The Neshoba Democrat., 1909-10-28

of the Federal Government. The
States were the source of all power,
but now they have been reduced to
mere boroughs in the great federal
system.
Sir, if your party will give back to
the South the constitutional privileges
she enjoyed fifty years ago, and | do
not mean African slavery either; if
you will give her the right to admin
lster her own affairs unhampered and
unmolestsd by the usurpations of the
Federal Government; if you will give
her back that system of tariff taxation
under which she grew rich and
powerful, | dare say that but few
statesmen from the South would op-
pose the present constitutional provl-
sions as to direct taxation.
Applause.
Mr.. Speaker, however much |
may favor this measure and however
much | may advocate the corporation
tax now pending in the conference
committee, still | must confess that |
am at loss to know how either
measure is going to profit the great
masses of people in this country, un-
less the tax burden imposed by the
tariff is decreased in proportion to the
amount of revenue derived by the in
come and corporation taxes. My
idea of an income tax has always been
that its adoption would relieve the
necessity for high tariff taxes, and un-
less it accomplishes this purpose, in
my judgement, but little good can or
will come to the masses of the peo-
pie. If the rich are to be taxed by
these measures to run the Govern
ment, and the poor are to be taxed
by high protection to enrich the man.
ufacturers and trusts, then, in the
name of reason, what good can you
expect from this legislation, The
income tax is right, and Il is the only
fair means to raise revenue to run the
Government, and, when it is adopt
ed, it is to be hoped that the Ameri-
can people will rise in rebellion
against your infamous protective sys-
tenn, which is designed for no other
purpose than to enrich the rich. The
proposed tariff measure is the limit
of high protection, and yet you say it
will not prod sufficient revenue for
the Government. In this contention
you are correct, and the reason for
1t is as plain as the MONDAY sun. You
have taxed everything out of the
country by high schedules. Scarcely
anything is imported, and hence the
Government gets nothing, while the
manufacturer puts the full amount of
the tax in his private purse. 1t is
conceded by the best authority on
this subject that if you will reduce
your tariff schedules one-half, the
Government will receive twice the
revenue therefrom, and the people
will be relieved of tax burden for
the benefit of the manufacturers and
trusts to the extent of not less than
J 81, 900, 900, 900.
Then, Mr.. Speaker, there is an
} other thought. The reckless extrav-
agance in the appropriations under
the Republican rule is appalling to the
Nation. In the last decade it has al
most doubled, amounting to quite a
billion of dollars annually. By your
reckless extravaganza you have in
creased the burden of taxation SO
greatly that your most experienced
hnanciers in this House are at loss
to devise ways and means for the
maintenance of the Government
You arg teyying the highess tariff tax
known to the world. The corpora
ton tax and the income. tax, if adopt
ed, together with the increase of the
lnternal-revenue tax, will, in the
judgment of many of your own party
be necessary to meet the growing ex-
penses of the Government. 1t is al
ready noised in the atmosphere. that
two or three hundred millions of dol
, nt