Show THE INCOME TAX The proposition for a tax to be levied on all incomes above 4000 or 5000 a year seems to be growing in favor the more it is discussed Of course it is not popular among the capitalists and the corporations Yet there are a few of them who see its justice being able to look at it apart from personal interest in-terest I It is likely to be a big bone of con tention in the Senate vhere capital finds a very strong representation And though it is a party measure being a feature of the new tariff bill it may be expected that Senators of both political parties will oppose it and the majority in favor of it will probably be small The action of the President regarding it is a matter of doubt He will most likely sign it if a fair majority < of the Senate endorse it The great objections raised against it are that it is inquisitorial and that it will tend to perjury But is it not a fact that every property tax law is Inquisitorial An assessment on per sonal property whether it be household house-hold effects or merchandise anything kept for sale stocks bonds horses cattle sheep anything and everything on which taxes must be paid require on the part of the assessor diligent inquiry in-quiry that more or less trenches upon the privacy which every free man cherishes Blanks are furnished to each taxpayer to fill out and swear to If he does not comply with that lequi Ition the assessor may be inquisitorial enough to learn the taxpayers posses pos-ses ions in detail and in toto All tax ation therefore is to some extent Inquisitorial uisitorial It may be just as well said that ordinary taxation leads to perjury as that this is the tendency of an income tax Every form furnished to the property owner bears the same objec tion if it be an objection But we do not see why a man who has a large income should swear falsely concerning concern-ing it any more than he would as to his taxable property And we are not disposed to believe that the moneyed people of the United States are a set of false swearers who would commit perjury to save the amount of an income come tax That some people would evade the law or violate its provisions I may be said of every Jaw that was ever enacted I Some of the eastern papers have pointed out several clauses of the income i come tax measure now before the Senate Sen-ate which appear to be inconsistent with each other and difficult of enforcement orcement But that is not an argument argu-ment against the Income tax as a principle of revenue production All such Inharmonious or impracticable revisions can be remedied as they should be and the main purpose of the law be kept in view They call for revision and amendment ratlier I > ffrl 0 than the abolition of the bill In taxing citizens for the support of the government it seems to be cleo that justice would demand some recognition recog-nition of their respective abilities to furnish the necessary revenue And that which is not just is not expedient The individual with an income sufficient suffi-cient to meet all his legitimate ordInary ordIn-ary expenses and some to spare should be better able to bear the burden of taxation than one who can sc rely earn enough for common sand s-and who has to struggle to keep himself him-self and family above actual want The rich too enjoy a greater share of governmental protection than the poor and should therefore contribute more to the support of the governmen which renders that protection The system of taxation of incomes has worked well in England for many years The same opposition as is now waged against it by the representatives of the wealthy was used there and the I objections now put forward failed to prove valid It is a system which is favorable to the classes least able to bear the weight of expenses that must be met from some source and viewing it from all sides is equitable while It is more simple than almost any other mode of raising revenue that is in practice prac-tice in the civilized world |