The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-09-23
BY United Press Wire.


Denver, Col, Sept. 22.-President
Taft told a number of congressional
secrets during his speech on the in
come tax, at the Auditorium and gave
his critics another opportunity today
to Jump on him" because OF his
frank avowal of party, Aoyatly. The
address is the subject of much dis
cussion here today. sac .bnoa
Those who followed tnen course OF
the tariff bill last spring and summer
probably had no idea the tax on tae
and coffee came SO near incorporation
in the measure, or that one gof the
principle reasons the income tax was
not pushed harder was due to the fact
that 1t would have made capital for
the Democrats. In fear Of the cry
that tea and coffee taxation would
increase the cost of living through.
out the country, the Republican lead
ers SHE'D off from the paragraph like
colt from a locomotive, and gave
the income tax wide berth for the
sake of saving the dominant party's
face.
If the income tax had been pushed,
the president said. the fact that it
had once been declared unconstitu-
tional by the Supreme Court of the
United States would have placed the
Republicans in the attitude of drag
ging that august tribunal and would
have made the voters OF the country
suspect that there was not entire har-
mony between the aforesaid tribunal
and the congress.
This would never do, Mr.. Taft said
plainly, SO the long heads Of the ad-
ministration were brought together
for the purpose of finding something
equally as good as a money maker
for the treasury and at the same time
entirely free of blow holes. Attorney
General Wickersham hit upon the cor
poration tax and the rest agreed that
II was the thing needed.
The president admits that the cor
poration tax may be criticized. 1t
taxes corporate bodies and lets part
nerships go unscratched, its more of a
burden to the little fellows ,han to
the big; 1t shuts its eyes to the fat
bond holders and gets after the lean
stock owner with sharp stick. But
there are compensations even for the
stockholders, for they are better OFF
under the law than mere partners in
commercial life and after all, when
the tax Is finally collected, the pres
ident feels certain the dividends will
not suffer. t' '''.f
The howl that went up from the
big corporations during the consider.
alton or tho bill because OF the oppor-
tunlty twill give .gaybfp 6ient en-
pioyes 70 .pry into business secrets,
VIII probably be renewed with redoub-
led volume as soon, as last nights
speech is well circulated. The pres.
ident made no secret or the fact tba.
the officials of the internal revenue
Will do the prying and that IL the
president deems 1t wise, the secrets
gained during the inquisitorial pro-
| N@'s'J w totu % a tluD 10 make
bad corporations good.
The president concluded his speech
with two hints that will probably stir
up millionaires row and Wall street
One Is that the information obtain
ed from corporations under the oper-
alton OF the corporation tax, made he
made the basis for further legislation
OF regulative character, and the 9TH
er Is that the states themselves get
after the swollen fortunes existing
within their border lines and pass
laws preventing multi-millionaires
handing down their riches in mass.
Both Republicans and Democrats
here assert that the speech is likely to
align the big corporations against the
president. and some of the political
prophets are ready to prophesy that
before Mr.. Taft finishes his present
tour. he will have Wall street as bad,
ly scared as during the days that Mr..
Roosevelt was engaged In lambast,
Ing the trusts.
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