The times., 1898-05-05
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE It
An Income Tax Not TO Their
Liking.
VOTE DOWN AN AMENDMENT
Nearly Every Vote Recorded in
"A Record That VIII Speak EIo-
auentiy to the Ccuntry-Mr. MiIis's
Fight

The Senate of the United States put
itself on record yesterday on the ques-
ton Of an income tax. thfrty-two sena-
tors voting against it and twenty-nine
voting for it,
The question came I'D as an amend
ment to a joint resolution from the Com
mittee on the Judiciary. providing for
filling the offices Of President and Vice
President of the United States in case
either of those officers should die after
being elected and before being sworn in.
The measure is simply 10 submit the
question to the legislatures of the sew
eral States for their ratification or re-
lection, as a constitutional amendment.
and Mr. Mills. who offered the amend
ment in regard TO the income tax, stated
thai he thought il would be good time
to submit that question 10 the people
also.
He stated further that the matter Of
raising revenue was of vital Importance
at this time: that the Supreme Court de-
cision had made it unconstitutional for
the Federal Government 10 levy any tax
on the SD OO0. .OO0e0 of the wealth of this
country which was the possessions OF the
rich. and he thought that the people Of
the country should be given an opportu-
nifty to remedy this defect in the Con-
stitution.
Mr.. HOar made a short reply to Mr.
Mills. saying that il the power TO tax in
comes had been in the original Constitu-
tion it would never have been adopted
by the people at that time. They desired
to reserve the power of taxing incomes
TO the States and they gave the general
Government the equivalent. the power "a
collect import duties Dir. HOar then
urged the necessity Of the adoption OF the
original resolution and requested Mr..
Mills to withdraw his amendment and he
would help secure a unanimous agree
ment whereby il could be taken up as
separate measure.
Mr. Mills. however. declared that there
was no good reason why It should not be
voted on at this time. and he refused 10
withdraw it.
Mr.. Teller then declared himself in IA
vOr of the income tax and gave brief
review OF that method or raising reve-
nue. during the last war He said:
This income TAX has become a feature
in all the countries Of the world. When
the income tax adopted during the wal
and under which we collected about $50
House Of Representatives by a vote OF
only 30 majority It then came 20 the
Senate and was repealed by a vote Of IS
to %"
Mr.. Teller declared that every vote IN
both houses against its repeal was Re
publican vote Continuing he said:
II have taken pains to examine the de-
bate at that time and not a man in the
DEBATE ever made a suggestion that II
wc-s a war tax or a war feature II was
advocated by the Republicans purely and
solely on the ground that it was 4 Just
way by which 10 raise revenue
II only want to emphasize the fact that
the charge that this is a Democratic and
Populist idea is not true. / think the
time has come when the expenses of this
Government uecessitate an income tax,
but I realize that il must be brought in
view of the decision of the Supreme Court
of the United States. a decision that
was practically reversed by similar ad-
judicatiOn by the same court IN lsS3.
Both Senators Chandler and Foraker
said they would vote for an income tax,
but that they would not vote for these
two measures together.
Senator Stewart thought that it was far
more important to amend the Constitution
in regard TO an income tax than to an
imaginary wrong. as he termed the puF-
pose of the joint resolution
Considerable pressing and urging was
brought to bear upon Mr.. Mills TO get
him 10 withdraw his amendment, but he
insisted that il would do no harm to have
a vote on the question To see how the
/ Senate stood on the matter.
Those voting for the income tax amend
| ment were:
/ Bacon. Bate. Berry. Butler. Cannon.
/ Chiffon, Clay, Daniel. German. Harris,
! Heitfeld, Jones of Arkansas, Jones of
/ Nevada, Lindsay, McEnery, McI.aurin.
/ Mallory. Mills. Money, Morgan. PascO-
| Pettisrew, Pettus, Rawlins. Stewart. Tel
/ Ter, Tillman. Turner and White
/ Those voting against the income tax
/ were:
Akirich, Baker. Caffery. Carter. Chand-
| Ter. Davis DebOe. Elkins, Fairbanks. For
aker, Frye. Gallinser. Hale, Hanna
I HansbrOUgh. Hawley, Hoar. Lodge. Nc
/ Bride, Mcmillan. Mason. PIaJt of Con-
! necticUt Pritehard, Proctor. Quay Sew
| ell. ShOup. ThUrstOn, Warren. Yelling
4 ton, WetmOre and Wilson