Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-13

and the man with a thousand-dollar IN
come ought not to pay the same tax 70
| the support Of the Government OF the
| United States that IL paid by the man
| who has ten millions OF income.
ITO illustrate the point here, / snail
depart from my usual course. In tne
whole of these discussions. Mr.. Chairman
| I have never been In the habit OF using
| on the floor OF the House as an illustra-
| ton or otherwise the names OF individuals.
| But in order to show the fragrant wrong
| that Is done by the system or taxation
under which we have been living. / VIII
call your attention to the name OF one
man, which is not unfamiliar to many
| OF you, and certainly not TO any citizen
| of the State and city OF New York.
II speak OF Mr.. William waldorf
| Astor. This gentleman ran for Congress
! once against the present Governor OF
| New York (Mr. Flower, and was defeat
| ed. and permitted that defeat to do LOT
| him what no man ought TO permit 10
| be done in this country-that Ia, II soured
and embittered him against the Govern
ment OF the United States and our instl-
| tutlons generally He moved abroad, and,
not content with what he could say against
| America himself and our American insti-
| tutions, he purchased one or the aDiest
| journals in the great government OF Great
| Britain. He lives there now, and this
| newspaper, which he owns and controls, Is
| doing its work against our INSTITUTIONS.
And yet, Mr. Chairman, the income OF
this man, I am credibly informed on
what / believe to be good authority, de-
rived from property In New York, Is more
| than five millions of dollars year. ana
| he does not pay-(he does pay State TAX
| he does pay a county tax, and he does
pay a municipal tax. II is true)-the gov
| eminent of the United States dollar, ana
| has not paid so in ten years, although ne
has this colossal fortune, which Is pro-
tected by our army and defended by our
| navy. Now, we say, that, notwithstand-
| ing his foreign residence, he should De
compelled to pay something for the sup
port of the government that protects his
vast estate in this country. what say
| you? addressing Mr.. Bartlett)
| "Where is the man that viii contenu
that there is any injustice in requiring
him TO bear some of the portion of the
! burden Of taxation?'
Mr. Bartlett: / will answer the gentle
man that there Is no better taxpayer
| in the State OF New York than Mr..
! William Waldorf Astor. / will answer
| him further that there is no family
In the State or county of New York
that contributes more largely to taxa
ton purposes, State, county, and NUM-
cipal, than does the Aston family.
Mr. McMillin: ] respond to the gentle
man from New York; tax the rich and
the poor in proportion to what they
possess. and not in proportion to what
they need. 1t ought to be the dollar that
pays the taxes and not the man.
Further along Mr.. McMilln became en-
gagged in a colloquy with Mr. Cochran
| Democrat. Of New York. regarding the
effect upon the government revenues of
a reduction of tariff rates, which con-
clrded with the admission by Mr. Nc
| Millin that he did not believe the Wilson
bill. as framed. would have the effect
to raise the revenues necessary TO carry
| on the government without the income
tax measure.
COCHRAN ON INCOME-TAX
| Mr.. Henderson. Of Iowa. took the floor
to defend the appropriation. but yielded
| most Of his time TO Mr.. Cochran, OF
Now York He argued that the income
! tax legislation, that Is levelled against
prosperity and success in life, is I'M
! Democratic. Is un-American, is revolu-
tiorary, is anarchistical. and ought TO
be condemned. as II has been by the
American people. Npplause)
Mr. Chairman. 1t has also, I believe,
| bttH STU lHdI IL IL Il proper IOTin tl
taxation. My opposition is not directed
against the right OF the government 10
! tax incomes, because I believe II has the
same right to tax the income that IT has
| to tax the principal But the gentleman
| from Tennessee says he insists that all
men shall bear their proportion of taxa
ton. Why. then, does he limit this tax
to 5000 persons? Why is 1t that this
system OF taxation sets aside a small por-
tion of the population. and forces them
10 bear all this burden? II you can make
this distinction for burdens. you can
make It for privileges. II you can single
out 5000 persons for special taxation
you can single out 5000 persons for soe-
cial privileges under the government.
| Because Democracy means equality. be-
| cause all men should be held equal be-
| fore the law, believe that this Demo.
cratic party will ultimately come round
| to It's ancient traditions, that II will dis
| card these newfansled notions so elo-
quently and attractively voiced by the
| gentleman from Tennessee; that II will
remember the teachings OF such men as
jefferson and others OF our great political
leaders. It Will reflect that the great
men who led them to victory, whose
teachings have inspired them In hours
Of defeat, whose principles have brough;
the American people around to their sup
| pert. are safer guides and leaders than
| those gentlemen who aim TO be their sue
| cessors, and who have led the Democratic
party 10 a defeat which threatens Its
very existence.
Make this tax universal, and while we
| may object to some OF Its harsher Tea
| tures-while we may consider that eco
| noncally il is unsOund. that IL compeli
n greater sacrifice Of valuable things OF
al. fux
eminent can use for itself-we Will still
recognize the measure as embracing thu
| Democratic idea of equality While yol
stand fast 10 that principle. you may b
mistaken, but you can always retrac'
your steps. You may fall into error. bu
your hearts will be loyal TO the principles
| of the party whose faith you profess II
whose name you fight. in whose commits
sion you hold your seats here, whose his
tory you should vindicate, whose future
you should try to secure. cloud ap
| plause)
BRFCKINRIDGE SPEAKS.
Tho debate was closed by Mr.. Breckin
ridge, who prophesied the return to powe
of the Democratic party, that II nigh
fulfil the pledges II had made to the PEG
ple. and upon which they had beer
charged with the responsibility Of govern
| ment.
When the bill was read under the five
minute rule Mr. Bartlett moved to strik
out the item appropriatlng S2B,9O5 for tn
| collection Of the income-tax. A vote wa
taken by tellers and resulted-yeas, 81
nays. 127.
When the item for $4,000 for specia
pension agents was reached Mr.. Hender
son. of Iowa, moved that the amount b
reduced TO s125.O0O Pending action on thi
the committee rose and the House ad
journed.
Sena te Order OF Business
| WASHINGTON. ID. c., December T.
The Democratic Steering Committee ha'
not met since the caucus Of last week, al