Evening star., 1919-04-13

wv tnat you nave mace your
M income tax return, have
managed to pay that first in
stallment and had time to
regain your normal mental
poise. 1t may be safe to introduce
to you the presiding genius in the
preparation Of revenue bills, the
power behind the throne. OF taxa
tion, the man who suggests the divers
ways for the government to dig into
your pockets and who estimates with
an uncanny accuracy the amount you
should have there.
But, remembering that the income
tax is but a part Of the new law. with
levies yet to come upon your purse
through your shopping, drinking,
smoking. theatergoing and travelling.
1t seems we'll to remind you that If
bodily harm should befall this man
Congress virtually would be helpless
to modify the current taxes when the
paid. There Is, therefore, a element
Of elf-preservation in refraining
from physical attack upon him and in
respecting the warning in the Dakota
dive, which Henry Watterson recalled
the other day. 1t read, Gentlemen
will please not shoot the pianiste; she
u doing the best she knows how"
If you have reached conclusion as
to the identity Of this man, dismiss
It. Undoubtedly you are wrong.
Members Of the revenue raising COM
mittees Of Congress are allowed one
guess: all others may take as many
a. they please and write your own
ticket
It's not Wilson. McAdoo. Glass or
Roper.
It's not Penrose. Lodge or Smoot,
nor Simmons, Underwood or Hoke
Smith.
It's not Kitchin Of Scotland Neck,
nor Fordney OF Saginaw.
Champ Clark and Jim" Mann and
s'Uncle Joe" Cannon are innocent.
Even Burleson and Creel must be
acquitted
The guilty man is neither democrat
nor republican, socialist or bolshe-
visit
This Mephistophelean genius OF
finance is Joseph S. Mccoy, govern
ment actuary.
II you insist on coming to Wash
ingtor to have it out" with Mr.. Nc
Coy you are due for a shock when
you meet him. When somebody or
other wrote that there are mystically
In our faces certain characteristics
which carry in them the motto Of our
souls, wherein he that cannot read
A B c may read our natures" he
showed that rs Judge OF human ma
ture he was fine essayist. As an
expert on taxation ne probably would
select the becalmed countenance of q
free trader for the face OF pro-
tectionist, as Mr.. Mccoy has as little
Of guile in his face as could H. found
anywhere beyond the beribboned
boundaries of bassinet.
His is an engaging smile. He has a
boundless good fumor. He Is not
young, 20 you cannot charge his evil
designs upon your purse to the score
br "parlor bolshevism." He IL getting
along IN years and time has mellowed
hts nature into happy regard for all
mankind, however much his most re-
cent effort In revenue raising may
lead you to believe the contrary. His
and q thirty minute chat with him
will dc more to make easy the writ
Ing Of q check for income taxes than
oil Of Commissioner Roper's sedatives
Nntle reminders OF the penalties
against dodgers.
Your curiosity as to where Mr.. Nc
Coy "comes In" as the dictator OF the
measure Of your financial contribu-
tions to the government is not i'm
proper. since the dear old Constitution
IL specific on the point that ''all bills
for raising revenue shall originate in
the House OF Representatives" The
House doesn't even draft the language
Of the bill. That Ia done by an expert
in legislative diction.
*A
Nowadays, the procedure incident to
the enactment Of a new tax bill Is
oomethine like this;
The Secretary of the Treasury dis
covers all of sudden that after pay
ing for a new post Office at Jayville-
on-the- Bum and for the dredging of
the dusty" Oklawaha river there
will be a balance of about dollar
and eighty-three cents in the public
Treasury.
Looks like we'll have to have
new revenue bill" he muses.. and adds
to clerk. Get Mccoy on the phone
and ask him TO come over to my
Office"
When Mr. Mccoy walks over to the
Treasury from the Bond building,
where he has a little Office distin-
Gufsbed solely BY fiattop desk
- II l.