The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-06-06

d.
;rnrlv any encouragement OF the work Of any
former committee or former Congress- ~
ternsl taxation was an experiment, A..
sity on which we we're driven, and "a ~ - 4
to be expected that new systsm -
bu;It up and adapted to the s'.:s. "a
,h;ts pf enr country. and people hastily anul
under the pressure of circu frr,,
liz being in many respects fmpelIeeI ~ =
if not crude in substance. go VIC To-.
I IVY :, va eor moment pretend to claim per
~ NJ sor the bill before you. and by when
iee,,o sor GIT to remedy some OF these de-
s.eta and evils III the existing law. put we
have done the best we could with these views
Of what II vas cur daty.to attempt. Inc ~
ternaI lsevenue laws, prepared a, the et'ce
of the Commissioner OF Internal revenue
contain III pages Of closely printed matter.
The natnnhlet edition Of the bill We present
shows j 81 napes, mtallowing Tor The d.ne1-l
e,,ce in the width Of the print, the co.'ss. :
perhaps are about the same this y 800 I'd
the fact Tint while we have eon a -, = |
,ery much compressed and abri III go,
now in the law, We have afso 49, 80 80.
number of new provisions i'tas s 11..I
nsaas,, ~ ar,sc,iye legislation. Having SAID
~ a,,,,nb IN regard to the general scope OF
H. laha, and the spirit in which we nave
,s,c,ed it. will nov proceed, Mr.. lhaif,
49,, ta make some brief explanations ana
anslysis oftha bill we are considering, SO as
=, Owe The gentlemen some idea Of its strnc-
ture and of its most material points in which
/. differs from the present law The Key
note of one great change, which We propose
and which pervades and distinguishes onr
bill throughout. IS to he found m Tue n,s'
and Immediately succeeding sections We
propose it viii he scenic make The once OF
Commission or of Internal Revenue an inde
mean A department with an officer at its
head whois to be expected under the usage
of the Government to be invited 70
the Cabinet councils OF the
President, but one rather like
the Department of agriculture with a
chief, STYLED not Secretary, but Con,mis-
sioner. The provisions which follow imme
diately after this will make our purpose OBJ
vious. We desire to give this independent
character to the Commissioner OF Internal
| Revenue in order not only TO mark and Sc
cure his own responsibility and accountability
| for the conduct and management OF all ahairs
| in the Department, but to enable him under
| the Constitution. rs head Of department., 10
appoint all Of his subordlnates, for whom ana
/ whose conduct also we intend he shall be in
1 The fullest aegrfe responsible. No one could
/ have stu led or observed. even in the most
| casual vay, the working Of our internal reve-
nue. system, wilhcut having been forced to
! the conclusion that the greatest present evil
under which we labor and that which con-
i tributes most to defeat the collection OF our
/ taxes. is the dishonest character OF the o.
feisls employed and when'remedies for these
are sought tl,e iuipossibiIity Of finding any
body responsible for the appointment of such
i agents, or for their conduct. In short, there
is no hes i to tie establishment or perhaps II
w,nld be more true to say that worse than
I that, it is a triple >hea1ed monster. We have
President, Secretary Of the Treasury. and
! the Com missioner OF Internal Revenue to
look to-an and each IN iact-neither o.
them acknowledging full responsibility. What
is the consequence? Tax payers commit
frauds, officers connive st them. O en they
even give actual assistance 10 the stealing
that is gong on Complaints are made the
| Commissioner replica that he has mp power
over these officers 10 remove the ihitves ano
appoint honest men, because selections arr
made by the Secretary Of the Treasury aEo
The President. The Secretary II appealed
to, explains that he can do nothingbat adj
! wise the President and shelters himself II
hat way. The President interposes both 'hs
. Secretary and the Commissioner between
, himself and the people aud the simple re
suit of al is that the whole country Is LOOK
ing on. The stealing is not stopped, but pro
! eeeds. growing worse and worse. aud tn
! seoandrels holder and holder from day t
day, until he whole aggregate of evil il ap
: palling aHd il has become question VIII
i rules the eouatry-whether its proper consii
e tutional authorities or gangs o. Tobacco
thieves and whisky ring.
MIR Sehenck went on TO SLY that a write
in the New York Ereniao Post had charge
tina. the COMMITTEE on Ways and Means an
TIA Ekair n tt.
makers in givin. such great powers TO th
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue, III
: s.r,,egr, Illustrated his argument by referenc
!. tfation, for il so happened that was one {
the sections copied from the existing law.
! the House should refuse to confer this powe
0 on the commissioners, then he would ask sb
e House to confer it on the Secretary OF th
Treasury, without the intervention OF ia
Commissioners or on the President withon
: tie Intervention OF either the Secretary G
the commi ssioner; or somebody who wonl
J, be held TO account for what Is done and whs
is omitted in matter 50 vital as The ralsin
= of revenue honestly, fairly, and without frau
g and robbery. There was in fact o,head now
3 there was airiple.headed monster-the Pres
: ident, the Secretary of the Treasury aud th
;. Commissioner. Another element Of the di
: vision Of power vas The necessity of procnr
! irg confirmation by The Senate Of officers o
2 the revenue. Between the President, III
!, secretary OF the Treasury and the Commits
sioner there was ouch division of response
biiiy that nothing Is done. If The President
l. the Secretary and the Commissioner were al
right, then there Wis another body IN tht
, Senate, where fault might exist or not, acting
OF the recommendation made through tbs
proper chsnnels; He sia ,se, ; ssy :. 80 -
| hitJtv and want nf aponrd betweeu them