The sun., 1918-11-18
Kitchin's Sectional Taxes.

Down in the land ofzcotton spirited
rebuke is administered to THE SUN
for its exposure OF the sectional taxes
which KIrcHIN plastered over indus
try, business and individuals north
of Mason and Dixon's line. The Sa-
'anuah Press may be quoted as an
example OF the retort which 10 made
IN behalf of KITcHIN and the Solid
South oligarchy in their tax raiding
of the North. The Savannah Press
declares that our ''barons of the bar
rel" section Is merely asked by the
trainers of the kitchin tax schedules
to bear its fair proportion OF the tax
alton. but "is now winclng under the
yoke it must justly wear in paying its
share of the expenses Of the national
Government" Another superheated
critic of THE Suns truth telling chal-
lcnges US. t" prove that KIrcHIs's
taxes were devised to fall on sections
hated by him rather than on wealth
wherever 1t might be. How he de-
mands, ARE you going to make any
body believe it?'
Well, we are going to lot the ofIicial
records OF the United States Govern.
ment do 1t. In another place on this
: page we print q table Of statistics IL
Illuminating this question. The figures
on wealth are from the United States
Census Reports The figures on indi.
vidual income and excess profits taxes
are from the records Of the United
States Treasury In this present Gov.
eminent. For an exact compa rison
Of how the taSeJ are paid IN relation
"a wealth north of Mason and Dixon's
line and south Of Mason and Dixon's
line we refer all lnquirers to that
table. In our remarks here we con-
tent ourselves with some specific con-
trasts which make the sectional dis
elimination plain at glance.
In the list of States OF the Solid
South running down the Atlantic sea-
board from Virginia to Florida in
elusive, the poorest, by the Census Re,
ports. is Florida, with a wealth OF
S1,049, 13S,22S. By the same Census
Reports the State Of Maine Is credited
with wealth about the same as Flor
lda's. Sl,OG9.694 OPT. But the income
and excess profits taxes paid by Flor
Ida for the last fiscal year we're 81
639716. The State Of Maine pald
$12016,0S5.
Look at the table and you will see
that South Carolina has n wealth OF
1881, 400,753, and that South Caro-
lina's taxes were $7,SS4,OOO. Then
look at Rhode Island and you will
see that the wealth of that State is
only 500, soo, $50, but Rhode Islands
taxes were $i6.3S5,54
Vermont and New Hampshire
mountainous, largely barren, have
not, both put together, anything like
the wealth of Mississippi. But the
table shows that while Vermont and
New Hampshire together have less
thnn $l,2O0,OOO,O00 of wealth, and
while Mississippi has about S1,345,.
100000 of wealth, Vermont and New
Hampshire paid nearly twice the
taxes - $4,000, 900 - paid by Missls.
slppi, S4.964 900.
Georgia is one of the great States
of the old South. Georgia has 4
larger wealth-$2, $50 SOC, S66--thar
connecticut. with S22Sj. 454. $50
Georgia paid Some $16,23O.OOO OF
taxes. Connecticut paid some $62
100000.
Texas, the largest State in the Solid
South, is the richest State in the Soll1
South. Texas has more wealth, thar
Massachusetts by half q billion ri
dollars, but Texas paid In taxes soMt
S3UBl3.0O0, while Massachusetts paid
$1GG, 900
To preserve our own neutrality IL
this review of sectional taxation. tc
us merely mention New York with il,
twenty-five billions of wealth, but II!
$3.50 2G5,GOO taxes OF the last fisca
year. Let us go on to others. Wis
consin, with $4,4S7, 725, 259, has les,
wealth than Oklahoma with $4,5SI,
091,0lS. Oklahoma paid In take,
SlS,26l 600; Wisconsin paid $40, 1872,
$40. Michigan, with only 20 per cent
more wealth - S5,427, 022, 851 - thar
Oklahoma, paid 200 per cent. NOR,
taAes than Oklahoma.
Take all these States of the Solit
South In string: Virginia, Nortl
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Florlaa. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi
ana, Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas
TheIr combined wealth is billions OF
billions more than Ohio's; indeed, ]
Is nearly three times ohio's. Yet Ohio
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