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Standing In Their Own Light

Standing In Their Own Light image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
May
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Through all the juggling to which the Wilson bilí has been subjected at the hands of the senate, the income tax feature has remained practically intact. The howl with which the wealthy men of the country greeted the proposition when it was first proposed to make it a part of the newrevenue bill was intended to frighten it out of existence, but it would not down, and it has continued to become more and more popular with each succeeding day. Now it may be considered as settled that it will be a feature of any revenue bill that is passed, for it is certain that none can be passed without it. The latest reports from Washington indícate that, while it may be modified in some of its provisions relating to its enforcement and limited as to the time of its continuance, the principie will not be surrendered. The undoubted fact that public sentiment is rapidly crystalizing around an income tax, as a feature of a much needed reform in our national system of taxation, would indicate that men of wealth are standing in their own light in offering such obstinate and uncompromising opposition to so moderate a measure of tardy justice as that contained in the Wilson bill. By assuming such an attitude toward so moderate a measure, they invite a popular rush to a far more offensive and radical one in the immediate future. The people are thoroughly aroused over the flagrant and long continued injustice of raising the entire revenue for the support of the national government from taxes on consumption. They realize as never before the wrong done in compelling men to pay not in proportion to their ability, but according to their wants and necessities. They have come to understand that under the indirect system of taxaation, those who have little pay a large percentage, and those who have much a very small percentage of their gains for the support of government. The advocates of the the income tax desire simply to redress, in some degree, this manifest injustice, not by inflicting any retalatory measures upon the wealthy, ! but by requiring all men to pay , for the support of government according to the beneflts received. That the people will not much ! longer tolérate the wrong of the I present system is certain. In view of all these facts, the [ Chicago Herald, which was an ' ginal opponent of the income tax, speaks the following wordsof wisdom to the men of wealth who are offering such bitter resistance to the proposed tax. "Would it not be good policy for the ricli to accept the proposed mode cheerfully, esüecially seeing that by the proposed modification it will be temporsi ry, and will cease if found unsatisfactory ? ïhey will thus gain time for a delibérate consideration of the whole subject. They must know that in some way the existing system will be changed. "The people are beginniiig to see very plainly that taxes on consumption are extremely unjust. As time passes they will see more and more plainly that it is unfair to take far more in proportion for the public treasury from men of small means than from men of large means. In times past indirect taxation has been resorted to for the confessed reason that it took money from peopie without their knowing it. This reason will not be available much longer. The people will insist upon contribution for public purposes more nearly in proportion to possessions. "It behooves the rich to note this tendency and guide it, if possible, into the best and safest channels. Obstinate resistance mayresult in a popular rush to extremes which will be hurtful not only to the rich but to the entire social body. The rich should recognize the danger and seek to guide iDstead of resisting a just demand which is sure to prevail in one way or another."

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News