The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-01-31
DIFFERING OPINIONS.
Discussing the Income Tax in the
National House.
BOURKB OOOKRAN's ARGUMENT
The Eloquent New Yorker Denounces the
Proposed Tax as Glass Leglslation-Mr
Bryan, of Nebraska, as EloquentIy
PLEADS for It's Justice.

Bryan, of Nebraska, as EloquentIy
PLEADS for Its Justice.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-Yesterday was
a field day in the house. The opponents
of the income tax had their opportunity
Messrs Covert and Bartlett New York;,
Dunn (N. J.) and johnson (O), all Demo
Gratis, presented their opposition along
with the Repu blicans to the proposition
to impose a spsci. tax on wealth But it
remained for B7urke Cochran, the great
Tammany orator to eclipse with his elo-
quence against the measure all speeches
he has ever made in congress Mr. Bryan,
Of Nebraska closed the debate for the
day in defense of the income tax, and he,
too, made an eloquent speech.
Mr., Pence lColo.) also made an able ar.
gument I'm support of the tax Referring
to General SIcSies' characterization of the
income tax as a war tax Mr. Pence said:
Il glory in the great services he rendered
to the cause of the Union, and | am will
ing that he should be paid not only one
salary as a retired major general, but a
salary as congressman and another as a
pensiOner We do not shirk the burdens
Of the pension list, which are war bur
dens, and we are not afraid of this tax as
q war tax
Tom johnson Wants Direct Tax.
Mr. johnson CO., made rather sensa-
tional, theoretical arraignment of the in
come tax proposition, which gave him an
opportunity to advocate the imposition of
the Henry George land tax. 81 am for
any kind of a direct tax in preference to
any kind of a tariff tax" said he. "Any
tax on what men have is better than a
tax on what men need, and so / support
this income tax bill. But | shall do so as
a choice of evils. A discrimination is
made in this bill-a discrimination as to
the amount of income. No one here would
venture to support bill which proposed
to tax all incomes, or even all incomes
above so small an amount as to bring the
great body of his constituents under its
provisions. The strength of this bill lies
in its exemption of incomes up to $4,000.
The great feature of the exemption is
that it is purposely made high enough to
exempt the great mass Of voters.
II protest rs a Democrat and a single
tax man, against any discrimination
against the rich, as l have protested and
do protest and will protest against any
discrimination against the poor You Re
publican protectonists and you Demo
cratic protectiOuists are really but social
lists and at ghat socialists of the worst
sort, for those who avow them
selves soCia lists wish to have the
state interfere with production and ex-
change for the purpose of improving the
condition Of the poor; but you want the
state to interfere for the purpose of add
ing to the wealth of the rich.
~ will vote for your income tax bill if
l must as | will vote for your tariff bill;
but as a Democrat | protest against the
| one, as l protest against the other as anti
Democratic measures, involving an insult
to labor"
The Great Tammany Orator Speaks.
Mr. Cochran N. " spoke as the es-
pecal champion of the Democratic oppo-
sition to the income tax. For over an hour
the great Tammany orator poured forth
| his elouuence against the income tax. He
had hoped, he began, that the tariff bill
I would be allowed to come to a vote nm
| vexed, undisturbed, free from all danger
of embarrassing issues
"While willing to vote for the tariff
! bill, " he said, I'VE are now asked at the
behest of party caucus to vote for a
special tax on $1,000 out of g. 900 peo-
pie. When proposition goes further
than mere taxation and is deliberately de
signed to tax a class those who believe in
equality before the law must array them
! selves against it. II strikes at the funda-
mental principles of Democracy, at the
very root of the government 1t is the
en- teriug wedge in the shape of retalia-
tory legislation in this country. 1t is
brought in upon the assumption that the
! Wilson bill will produce a deficit. The
| whole experience of the human race dem
onstrates chat the idea that the reduc
tions carried by this bill will produce a
deficit is unfOunded, false in theory and a
libel on the Democratic party"
In presenting his other objections to the
tax Mr.. Cochran said it was essentially
unjust in its burdens. Take man with
SsO, 600 capital. If he loaned his money al
3 per cent, he would escape. He would
be a drone, but he would bear no burden
Yet the man who borrowed that capital
who employed it in business, venturinq
his all on the risk of trade, would b'
swooped down upon by the government
his methods exposed and his profits
filched by a law that leaves the drone free
Rich Men Favor the Tax.
Gentlemen misunderstood the temper o
the rich if they believed the rich opposed
this measure. Not one of his acquaint
anCc opposed IL. VI blb lOutu NOleo Gus
for him-and 5000 were cast by men wht
who would not pay taxes under this bill
not one had protested, but every on
would feel humiliated and humbled i
two classes were to be created, one a tai
paying class, the other participating bu
not paying. lie believed the rich woulC
welcome it. Why2 Because they knew i
would ultimately give them greater con
troll in governmental affairs. All labo
and poverty could ever hope for wa
equality before the law. That was tn
basic principle of this republic The foe
of liberty were not those who took tn
field against it, but who seek to destro,
: one class by expressing the other. H
proceeded;
"Men have an idea that they are goin
1 to make equality by creating inequality
have always opposed inequality. 1 OF
posed the civil service law because it gav
the children of the rich better opportu
nifty to enter civil service than the chi
dren Of the poor. AS | oppose discrimin'