The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-13
INCOME TAX GOES
 THROUGH EASILY House Passes Resolution To Submit Question To States PAYNE BITTERLY OPPOSES Sereno Payne, the Republican Leader, Says Income Tax Enforced VIII
 Tend To Make United States
 Nation of Liars.

Washington. July 12.-It is now up to the legislatures of the several states to say whether there shall be an income tax amendment to the constitution. By the decisive vote of 317 to IA, mare than the necessary two thirds, the House to- day passed the Senate joint resolution providing for the submission of the uues- tion to the states. No amendment hay ing been made to the resolution it now goes to the President for his signature Practically four hours were consumed in debating the proposition and this af- forded many members, mostly on the democratic side an opportunity to air their views. Chairman Payne of the com mittee on ways and means voiced the sen- timent that such tax would make "a nation of liars" although he said it was right that such power should be given Congress especially in time of war.
 The burden of the democratic speeches was that it was simply case of steal ing democratic thunder, although some of the remarks on that side incidental ly touched upon the tariff and the cor poration tax. scoring the republicans for not keeping party pledges.
 T believe it tends to make nation of liars" declared Chairman Payne isl connection with statement that he was utterly opopsed to an income tax in times of peace. He believed 1t was the most difficult of enforcement and the hardest to collect. Ut is in a word," he said, "a tax upon incomes of honest men and an exemption to some extend to the ras- calls" He hoped it would never be evoked.
 McCaIl's Opposition.
 To pass such resolution at the present without having been duly considered by a committee was characterized by Mir. Mccall of Massachusetts as a proceed ing of extraordinary levity. He was es- pecially antagonstic to the idea of do ing away with the rule of apportionment showing no fealty to democratic prin- ciples It was his view in opposing the tax that the power of the central gov ernment is already so great that 1t is de- vouring the states governments and shood be limited to times of war.
 "You already have sufficient op- portunity for correction and for the po- ltical Jack Cade of the future to levy blackmail" he claimed.
 The proposed tax, he said, was pre- destined to be as unpopular a tax as was ever imposed.
 He was, he asserted, against abrogating an important part of the great compro- mise of the constitution and passing an amendment which had not been careful ly considered by a committee of the House or by anybody in the coun- try unless it be by William J. Bryan"
 z ark's Comment.
 we welcome the conversion of the re- publican party to another democratic principle, was the comment of Mr. Clark of Missouri, the minority leader, who got rousing reception from his side of the chamber of his utterance. An income tax, he maintained, was demo- cratic principle. "One by one the roses fall" he said addressing the republican side facetiously, and ''one by one you arc adopting our platform"
 With the fairest tax ever devised by man, he argued, remarking in this con nection that 1t was monstrous to say that the accumulated wealth of the coun- try should not bear it's just proportion Of the public burden, ne Salu 1T the propo- sition should be defeated the chances are that the tariff conference will last un- til the first Monday in December.
 Mr. Clark concluded by expressing him self in favor of increasing the amount of exemption above s5OO0.
 Declaring that if the question had been put to him MT. Clayton of Alabama said he would exempt the poor man from the burdens of government. and added he would tax the multi-millionaires and thereby make the wealthy as well as the poor to tote the yoke and support the federal government equitably."
 Clayton Applauded.
 q would. he exclaimed amid demo- cratic Applause, ''get your Willie Wal dorf Astors who have millions of income and live abroad carry the cotton basket or pig iron in the south. I would call upon the Laird of Skbo, or skee-boo, whatever you may call nim, to share in the burdens"
 Mr. Clayton said the wealthy aided in making hoboes in the country and scorned their pandering to the foreign title mar ket while evading taxation upon their oaths at home.
 ''I also scorn it. too," said Mir James of Kentucky. land favor tho resolution. What we need is taxing power that will reach Lazarus as well ss the others in yielding taxes" t
 MT. James quoted from m ante- election speech of MT. Taft in which tho President favored . graduAted Income tax and expressed the view that perhaps a