Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13


is worth many millions now: John Rocke-
Teller, who started life poor. is said to be
worth hundreds Of millions and the same
Is true OF Andrew Carnegie ana or Inc .
dollar away with them. Naked came they
into the world and naked shall they de-
part from it. That fact exists today as
YES" said 1. but the fortunes still re-
main in the families"
mot long" replied Mr.. Cannon. ut is
an old saying that 1t Is just three genera.
lions from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves 1t
Is impossible to tie up fortunes so that they
will remain long in the hands of ones de-
scendants. You may remember the case OF
old Thulieson, who died about two hundred
years ago. That man was enormously rich
for his day and he willed his fortune SO
that Il should be kept intact, and invested
and re-invested for generations, and at the
end divided among his heirs. His will was
contested again and again, but In vain The
result of it was that the English parila-
ment made a law that no man could dis
| pose of his property for longer than the
| lives of his descendants in being, and for
| twenty-one years thereafter. That law has
| been adopted by nearly every other coun-
| try It Is part OF the laws Of every one
of states
Taxes for the Rich.
such things, however. are, after all, In
| the hands Of the people," continued the
Speaker 1T Is they who make the laws
| regulating the accumulation and cont1nu-
ance Of wealth. In many Of our states there
are now inheritance taxes graded according
to the size of the estates of the deceased.
There may be no tax at all on the first $2O-
900, one per cent on the second $2OOOO, Two
per cent on the third. three on the next,
| four on the next and five per cent on all OF
the estates above 100000. The people can
If they will increase the amount of taxes
paid according to the bulk Of the property
owned by the individual tax payer. do not
say that they should do so, but they have
the power and If at any time great fortunes
become dangerous some way Will be found
to reduce or distribute them.
DO not misunderstood me-" said Mr.
Cannon. Il do not deprecate great fortunes
So far 1 think they have been for the good
of the people 1t requires great capital to
do great things. and the masses are enor-
mously benefited by the enterprises of the
rich. l am only saying that the people have
the power, and that, after ALL the future Is
in their own hands"
The Government and It's Expenses.
1T seems to many, both rich and poor.
Mr.. Speaker, that our taxes are very heavy
now. Are you not alarmed at the lncreas-
ing expenditures of the government?
NO. We spent last year in round num-
bers something like 700 million dollars, or
over two million dollars for each working
day of the year The sum is enormous, but
YOU must remember that this is an enor-
nous country, doing an enormous business.
Our business is growing much faster imam
our population. According to the postal re-
ceipts it has increased LOO per cent since
1860 and it has doubled within the past ten
years. We are also doing more IN the WORK
of human progress than any other nation on
earth, and, whether willingly or not. as we
ourselves are concerned, our sphere is con-
stantly widening. We have become world
power and we must accept the responslpili-
ties of a world power. We must nave
ny,1
but to insure peace and to be ready LOT
emergencies if they should come. l don't
believe the people object to heavy eXpendl-
lures if such expenditures are needed anu
the money is properly handed
But is 1t so handled. Mr.. Speaker? Some
people think that great part OF 1t goes
into the hands of the officials?
THAT is not true" was the reply. There
NAV be and doubtless are public officials
here and there who forfeit their trust,
but they are very few. The majority OF
the men in the service of the government
are earnest honest and more economical
as to government expenses than they are
as to their own expenses. l believe that
the standard of official morality is higher
every year. l have no sympathy with the
idea that the country is going to the
devil Our people are better, purer and
stronger than in the past, and the trend
of public and private life is upward
The Campaign of 1904.
The conversation here turned to the
presidential race, and l asked Mr.. Can
non if he thought the republicans would
have walk over"
There are no walk overs in our presi-
Dental contests" said the Speaker Of the
House of Representatives. Parties are
too evenly divided. Indeed, change OF
9 per cent in the vote will almost always
throw the election to one party or the
other I think that the republicans will
win both the presidency and the House
of Representatives but they will not do
i. on the walk They will have to fight
steadily from now until the election. The
democrats have a permanent asset in the
solid south, and this gives them the odds
at the start"
why would you not consent to be
candidate for the vice presidential nomi-
nation. Mr.: Cannon?' l asked.
why should 1 wish to be?" replied the
Speaker. Il am a member of the House
of Representatives and in my opinion
the weakest and least efficient member
of that body has a more desirable place
than has the Vice President of the United
States.
1.-The representative can do things; he can
vote and have an effect on legislation. The
Vice President is merely figurehead.
whose possibilities all in the dread fu-
ture of the death of the President He is
the presiding officer of the Senate; but the
Senate has so hedged itself about with
rules that the Vice President has no power
whatever. He has only the appointment of
a private secretary, a messenger and a
page, that Is all"
Mr.. Cannon and the Speakership.
How do you regard the speakership?"
ut is a very important office and one
of great power and influence. 1t ranks next
the presidency among the public offices, for
the Speaker is the head of the House of
Representatives. which is the chief origin
ating, creating and working branch of our
national legislature"
do you like the place."
Yes, / feel hOnored by the confidence
expressed by electing me to it,
But does 1t not worry you? The pres
sure of public business must be enormous"
Yes there is plenty to do" replied the
Speaker, but l have always been a busy
man and 1 think 1 was more busy at the
head of the appropriations committee than
I am now as Speaker. AS to worry l do
not worry about anything. What Is the
use of that? l do the thing that is before
me as well as l can, and then take up what
comes next.
The Presidential Bee.
II should like to ask you, Mr.. Speaker. If
you have any ambition to go higher. Would
you not be glad to be President of the
United States?''
Glad to be President of the United
States!' said Mr.. Cannon. "Of course l
1 l. -.