This
tlme; and then a thought struck him
and he sat up riGidly in his chair.
Judge Willoughby's son had been
drowned on the Tuscania when it WAS
subnearined with the logs of two hun.
dred soldiers. ),
Judge Willoughby gave his son to
muttered Mr.. Simpkins.
He leaned forward suddenly and mt
his face in his hands.
For long time Mr.. SimDkins sat |
very still in that position. There was
no sound'in the library except the |
ticking of the tall clock and an occo-
sional trill Of laughter from the chill |
dren sky!arking upstairs. The so1,ara
pf light on the carpet gradually with
drew itself through the window. ana
flrst twilight and then darkness settled
IN about the quiet, white haired. some
times .irascible old man.
Mr.. Sinpkins was thinking thinos
which be would never afterWard sneak
OF, he was thinking things that were
too sacred ever to be put into words
But some inkling of his Thoughts NAV
be found in his rejoinder to Mrs
slmpkins Whom that placid lady came
in and turned on the lights, and asked
him whether he was ready for dinner
Judge Willoughbys only son was