The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-06-10
AGAINST A
POOLING BILL,
Senator Butler Says The Income
Tax Must be Acted Upon-In-
decent Haste
VS.. INDECENT SLOWNESS.

senator Cuilom Put on The De1ensivs-De-
niles That There Has Been Indecent
Haste-senstor Chiffon Backs up the
Position Taken BY Senator Butler.
Washington Post.
Quite unexpectedly discussion on
the pooling bill came up in the Senate
yesterday and Senator Cullom was put
on the defensive. Senator Butler, in
contrasting the delay which had at
tended the eDdeavOr to secure action
on legislation to meet the anti-incOme
tax decision of the Supreme Court. ex-
pressed his surprise At the indecent
haste with which the pooling bill was
being urged before Congress immedi-
ately after the decision Of the Supreme
Court on the antitrust law. He said
that there was indecent haste to help
the railroad corporations and lnde-
cent slOwness to do justice to the mil
lions OF people oppressed with unjust
taxation. This aroused Mr.. Cullom,
chairman Of the Interstate Commerce
Committee, now considering the pool
ing bill, to spirited reply. The Sem
ator from Nert Carolina was making
statements about which he knew moth
ing, said Mr.. Cullom. The pooling
bill had been before Congress for
months before the Supreme Court de-
interstate law. He resented the state
ment of "indecent haste" and said
such a Characterization was q misrep-
resentatiOn of facts.
Mr.. Chiffon, another member of the
Interstate Commerce Committee, here
took hand in the controversy, join
ing issue with Mr.. CullOm, and sus-
| tanning the position of Senator Butler.
Mr.. Chiffon said he had been on the
committee for two years and he had
never known of the pooling bill being
passed until after the recent Supreme
Court decision against railway pool
ing. He differed in toto, he said, with
| the chairman of the committee, that
the pooling bill sought to siren CITIZEN
the law. In his judgment it would de-
strOy the interstate commerce law and
the passing of the bill would be ia
tai experiment.
| Mr.. Butler, resuming, said Mr.. Chill
tons statement has fully justified his
original assertion, and he would leave
it to the public to Judge whether there
was indecent haste. He would, he
said, insist on the consideration of q
measure authorizing an income tax
before any pooling bill was brought be-
fore the Senate. He declared that the
pooling bill was in the interest of the
most gigantic trust in existence, com.
pared with which all other trusts are
pigmies. The Senator then spoke OF
the merits of an income tax. He
pointed out the inequalities of Our
present system of taxation, and de.
clared that the tariff bill, when en-
acted, would impose its burdens on
the 90 per cent. of the poor people wht
were least able to bear it, while it ben
Gifted the per cent. of those who did
not need assistance The wealth o
the country is not paying a fair shar'
of the burdens of taxation.
Mr.. Butler declared that II thi
question of income tax could not b.
presented to the people, then it wa
time they should know it, in Orde
that they might adopt the remedy of
constitutional convention to right tn
existing wrongs. He warned the ele
nents of wealth that the income Ia.
! was but small part of the demands o
the people, and that If driven to con
; stitutiOnal convention, there would b
supreme effort to 60 back to tn
: first principles of q government b,
> the people. He said that if Congress
would not submit the income ta
, amendment to the various Stat
. legislatures that he should at once ad
|. vocate the calling of constitutions
, convention.