100 years ago in Spokane: Sharp reprimand – and handcuffs – for local draft dodger

The paper was full of stories about patriotic Spokane citizens volunteering for the army, donating to the Red Cross and rushing to purchase Liberty bonds (war bonds).

But not everyone was gung-ho.

Carl Brown, 27, was arrested as a slacker (draft evader) and became so threatening to the officers and the U.S. draft commissioner that he was put in handcuffs.

At his hearing, Brown continued to spout defiance.

“If they put a uniform on me, I’ll tear it off in front of the officers,” he declared.

This did not go over well with the commissioner.

“You’re the worst slacker I have ever had before me,” said the commissioner. “If I could do it, I’d start you right now for the first line of trenches. You’re a disgrace.”

From the income tax beat: The new federal income tax was actually making some people happy they weren’t earning much income.

The Spokane Daily Chronicle noted that men with income under $2,000 per year would not have to pay a nickel, if married. But people who make over $5,000 per year would have to pay a “super tax,” calculated on a sliding scale. A man making $2 million would have to pay $1.1 million in tax.

The Chronicle’s headline: “Men With Small Salaries Feel Like the Man Who Laughs Last.”