The record-union., 1898-05-27

He admitted and contended that to-
bacco and beer were legitimate articles
of taxation. but said there could be no
doubt that the burden; of the tax would
fall upon poor men of the country.
White denounced the stamp tax as
an onerous burden. 1t was nuisance
and tax on the plain people.
Concerning the inheritance tax,
White maintained that notwithstand-
ing the objections urged against it by
reason of its being an invasion of the
prerogatives of the State, il was per-
! fectly justifiable, and he expressed the
hope and belief that, the courts would
sustain the action of Congress in en-
acting the proposition into national
law
White then entered upon a long dis
cussion of the proposed corporation tax,
which he earnestly supported He main
tanned that the corporations owed
something to the country, not only for
| their creation. but also for the privi-
lege of existence. He maintained that
the argument Of Senators that a tax
should not be laid against a corpora
tiOn because it was not laid against
partnership engaged in the same line
of business was not sound, as the cor
pOration enjoyed more privileges than
the partnership in business and before
| the law. If it were not so, corpora
tiOns would not be formed.
He regretted that there was a mani
fest disposition among Republican Sen
ators to oppose the plan of any tax
upon any corporation They Were all
| seemingly, at least, alike opposed, he
said, to insisting that the Standard Oil
| Company and the sugar trust and 9TH
! er great monopOlies should be COM
| PEELED to pay their share of the bur
dens of the present war.
White said that German of Mary
| land had prepared an amendment to
! the measure which he would be willing
| to support if the general tax upon all
corporations should not be deemed de-
sirable by the Senate. At his request
| German sent to the desk and had read
the amendment he proposed to offer
at the proper time 1t follows:
That from and after the passing Of
this Act every person, firm, company
or corporation owning or possessing,
or having the care or management of
| any railroad, street railroad, sleeping
engaged or employed in the business
of transporting passengers or freight
| for hire, or in transporting the mails
/ of the United States. or carrying on
or doing an express business, or hav-
! ing the care or management of any
| telegraphic or telephone line by which
! telegraphic or telephone dispatches or
messages are received or Transmitted;
ls,c 4
of furnishing gas, electric light, cleo
trio power, steam heat or steam power
or refining petroleum, or refining sugar
or owning or controlling any pipe line
for transporting oil or other products,
whose gross annual receipts exceed
$25Oo00, shall be subject to pay annu-
ally a special excise tax equivalent to
One-half of l per cent. on the gross
amount of all receipts of such persons,
| firms, corporations and companies on
their respective business; provided,
that the assessment hereby made shall
not include any amount of the receipts
for the transportation of persons,
| freight or mails between the United
| States and any foreign port; but this
tax shall be rated for the transpOrta
ton of persons, freight or mails from a
port within the United States through
a foreign territory or a port within
the United States. and shall be assessed
upon and collected from persons, firms,
companies or corporations within the
United States receiving hire or pay for
such transportation of persons, freight
or mails"
White said it had been whispered
that the great financial interests which
had contributed largely to a campaign
fund were demanding as compensation
for their Hberality that the burdens
of the war should not be thrust upon
them. He did not believe, however,
that any Senator on any side of the
chamber would be influenced by a de-
mand so selfish. He objected to the
issue of bonds at this time, because
bonds are unnecessary, and because
great majority of the people were
opposed to them believing they would
increase too greatly the burdens of the
country.
In conclusion, White declared that it
| would be the plain people who would
| not only offer up their lives in defense
of the national honor but who would