The daily sentinel., 1909-07-13
SENATOR C. ]. HUGHES
MAKES PLAIN HIS
ATTITUDE
Especial to The Sentinel.J
lHl IAAl


voted against the presidents corpora
tion tax My conscience would not
permit me to vote for it This tax
hits the little fellows. and allows the
Carnegies. and Rockfeller's and
Morgan's go scot free. How could
support such measure? | believe
in an income tax, tax that will hit
the little fellow and the big fellow in
the same place. Furthermore, ] in
tend agitating an income tax until
see 1t written on the statute books"
AS the logic in the quoted express
sion indicates, II was a new type of a
statement that was talking. United
States Senator Charles j Hughes, Jr.,
of Colorado.
Senator Hughes put his whole soul
into his fight against the corporation
tax. He fought just as hard for an
income tax. Although the senate
killed the income tax for which the
Colorado senator had labored. he
didn't seem either disappointed or
discouraged On the other hand. he
spoke with the determination and en-
thusiasm of a man who was Just be-
ginIing, instead of ending. a fight.
Hughes is name to file away for
future reference. When he speaks
he has the attention of the senate. lie
voted for free iron ore and free lum-
Der. But undoubtedly he takes most
pride In his fight against the cheat
ing corporation tax.
THE income-tayers are defeated
are they not?'' | asked the new states
man from the West.
why. yes, temporarily, but in the
end, no" he answered. The men
who fought so hard for an income
tax did so because they knew IT was
right. Do you imagine they will lie
down and allow things to take. their
course simply because of the pre-
liminary skirmish2 Nothing like that
will happen. When the tariff bill
comes before the senate in its fin
ished form from the income tax
senators will endeavor TO make them
selves heard. If defeated then. which
Is probable, they will simply wait un-
Ill they have a little more strength,
in the senate, That time must come
some day. Then the income tax will
go into effect
The corporation tax Is a mere
subterfuge for an income tax. II
was not passed in good faith. Senator
Aldrich admitted on the floor of the
tion tax to defeat the income tax. and
that he expected to see the measure
repealed in couple of years"
In your opinion will three-fourths
of the states ask that the constitu-
tion be amended so as to leave no
doubt as to the constitutionality of
an income taxi" ] asked Senator
Hughes.
No." he replied, Il do not believe
"A sufficient number of state legis-
lators can be enrolled to change the
constitution. Ii should be under
stood that the real reason of the
hostility to the income tax is that
the protected interests fear that If
money is raised for government eX-
penses via an income tax, tariff rates
will be cut.
That is, the tariff, barons feel
certain that if a large amount of new
revenue is raised from the taxing of
incomes. the old argument of the
protectionists that il is necessary to
tax necessities in order to raise suf-
ficient revenue to run the govern
ment will have lost its efficiency.
Through the prudent wisdom OF
the founders of this republic ~
states can set their veto power
against the adoption of an amend
ment and all the other "a may rage
for it as they may, but it will neve'
become part of the organic law. !
can count blindfolded more than that
many states under the influence and
control of those devotedly attached 10
the highest character of protective
tariff, and who will never permit the
entering wedge of an income taN TO
be inserted into the revenue system
of the United States as long as they
have the power to prevent it.
Il remember when Senator AID
rich whose little finger is of such
great weight in senate deliberations,
denounced those who favored an i'll
come tax as anarchists, socialists. and
some kind of democrats or other.
During the special session his atten-
ton was called to those utterances.
and he said the statement attributed
to him was historically correct. Jus,
what that meant | have never been
able to discover but one thing |
know-he has not yet recanted his
opposition; and believe it is within
the power of the finance committee
of which he is chairman, by means OF
the Influences the members of the
committee control. to secure votes of
the legislatures of . states to make
| it impossible to adopt the amend
ment to the constitution. or, at least,
| to adopt il, for a long, long time.
'Aldrich admits that he did not
vote for the corporation tax in good
faith, and the country should also
understand that the proposition to
pave the way for an income tax BY
amending the constitution was not
advanced in whit better faith. II
was n case OF trickery all along the
line to defeat an income tax"
F. +. Tanner returned from Grar6