How did the government operate before 1913 when there was no income tax?

[sound_of_the_silenced3]

Was there anarchy in the streets?

Was everyone starving?

Were there record numbers of poor and homeless?

[Françoise ☈]

Yes, actually, watch the historical documentary Gangs of New York

[Franco Potanco]

Other taxes, such as property tax and sales tax... the government was much smaller then, though, and couldn't function to meet our basic needs without an income tax currently, unless we raised other taxes, at huge detriment to the poor.

[petitecave331]

Overall, they represented for free. Leaders were there to lead, not acquire lifetime cushy salaries and unbridled power.

[Bethy]

A much smaller federal government

No medicare
No medicaid
No social security
A much smaller defense

and far less entitlements

[White Bear]

They did what they were supposed to do now they think they should run the peoples day to day life...

[I will be avenged!]

There were high tariffs. We had no such thing as the "free market" therefore jobs were protected, and there was almost no need for social safety nets. We also didn't waste trillions in needless wars, or establishing bases and embassies worldwide. We minded our own business. We protected workers, and the need for collecting taxes was minimal.

[Boss H]

Nope wasn't no crime, no brown people, no atheists or murder.
Just a rainbow over every cloud, a daisy in every yard, and roses growing ever where.
Pixies where frolicking in the crime-less towns that didn't make people turn in their guns when entering.
No bank robberies, nor cattle theft, nothing like that at all where the criminals would get away.
No people stealing food either.
Only problem in those days was the occasional guy trying to fly a kite during a thunderstorm and the occasional unicorn trying to mate with pa's horses.

[Louis Riel]

yes, there were record numbers of poor and homeless. there was far less infrastructure, less schooling, fewer firemen and police

your country was predominantly rural back then

why dont you know these things? so sad how totally uneducated americans are.

[Louis Riel]

Tariffs
And there was inflation and depressions every five years.