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The Commoner
Vol. a, No. 8
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2 2
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Whether Common or Not.
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Hello, Pop!
His photograph! Our joy and pride;
Tho picture of our boy who died.
I scorn to hour midst tears that drop
Upon his faco tho loving call
Como ringing down tho darkened hall
To givo mo greeting:
"Hello, Pop!"
It scorns but yesterday ho died;
But yesterday wo stood besido
His bed and watched his eyelids drop
To sleep, to wako in endless day
But yesterday I heard him say
With dying ncconts:
"Good-bye, Pop!"
Last night I droamed ho stood again
With face pressed to tho window-pane
And watched to see my street car
stop:
That when ho hoard mo at the door
Ho quickly ran across tho iloor
And mot mo, shouting:
"Hollo, Pop!"
.Sometimes, when daylight fades to
gloom,
And ghostly shndows fill the room,
I feol again tho swolling joy.
For, from tho shadows round about
I hear onco more his joyful shout,
In boyish tones:
"I'm papa's boy!"
Whon, after death's cold, chilly hands
Have loosed tho last of earthly bands
And caused life's weary load tc
drop;
I'll feol it is supremestr joy
To moot at heaven's gate my boy,
And hoar his welcome: " : '
"Hollo, Pop!" . '
Reprinted from "Limnings." .
stand and sing that beautiful hymn
beginning, 'Host for the boiling rand'
that is, 'Hoil for tho testing' please
stand and sing number 462."
And wiping the ' perspiration from
his brow the young minister looked
studiously away from the pew whore
the young lady t-h-e young lady-sat.
Explained.
"But why do you object to electing
senators by direct vote of the people,"
quoried tho unsophisticated citizen.
"Because," replied Senator Graball,
"it is easier to buy a majority of a
caucus than I mean that the selection
of so important an official as a United
States senator should not be left to the
turmoil and strife of a great state
campaign."
Sprung: on Spring.
When the crocus is a croaking,
And the garbage piles are smoking,
And the busy housewife poking
Everything;
When tho goese are northward 'going,
And tho dust and dirt is blowing,
That's tho way we have of knowing
That it's spring.
When tho streets are awful slushy,
And the poets write rhymes gushy,
And young lovers all grow mushy,
Never fear;
Soon the birds will all be singing,
Street pianos will be ringing,
And tho mud will soon be clinging
Spring is near.
His Business.
"What is your official position?"
queried tho foreign visitor as he
opened his trunks for inspection.
"My position,,?" queried tho customs
official. "0, I'm doing sentry duty at
tho headquarters of tho captains of in
dustry." . , '
Foiled.
"Tain't no use tryin' t make a raiss
fnight, Bill," remarked Jimmy de
Porch Climber, looking up from a
Balled copy o a morning paper that
ho had picked out of tho gutter.
"Why not?" queried his pal, stop
ping in his work of polishing his kit
of tools.
"'Cause dere was a unparalleled
bargain sale at Shovem & Pullem's
t'day, an' dere won't be nuttin' left in
do houses wort' goin fur."
No Toady.
He had traveled all through Russia,
Franco and England, Denmark, Rus
sia; ho had floated down tho channel
pf the Rhine. Ho had fought brigands
in Turkey, dipped in Nilo's broad wa
ters murky, and oxplored full many
deep Siberian mine.
He had lived among the Danish,
Portugese, Swiss, Swedes and Spanish;
and had traveled wilds of China all
alone. But through all ho was a Yan
kee with some notions folks called
cranky, and had never worn krec
breeches at a throne.
Mixed.
Just as the young minister arose to
announce tho opening hymn tho youn?
lady-t-h-o young lady sailed down
tho aisle.
in?Hrei,ye, wil1 sIng thIs morn
ing tho beautiful song beginning, 'Tost
Z ?e rS Uns hnn(1'I mean Het
for tho roiling tand.' Brethren, wo will
Brain Leaks. '
A rose for the living is better than
a bouquet for the dead.
Prayers are usually thin after being
strained through a mortgaged church
roof,
Tho soft touch of a hahv's flncrorR
makes a man feel just a little nearer
heaven.
, , Attending the church with tho r ni
cest spiro does not insure .close stand
ing to me tnrone.
Time spent in bemoaning the fail
ure of yesterday will not insure the
success of tomorrow.
If politics is a dirty lusiness it is be
cause so many men think they are too
good to engage in it.
The man who carefully looks after
the comfort of his family is sure to
take good care of his horse.
A great many men who express a
willingness to die for the old flag al
ways let their wives carry in the coal.
Atheists and infidels waste time
talking to a mother who gazes with
tear-wet eyes at a baby's empty slice.
Some young men are so smart that
they discover God is a myth long in
fore they discover what they wore
created for.
When you hear a girl saying she is
going to be an old maid you may ex
pect to see her name hyphenated with
another in the local paper before tho
season ends.
Some men who would not pay a pen
ny for salvation and accepted it only
because they were told that it was fme,
Avill sooner or later discover that it is
only a life lease they hold.
The man who laughs loudest at the
sight of a fellow creature trying to
lift himself over a fence by his-bootstraps
is usually the fellow who votes
the high tariff ticket in the belief that
ho can tax himself rich.
Will M. Maupln.
Comments on The Commoner.
The Commoner is a little past one
year old, and still lives. Evidently
some people have another guess com
ing. Lincoln (Nob.). Democrat.
The Commoner, W. J. Bryan's paper,
has reached a circulation of over 100,
000, and is rapidly growing larger.
The people want it. and it does them
good. Rochester (Minn.) Democrat.
The best thing in print is The Com
moner. Wo would' like to see every
reader of the Chronicle a subscriber
to The Commoner. One-half of them
ought to be; one-fourth of them prob
ably will be. Carrollton (0.) Chronicle.
