Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-01-30
INCOME TAX THE HOUSE.
Representative Mcmillan Introduces
Ii and States its Good Points.

representative Mcmillan Introduces
1t and States its Good Points.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 29.-In the house this
morning Mr.. Burrows, rep. of Michigan
asked that unanimous consent be given
members who had amendments which they
desired to offer to the tariff bill, and which
they had no opportunity to offer, to print
them in the 'tRecord."
Mr.. Mcmillan, dem. of Tennessee object
ed and the privilege was not granted.
At Ills the house went into committee
of the whole on the income tax bill. Mr.. Nc
MILAN Of Tenne ssee offered II as an amend
ment to the tariff bill and began his speech
with discussion of the general tariff ques-
ton.
| Proceeding then to the discussion of the
income tax, Mr.. Mcmillan said that the
government required vast amount of rev.
enue, but that very little of 1t was tax up
on the wealth of the country.
The greater part was obtained from i'm
port duties upon the clothes the people
| wear and things they must have for their
comfort or existence.
| TT is mo- unre asonable or unjust" he
sain, s'that Q email part-from $25, 0O0,-
900 to $35, 900, 000-of this money should
be collected from the accumulation of
wealth."
| If 1t was insisted that incomes should
not be taxed, Mr.. MCMILLAN sske1 where
the deficiency created BY the bill
shonld come from. He could not bslieve
that the United States was going to rest
permanently on the policy that no taxes
should be impo'e3 upon the greatest for
tunes in the country to help to carry on
| the operations of government.
Mr.. Mcmillan denied that the income tax
would tend to corruption and perjury. He
knew no tax law, he said. which was not
| inquisitorisl.
The advantages to be derived from the
| adoption of the income tax, Mr.. Mcmillan
declared to be ~ that 1t would do away
with class distinction; ,(2) that In proper
| ton to accumulation the taxes would be
| contributed to the support of the govern
ment; ~ that by fixing the tariff ct q low
rate of duty, and meeting the Huctuating
deficiency in the treasury by regulating
the internal revenue taxes would give q
stability to values, and ~ 1t will tend to
curb extravaganza of expenditure which
leads to an increase of tariff taxes.
He said that there would be, 1t was esti-
mated, $4,000 persons who would pay
under the individual Income tax clause.
The collections under the old income tar
from 1852 to 1870 amounted to $348, 000,-
600. 1t was believed that this tax could
be collected more chesply than internal
revenue taxes.
Mr.. Mcmillan was followed by Mr.. Ray,
rep, New York, land Mr.. Tsrsney, dem,
Missouri.
Mr. Diosmors, dem, of Arkansas spoke
earnestly in favor of the income tax and
lauded the old democratic time Of 1916 He
referred to the object lssson which Mr.. Rsy
had given when he spoke of the closing of
the silk mills In his district IL the Wilson
bill should become law, and said IL they
could not stand alone 1t would be better to
get industries which could.
Mr.. Ray said American silk was cheaper
than silk of foreign manufacture.
Mr.. Dinsmore replied that If American
silk was cheaper than foreign silk he did
not 81 g the necessity for longer protect
hight.
Mr.. Daniels, rep. of New York, spoke In
opposition to the bill. Mr.. Williams, dem.
of Mississippi, held that the existing law
caused unequal sacrifices on the part of the
poor while the enactment of the income
tax bill into a law would equal the sacri-
fees demanded and so equslizs taxation.
Mr.. Hall, dem. of Missouri, the origina-
tor of the income tax proposition In this
congress delivered a strong and earnest
plea in favor of it. He read the decisions
of the supreme courts of Massachusetts and
other northern states In which an income
tax was held to be constitutional. The in
come tax, he said, had bsen called by all
kinds of opprobrius terms and they who
supported 1t had been called demsgogues
and socialists. He did not like to handy
about such terms, bat those who were OPP
posing the ea uslization of the burdens be-
tween the rich and poor were guilty of a
demand which would come back to their
destruction.
Mr.. Covert, dem, of New York. said
that the bill was just as Objectionable as 1t
came from TIE hands of the committee as
1t was now with the income tax amend
msnt. This opposition to the income tax
alton was based on the ground that 1t WAS
undemocratic. He did not like the Wilson
bill, because 1t did not accord with his
views of tariff reform snd because 1t made
an income tax necessary.
Mr.. Covert was granted permission to
1ntinue his remarks tomorrow.
At the night session of thu house speech
90 in defence of ths Wilson bill and income
tax we're made by several democratic MEM
bers from the south and west.