Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-07-23
PERILOUS POSITION OF
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
TWELVE STATES CAN DEFEAT
INCOME TAX MEASURE.
u 10 Possible for Four Per Cent OF
Voters TO Nullify Will Of Other
s6 Per Cent.

WASHINGTON. July 22.-That
there will never be an income tax
II Il is necessary to wait for three
fourths of the State legislatures TO
ratify the proposed amendment to the
constitution, Is the conviction Of Sen
ators and other students of politics
and economies In the National Capt.
tai
Friends OF a genuine income tax
realize only too well now that the pro
posed amendment OF the constitution
was but a part Of the conspiracy, de-
vised by Aldrich and others TO defeat
the income tax. Ii will be recalled
that no lesser n legal authority than
President Taft himself was the first
20 express the opinion that II would
not be necessary. even II possible. TO
amend the constitution: that he be-
lieyed the Supreme Court would up
hold an income tax II given another
opportunity.
IL IL practically impossible to
amend the constitution. Otherwise
Mr.. Aldrich would never have con-
scented 30 smilingly TO the adoption
OF the joint resolution providing for
the proposition. Senator Aldrich
stated on the floor of the Senate he
always had been against an income
tax and always would be. Senator
Aldrich In no doubt honest 10 his con-
victiOns. He has acted as a tool
OF the greedy special interests 30 long
he really believes IL would be a step
toward anarchy for Congress TO pass
O law requiring the rich to pay
tax on their incomes, as they do In
Great Britain. Japan. France. Ger
many. Holland. Austria, Denmark.
Switzerland. Australia and New Zea-
land. The Rhode Island Senator Is
frank enough to admit that he Is con-
WINGED the best way TO raise revenue
TO run the Government II TO tax neces-
stiles. aud that until the bin is taken
from his hands," he will see TO IL
that a tax on wealth does not sup
plant q tax ON necessities.
In response to the overwhelming
demand for an income tax Senator
Aidrich handed the people a gold
brick" In the form of IAN opportunity
90 amend the constitution" Under
the constitutional provision for an
amendment. IL 10 possible for per
cent Of the voters to nullify the will
Of the other SO per cent. Twelve
States are sufficient to defeat an
amendment.
Here are the States that will like
Iy do L.: Maine. New Hampshire.
Vermont. Massachusetts,. Delaware.
Connecticut, Rhode Island, PennsyL
vania. New Jersey. Michigan. Cali
fOrnia and Louisiana.
The California Legislature Is domi.
mated by the Southern Pacific rail.
road. T. II. Hartman, who controls
the Southern Pacific Republican ma
chine In California, has a sufficiently
large income to make him hostile TO
an income tax. and his Wall street
friends would be hostile TO an income
tax for the same reason.
Louisiana would probably refuse
20 ratify. fearing as a possible reaction
a reduction In the tarif on sugar.
The New England States are bitter.
~ antagonistic TO an income tax for
two reasons. One is that wealth is
concentrated in these States, and
wealth would be taxed under the pro.
posed legislation. The more import.
ant reason is that New England fears,
that II new revenue is raised from