Bryan's Commoner has closed Us'
first volume, and begins its second
with a large circulation, and a larger
influence for good, perhaps, than any
other journal in the country. May it
steadily increase in power and pros
perity. San Francisco Star.
The Commoner has entered its sec
ond volume, and editorial work is so
pleasant and profitable to Colonel
Bryan that, he is disposed to look
lightly on the loss of a little matter
like the presidency. He has not yet
had much experience with delinquent
subscribers. Dawson (Neb:) News-Boy.
There is not a thoughtful citizen in
the United States, be he democrat or
republican, who will not be interested
by Tho Commoner. He may. not agrees
with all that Mr. Bryan says, but be
will be affronted by no offensive epi
thets and his mind -will undoubtedly
be made the depository of a vast
amount of authentic information and
impressed with the soundest of sane
logic and wholesome morals. Union
(W. Va.) Watchman.
OOi&OaifiiiOiAAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
1 THE INCOME TAX. I
Speech Delivered by W. J. Bryan in the S
g House of Representatives, Jan. 30, 1894. 4
Mr. Bryan said:
Mr. Chairman: What is this bill
which has brought forth the vehement
attack to which we have just listened?
It is a bill reported by the committor
on wdys and means, as the comple
ment of the tariff bill. It, together
with the tariff measure already con
sidered, provides the necessary rev
enue for tho support of the govern
ment. The point of attack is the in
come tax, individual and corporation
n vivu. io raise about $30,
000,000) and to that I will devote the
few minutes which are allowed for
closing the debate.
The gentleman from New York in
sists that sufficient revenue will bo
raised from tariff schedules, together
with the present internal-revenue tax
es, and that it is therefore unneces
sary to seek new objects for taxa
tion. In this opinion he is not sun
ported by the other members of tho
committee, and we have been con
strained to follow our own judgment
m ? w 5n ?Is' The internal vene
bill which is now pending as nu
amendment to the tariff bill imposes a
tax of 2 per cent upon the net In
comes of corporations, and. in the case
pf corporations no exemption is al
lowed. I need not givo all the reasons which
led tho committee to recommend this
tax, but .will suggest two of the most
Important. The stockholder in a cor
poration .limits his liability. Whan
the statute creating the corporation Is
fully complied with thq individual
stockholder is secure, oxcept to the
extent fixed by the statute, whereas
the entire property of the Individual
is oiuinurny jiaDie ior uis debts. An
other reason Is that ' corporations u
joy certain privileges and franchises
Some are given the' right of eminent
domain, while others, such as street
car companies, are given the right to
use the streets of the city-a franchise
which increases in value with each
passing year. Corporations occupy
the time and attention of our federal
courts and enjoy the protection of thw
federal government, and as they do not
ordinarily pay taxes the committee felt
justified in proposing a light tax upon
them.
Some gentlemen have accused tho
committee of showing hostility to cor
porations. But, Mr. Chairman, we are
not hostile to corporations we simply
believe that these creatures of the
law, these fictitious persons, have no
higher or dearer rights than the per
sons of flesh and blood whom God
created and placed upon His footstool.
The bill also imposes a tax of 2 per
cent upon individual incomes in g
cess of $4,000. We have proposed the
maximum of exemption and the mini
mum of rate. The principle is not
new in this country. For nearly ten
years, during and after ther war, an
income tax was levied, varying from
2 to 10 per cent, while the exemp
tion ranged from $600 to $2,000. in
England the rate for 1892 was a little
more than 2 per cent, the amount ex
empt, $750, with an additional deduc
tion of $600 on incomqs of less than
$2,000. The tax -has been in force there
in various forms for more than fifty
years.
In Prussia the income tax has been
in operation for about twenty years;
incomes under 900 marks are exempt,
and the tax ranges from less than 1
per cent to about 4 per cent, according
to the size of'the income.
Austria has tried the income tax for
thirty years, the exemption being
about $113, and the rate ranging from
8 per cent up to 20 per cen,t.
A large sum "is collecte'd from an
income tax' ilr Italy; diily'"income3
Under $77.20 are exempt, and' the rate
runs up as high as 13 per cent on some
incomes.
In the Netherlands the income tax
has been in operation since 1823. At
present, incomes under $260 are ex
empt, and the rate ranges from 2 per
cent to 3 1-5 per cent, the latter rate
being paid upon incomes in excess of
$3,280.
In Zurich, Switzerland, the income
tax has been in operation for move
than half a century. Incomes under
$100 are exempt, and" tho rate ranges
from about 1 per cent to almost 8 per
cent, according to the size oi the in
come. It will thus be seen that 'the income
tax is no new device, and it will also
be noticed that the committee has
proposed a tax lighter in rate and
more liberal in exemption than that
Imposed In any of the countries
named.
If I were consulting my own prefer
ence I would rather have a graduated
tax, and I believe that such a tax could
Le defended not only upon principle,
but upon grounds of public policy as
well; but I gladly accept this bill as
offering a more equitable plan for
making up the deficit in our revenues
than any other which has been pro
posed. The details of the bill will bo
discussed tomorrow under the five
minute rule, and any necessary
changes can be made.
The committee presents the bill nr
ter carefm consideration, but will
cheerfully accept any changes which
the wisdom of the hojise may suggest,
lhe bill not only exempts from taxa
tion, hut from annoyance as well, ev
S&nn ermtn. hose income is below
S imhlarlB' an ImPrtant feature
frnmie U;in,ota.ep t0 guard against
rraud the bill provid.es that every per-
!SnKnnaJln an, lncomG of mre than
w Sall,make a return under oath,
lno tax is collected unless the net
provides severe penalties to. restrain
tho tax collector from disclosing any
J