Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1898 — WHO SHALL PAY THE TAX? [ARTICLE]

WHO SHALL PAY THE TAX?

To enact a law that a tax shall be levied upon certain things, properties or acts of citizens, without distinctly specifying, beyond peradventure who shall pay It, would seem, at the mere statement of the case, to be a piece of legislative stupidity of the first water. Yet this is precisely what Congress appears to have done in enacting the war tax law which has now gone into operation. Every manufacturer and every retail dealet, every person sending a telegraphic message, and every telegraph company couveying it, is remonstrating against payment of the tax levied by the law and disputing as to whose duty it is to find the ways and means of satisfying it. Our citizens are content that there shall be a tax, but everybody is endeavoring to shift it off on somebody else. As usual, the corporations, which we have created by law In order to give the shrewd corporators the opportunity to better themselves at the expense of individual citizens, are generally getting the best of this contest, and the citizen consumer fibds himself compelled to meet the exaction, while the corporate magnate goes clear. When the individual appeals to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue as to the tax stamps, that functionary replies that it is the company and not the customer who must “affix stamps,” but he takes very good care not to say who shall pay for them! And Congress adjourned without making its intent and meaning clear by saying who shall pay the tax. There was plenty of time to remedy the matter and to correct the omission in the tax law, but Congress ran away rather than decide it.—New York News.

Democrats and the War. With magnificent inconsistency the Republican party asserts that the war against Spain is a “Republican war.” Occasionally an administration organ admits that the Democrats “forced McKinley to fight,” but on the whole the Republicans have decided to make political capital out of the war. With this fact in view, the people should read with care and remember after reading the following plank in the Democratic platform adopted by the Illinois State convention at Springfield: "We pronounce the present war with Spain justified by every consideration of justice and sound national policy. We congratulate the Democratic minority in Congress for their firm stand in demanding the vindication of our national honor, indorse the declaration of war on Spain and demand its vigorous prosecution in the cause of humanity.” There is much of history condensed in the paragraph quoted. Much that the Republicans would like to ignore; much that Mark Hanna has already attacked; much that Grosvenor has attempted to falsify. But the statements are true in every respect and will be accepted as true by men who know what they are talking about and who are not prompted to lie in the interests of Republican politicians. Democrats favor the war with Spain. The Democratic minority voted for war measures. Democratic generals and naval commanders are aiding to conquer Spain. Hence, the attempts of the administration to make this affair a “Republican war” will fail utterly to win political success for the Republican party. War a Shield for Swindlers.^ We must not criticise the bond issue because it is a war measure. It is nothing if bonds make the rich richer and the poor poorer; it is a war measure. We must not complain that the revenue bill exempts the rich from paying their just proportion of the expenses of the war, for it is a war measure. We must not complain if the poor have to pay all the taxes under the revenue bill to carry on the war, because it is a war measure. And so it goes. A whole grist of Impositions can now be practiced upon the unprotected weaker elements of the American people, and it is unpatriotic to complain, because we are in the midst of war with a foreign so-e. An Instance may be cited where the downright fraud may be practiced, and it is regarded as patriotic to keep it mum. About a year ago the Solvlg, a Norwegian tramp steamer, was bought for $40,000 and rebuilt at a cost of $125,000. Last April she was offered to the Government as an auxiliary cruiser, but was rejected. But, at the request of the politicians, she was bought by special agents of the Government the other day for $342,000. Here is a cold steal of over $150,000 that the special agents could easily explain, but,* In the name of patriotism, we are expected to be mum. This, war Is the rich man’s opportunity to make money, and the poor man’s chance to fight and pay taxes.—Exchange.

Humbug Vouches for Humbug* There are numerous exploiters of the people, and perhaps they form a majority, who really believe that they have a perfect right to delude the masses and prey upon them. They have some sort of notion that it is an essential part of the scheme of creation that the people at large should labor and sweat in order that the sleek and the well-fed may attend to certain wholly and unimportant things. Of course, these wholly and unimportant and ridiculous things are made to appear very tremendous, and the deluded herd find apparent trivality of it all a proof of the hidden significance alleged to pertain thereto. Thus humbug itself is accepted as the voucher of its own integrity, while truth is actually discredited for the reason that It Is so simple and obvious.—Twentieth Century. The Wise Depositor. The bankers get their depositors wh) do not want war bonds to fill out an application and then turn the bonds over to the bank. Wise depositor? Doesn’t want any bonds himself, but generously gives the money to the banker to buy bonds with, and, as a further accommodation, fills out the application for the bard working banker! That’s a little the warmest combination that has yet shown up.—Pilgrim. A Fundamental Principle, Direct legislation is not only a method, but a principle—the principle that “the people must rule.” Without this principle there is no such thing as liberty.—Kentucky New Era.