The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-16
ROOSEVELT'S TAX ON RICHES.
HIS SPEECH THE SUBJECT OF
AMAZED DISCUSSION.
No Purpose on His Part OF Any Immediate
Proposal to COngress-But WashinEt on
Think lie Had n Definite Object In

"hSbiNNlNNi hpIll lo'- csNicii
velt's suggestion Of a progressive tax on
inheritances. which he made in his speech
about THE Man with the Muck Rake" at
the laying of the cornerstone of the House
OF Representatives Offices yesterday, has
created a profound sensation among public
men in Washington. 1t came unexpectedly.
with startling suddenness, and it is no ex-
aggeration to say that those among the
nations great ones whose judgment and
opinion are regarded as worthy Of con-
sideration are bewildered over a proposal
Of such momentous import.
Thu present oocupan of the White House
has made many remarkable
ments and advocated policies that ave
caused the conservative members OF his
own and the other great political party to
fguratively gasp for breath, but he could
not have caused greater astonishment,
even to those who are prepared not to be
surprised by anything he does, had he
proposed abandoning the railway rate
legislation or suggested the removal Of the
National Capitol to some other part Of the
country.
Little else than the Presidents new
propaganda was discussed by Senators,
Representatives and other public men
to-day. Could the comments of all of them
be printed, there would probably be a con-
siderable curtailment of the list of those
who are welcome at the Executive offices.
Few among the many whose Views were
sought would permit their remarks to be
printed, and there was n striking similarity
in the statements of those few, to the effect
that "the subject required mature delibera-
ion before any opinion concerning IL
ought to be expressed.
The questions that are being asked in
Washington by men Of prominence are;
What does the President mean2" and
"Does he intend to advocate a progressive
Inheritance tax, as an Administration
policy?" From men close to the President
it is learned that it is not Mr.. Roosevelt's
intention to press the suggestion at this
time, if at all. He does not contemplate
sending a message to Congress on the
subject, 1t was explained, or in any other
official way to advocate his new doctrine,
if it may properly be allied that.
The understanding among those who
are in a position to know what the Presi-
dent had in mind when he put forth the
suggestion-for in his speech he explicitly
stated that it was "a matter of personal
conviction" and that he did not pretend to
discuss the details OF formulate the system"
-waS that he wished to show as an in
dividual that he regarded the concentration
of great wealth in the hands Of a few as a
menace to the country's good. Apparently
the President will not follow up the idea
he has projected unless a strong sentiment
in its favor is developed, and there Is no
knowledge at hand as to h his course
would be in that event. 1t il regarded as
| probable that he has not mapped out any
plan for the future in connection with his
proposal or given any consideration to it.
Mr.. Roosevelt has the reputation of being
indifferent to the adversel opinions Of the
leaders of his own party as to any matter
of policy which he believes to be right. He
showed that in his advocacy of railway
rate regulation, and has consistently adj
hered to his original suggestion, in spite
of the opposition which he has encountered
from an overwhelming majority OF Repub-
lican Senators and members Of his own
Cabinet. Most public men here in Wash
ington b~elieve-and the opinion appears
to be shared throughout the country
that he is intensely serious in all his views
on public questions, and there is no DISPOSE
ton, therefore, among prominent men here
TO interpret his suggestion of a progressive
tax on inheritances as other than extremely
serious.
1t is believed by most Of these that the
President had some set purpose in view
when he publicly announced his personal
conviction that such a tax would ultimately
nave to be considered
Views expressed in Washington to-day
vary widely as to the Presidents purpose,
OF course there are some who maintain
that MIR. Roosevelt c~ontemplates securing
the Republican nomination for the Presi-.
dency for another term, but those who haveN
discussed this subject with the President
are thoroughly convinced that he intends
to adhere to the declaration which he made
on the night of his election in November,
1904, that he would not again be a candidate.
One suggestion made by some of those who
believe that the President is after another
term was that he had come to the conclu-
sion that the radical candidate for the
Presidency would win in 1908, and he was
therefore laying the ground for a platform
Oh duN dlICtd IdNIChlIHni UPON "IlCi u6
might stand, and thereby outgeneral Bryan
and Hearst.
1t was said with u~nconcealed sarcasm
by a few Of those who we're willing to com-
ment on the subject that the candidates for
the two great political parties two years
hence would be Roosevelt and Bryan, the
last named as the conservative candidate.
One Democrat Of prominence expressed
the conviction that Mr.. Roosevelt was only
trying ito throw a scare into multi-mil-
lionaires, with the object OF bringing them
to his support either for another nomi-
nation for the Presidency or to carry out
policies which he has in view less radical
than that which he virtually advocated
in his speech Of yesterday"
Nearly every Republican Senator or
Representative who was asked to-day
to comment on the Presidents suggestion
Of a method to curtail the accumulation Of
great fortunes declined to permit him
self to be quoted. Senator Warner Of
Missouri is probably uniqua among his
Republican colleagues in openly indorsing
rho prasidant'S iJaa Ha aaid thot uhat