Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-18
CABLE FAVORS TT.
Believes an Income Tax Should
be Imposed.
Is WILLING TO STAND HIS SHARE.

He Argues In FAvor u Taxing the wealthy
BEFORE the Chairnaa OF the ways and
Astoniahnaent
Hon. Ben +, Cable. the popular
Rock Island ex-congressman, has
surprised the statesmen and politi-
clans at the national capital by the
| position he has assumed on the in
come tax question. Since this sub
ject has been agitatcd with view to
| swell the revenues, the fellows with
abnormal incomes have been seeking
to discredit the plan in variousways.
In fact there has been a regular ava
lanche of opposition hurled against
the proposed measure by the million
aires of the country.
Hence, the earnestness with which
Mr.. Cable champions an income tax
comes rs refreshing novelty. Him.
self immensely wealthy. he comes
out openly and unequivocally in ia
vOr of taxing large incomes. He be-
lieves the burden of taxation should
| fall as lightly as possible on the la
boring classes. and that the rich
should bear the heaviest burden
only in proportion to their ability
to do SO, however. But the follow
ing from the Chicago Record defines
his position on the subject:
l WOrk3nC Fur tho ur.o.,,. r.,
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Nov 16.-The
Hon. Ben I. Cable has a fat income
and yet he is using his best efforts to
induce the ways and means commit
tee to adopt an income tax as fea-
ture of the new tariff bill. Mr.. Ca
BILE saw Chairman Wilson by appoint
ment at 10 O'Clock this morning. and
presented his argument in favor of
taxing large incomes. 1t was con-
siderable of surprise to Mr.. Wilson.
for he has been accustomed to hear
ing protests from men of means
against the ACCESSIBILITY of such a
tax. Mr.. Wilson said after the inter-
view that he would rs soon have ex-
pectcd to hear an anti-protection ar
gument from a protected manufac-
turer.
MIR. Cable did not treat the subject
from a personal standpoint. He ar
gued that the distressed condition of
the country made it desirable to limit
the burdens Of the working classes
to the lowest possible figure. The
fact that wealthy men were receiving
large incomes in spite of the business
depression showed that they were
well able to stand the additional bur-
den imposed by the present deficit in
government revenues.
Thinks 1; Would Help Democracy.
While Mr.. Cable treated the sub
political point of view. it is under.
stood that he believes that the policy
of an income tax would have y reiuve-
mating influence on the democratic
| party. and would bring to its sup
| port the solid ranks of labor. In
this respect Mr.. Cable 10 said to be-
lieve that the policy of an income tax
would more than offset the appeals
made to those working classes en-
income tax is determined upon by
the committee it will do away with
the necessity of making a large in
crease in the tax on sugar. whisky.
beer and tobacco, and this avoidance
OF added taxation to number of the
largest industries in the country will
be extremely desirable according to
the views of Mr.. Cable. The latter
will talk with number of the demo-
cratic members of the committee,
and his influence at this partic-
ular time, when the decisive moment
of the income tax is at hand. is like
lv to be considerable, for it is recog-
nized that he cannot be speaking
from personal and selfish stand
point.