Evening star., 1909-07-09
LINING UP FOR THE FRAY
Democrats Expected to Vigorously
Champion Proposition.
OPPOSITION LIKELY IN EAST
Thirty-Four States Will Have No
Chance TO Vote on Matter
Until Early in 1911.

The income tax constitutional amend
ment is to become q live political issue
in several states next fall It will come
before three-fourths of the states In the
elections of the succeeding November.
The issue VIII be presented 10 the voters
In the nomination and election of can
didates for the state legislatures, since
the ratification or rejection OF the pro-
posed constitutional amendment as sub
mtted by Congress devolves upon the
legislatures
The democrats are expected to leap TO
the stump with shouts Of joy over the
income tax and proclaim it as their own
Issue in every state in the country. This
fact in itself, 1t is claimed by republicans,
Will prejudice the issue seriously with
thousands of voters in each etate. Cor
porate wealth Is non-partSan. but 1t has
acted with the republican party ever since
the civil war. Protection is becoming
non-partiSan, the affiliation depending or
whose OK is gored. Whether republicans
can wax enthusiastic over the democratic
issue of the income tax, when they
know that their national leaders and
their heaviest campaign contributors do
not want it, is the question of fact on
which the whole result will turn.
Live Topic in Every State.
The general expectation among public
men here Is that the amendment will be
a live topic in every state. The demo-
Gratis will make the most Of 1t. for rea-
sons stated, and viii run for the legis-
lature on platform which the republi-
cans are bound to approve also dis
credit their own administration. As a
democratic senator suggested today, We
can go before the people with the con-
vlncing argument that If we control the
legislature there will be no DOUBT about
the amendment being ratified
Congress probably VIII know when it
meets in December 1911, whether three
fourths Of the states have ratified the
amendment. A new Congress will come
in at that time-the Congress elected one
year from next November. Thus, if three
fourths OF the states ratify the amend
ment. the Sixty-second Congress will have
an opportunity to enact an income tax
law. The assumption is that. Ii the in
come tax wins In three-fourths of the
states as an issue in the state campaign,
the new Congress will hardly refuse to
take advantage of the authority carried
by the amendment TO the Constitution.
There is nothing in the Constitution OF
the United States which compels state
legislatures to consider an amendment
proposed to the Constitution by Congress,
but there is no reason to assume that any
state will refuse to act on the amend
ment.
Cannot Vote Until 1911.
The legislatures of thirty-four states
will not have an opportunity to vote on
the amendment ufAil early in 1911. In
these thirty-four states legislatures will
be chosen in November. 1910 as follows:
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, IL
linois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas. Maine.
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri. Montana.
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire. North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma.
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee. South
Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington. West
Virginia. Wisconsin. and Wyoming.
New York, where the proposed tax, it
is taken for granted, will be vigorously
opposed by an influential element of the
population, may vote on the amendment
next year. The state legislature will
meet January next. A legislature Is
to be elected In Massachusetts in No
vember Of this year. SO the question of
ratifyinG the amendment becomes a live
one there ut once. Rhode Island, the
home state of Mr.. Aldrich also will elect
legislature this fall which will meet
the 9th OF next January. Well informed
persons predict that the little state will
refuse to ratify the amendment
Maryland will choose Legislature In
November. which may vote on the
amendment next January.
II Georgia. Kentucky, Louisiana, South
ready elected may vote on the amend
ment next spring Georgia could act this
summer. In Vermont q legislature will
be elected in September of next year
and in October following viii meet Vir-
ginia will choose Legislature this fall
which viii meet January l.. 1910 In
New Jersey the Legislature meets an
nually and the body chosen this fall
probably will vote OF the amendment
next spring.
States Voting Next Year.
The amendment must be ratified by
| thirty four states If 1t is to become part
of the Constitution. 1t is a coincidence
| that just that number of states will II
they vote on 1t at all, vote on it in the
early months of 1911. OF the fourteen
states that may vote on ratification next
year several are counted on 10 be against
/ the amendment. SO the probability IS
| that the first expressions will be dis
| courasIns to the income takers
! New York. New Jersey, Rhode Island
| and Massachusetts are likely to lead off
with the voting, and the general feeling
! here lis that not one of these states is
| likely to ratify the amendment II is in
! these states. so the democrats declare
that the minority party may come to tho
| front by champion!nG The ratification of
the amendment. II Is very we'll under
stood here that the opponents of the in
come tax will wage their chief fights in
| New England and in New York New Ter.
sey Delaware, West Virginia .Pennsvl-
| vania. Illinois and a few other middle
| west states. If they can persuade twelve
state legislatures TO vote agains, tho
| amendment 1t will fail of ratification.
Future of Corporation Tax.
| Public men are expressing the proha-
bility that many voters will desire Ia
know whether the corporation tax is IN
be repealed in case the Constitution is so
amended as to authorize the Congress Ia
lay an income tax. The country they ara
pointing out. would hardly want hot II
| taxes in operation at the same time
Many senator's and representatives saw
they find a general disposition among the
people to object TO SO much taxation
President Taft is quoted as saving thar
he wants the corporation tax to stay ON
the statute books. II that is to be- the
attitude of the republican party the
democrats say, the minority party will
go before the people of every state and
promise that II the income tax amend
ment is ratified and the House Of Repre-
sentatives in the Sixty-second Congress
lis turned over to the democratic party
that party will support legislation reueal-
ing the corporation tax and enactinc An
: income tax law. Here again the political
possibilities of the situation come 10 the
front.