CHAP. XIV ] INCOME TAX. 193 



nations increase, and may they be supplied by Pennsylvania. &quot; 

 &quot; But will his war dreams be realized, think you ?&quot; &quot; Probably 

 Hiot ; yet the mere anticipation of such a contingency is doing- 

 mischief, checking commercial enterprise, causing our state bonds 

 to fall in value, and awakening evil passions. You will scarcely 

 believe that I have heard men of respectable standing in the world 

 declare, that if a war breaks out, we shall at least be able to 

 sponge out our state debt !&quot; 



I found that the income tax laid on to pay the interest of this 

 debt, is weighing heavily on Pennsylvania, and many a citizen is 

 casting a wistful glance across the Delaware, at the untaxed 

 fields and mansions of New Jersey. Some manage to evade half 

 their burdens by taking houses in that state, and resorting in the 

 winter season to Philadelphia for the sake of society. One of the 

 Philadelphians assured me, that he and others paid sixteen per 

 cent, &quot;on their income for state taxes ; and after honestly respond 

 ing to all the inquisitorial demands of the collectors, they had the 

 mortification of thinking that men who are less conscientious 

 escape half the impost. &quot; Capital,&quot; he said, is deserting this 

 city, and some thriving store-keepers, whom you knew here in 

 1842, have transferred their business to New York. In your 

 Travels in America, you were far too indulgent to the Petm- 

 sylvanian Whigs, who promoted the outlay of government money 

 on public works, which has been our ruin. The wealthy Ger 

 man farmers and democrats opposed that expenditure ; and it is 

 not German ignorance, as some Whigs pretend, which has en 

 tailed debt and disgrace on this state, but the extravagance of 

 the influential merchants, who were chiefly Whigs. You see by 

 the papers that the county of Lancaster, is 50,000 dollars in ar- 

 rear in the payment of state taxes, and the punishment inflicted 

 by government is to withhold the school-money from these de 

 faulters, thereby prolonging the evil, if it be ignorance which has 

 dulled their moral sense.&quot; 



The reluctance to resort to coercive measures, on the part of 



the men in power, for fear of endangering their popularity, is 



striking ; and John Bull would smile at a circular just issued 



and addressed by the state treasurer to counties, some of which 



VOL, i. I 



