The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-04-21
Strong Pressure Brought to
Bear to Check
Sentiment.
FIGHT OF SESSION
WILL CENTER HERE
Score of Republican Senators Favor
the Idea and Others Are
Wavering.
By John sNURE.

Fully realizing that urless something
Is done to counterfeit ii, the movement
for an income tax is likely to win in
the Senate, the Senate Republican
leaders, with Senator Nelson w. AID
rich at their head, have set out 10
overcome IT. They have begun poll
OF the Senate, and they are exerting
the strongest kind Of pressure to Pc
vent an income tax bill from being
passed.
Inasmuch as Senator Aldrich, Senator
Hale, and the majority members OF
the Finance Committee have a power
ful leverage on the shaping of the
tariff bill they have a powerful
weapon In their hands with which 10
club the life out Of the income tax
movement. They have begun to bring
this weapon into play. Gentlemen Of
the income tax persuasion who have in
the tariff bill schedules IN which they
are concerned are being apPrised that
it might be well for them not to get
too vehement and vociferous in their
! arguments for income tax legislation
Center of Fight.
Under the circumstances, it looks to-
day more than ever probable that the
great battle Of the special session will
rage around the income tax question.
President Taft may escape from being
dragged into it. but If he does he Will
have to exercise a good deal Of agility.
On the one hand, the friends Of the
income tax would like to enlist him:
on the other hand, the opponents OF
the income tax would like to have hira
admonish the Republican insurgents 70
be calm and suppress themselves.
If Mr.. Taft should come out for an
income tax it would undoubtedly pass
in the Senate. and if it passes the Sen
ate, it is hardly likely the House can
| be Induced 20 block II But II Mr..
Taft does not give aid, or at least COM
FORT to the Income tax supporters. Il
/ is extremely doubtful y an income tax
/ bill can be put through
Score In Line.
! The Senators who have been pronot-
/ ing the income tax idea on the Repub-
Iican side believe they have twenty or
/ twenty-one Republicans who are for an
| income tax. In the list Of those who
are accounted as friendly to an income
tax are Senators Bsveridge, Borah,
Brown. Burkett, Bourne. Bristow, Bur
/ ton, CIapp, Cunmins. Crawford, Dick,
! Dixon, Dolliver, du Pont, Gamble. Gug-
| genheim, Jones, La Toilette, Johnson
of North Dakota, Piles. and Nelson, a
/ total of twenty-one.
A number of others are wavering-
] Some Of those listed may be won over
! by Senator Aldrich and his aides. It
would require seventeen Republican
votes with the solid Democrats
| strength to carry an income tax bill
! Senator Bailey has let it be known he
/ has sixteen Republican Senators
/ pledged to support an income tax prop
/ ositi0n. It is apparent that 1he situa-
ton is close and doubtful.
Like Rules Fight.
In some respects. the situation is not
unlike the recent fight over the rules
| In the House. It is a case Of a COM
binatfon Of Democrats and anti-organi-
cation Republicans trying to beat the
! organization. Just as in the House
fight on the rules, the leaders Of thes
Republican Organization have their eye
on certain Democrats whom they sus-
peet they can detach from the oppOsl-
ton.
If the income tax adherents prove so
formidable that 1t rs plain later on they
are going to win, then a number Of Sen
ators no. named in the list given viii
flock to the support % ~ income tax
] A number Of Senators who would vote
for an income tax under other elrcum-
stances are not willing to do so unless
it can be fully demonstrated that Sen
ator Aldrich is in error In his state
utents concerning the ability of the tar
lift bill to raise adequate revenue