Rhode Island May Do So, And So May Massachusetts, New
York, Connecticut, And The Other Rich Atlantic States.
They may tax
themselves according to their riches, while Iowa, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and such like States are taxing themselves according to
their poverty.
I cannot myself think that it would be well to trust
to the generosity of the separate States for the finances needed by
the national government. We should not willingly trust to Yorkshire
or Sussex to give us their contributions to the national income,
especially if Yorkshire and Sussex had small Houses of Commons of
their own in which that question of giving might be debated. It may
be very well for Rhode Island or New York to be patriotic! But what
shall be done with any State that declines to evince such
patriotism? The legislatures of the different States may be invited
to impose a tax of five per cent. on all incomes in each State; but
what will be done if Pennsylvania, for instance, should decline, or
Illinois should hesitate? What if the legislature of Massachusetts
should offer six per cent., or that of New Jersey decide that four
per cent. was sufficient? For awhile the arrangement might possibly
be made to answer the desired purpose. During the first ebullition
of high feeling the different States concerned might possibly vote
the amount of taxes required for Federal purposes. I fear it would
not be so, but we may allow that the chance is on the card. But it
is not conceivable that such an arrangement should be continued
when, after a year or two, men came to talk over the war with calmer
feelings and a more critical judgment.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 407 of 531
Words from 108826 to 109107
of 142339
