The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-05-06
.BORAH SPEAKS
FOR INCOME TAX
To Meet the Extravaganza,
He Says Nation is AZ
hicted with.

,hat extravaganza has become almost
national. disease, Senator Borah. OF
ldaho. argued for an income tax as a
means for wIping out the deficit in
the treasury as well as awakening
public interest in national expendl-
lures. He said the tax, which he
proposed, should be used to build
up great navy and great armv
for the purpose of covering the ma
lions OF the earth. but that the bur
den Of taxation should lbe taken from
those who dig the earth and put upon
the purses Of those who would never
miss it.
Il believe in an income tax. SAID
Mr.. Borah, mot that we may impose
the whole burden of government upon
the rich or upon wealth, but that
wealth may bear its just proportion of
that burden which It does not do I'M
der a system OF taxation resting en-
tirely upon consumption. Every sys-
TEN of taxation resting upon con.
sumption should be supplemented
with an income tax. not alone for the
purpose OF raising revenue, but for
distributing the burden of whatever
revenue Is necessary more equitably
and more in accordance with the ajbil-
ity to pay
Equitable and Fair.
contending that the income tax was
equitable and fair. not class legisla-
ton, and not an attack upon wealth
but simply reasonable demand that
the burdens of government should be
met in due proportion by the great
property interests and accumulated
wealth, Mr.. Borah asserted that 1t
was tax which guages itself accord
ing to mans success or failure. He
said 1t reaches the income of the pro-
fessonal man. who may now escape
almost entirely Declaring that 1t was
no more an incentive 10 purjury or
fraud than the personal tax laws in
the various states, Mr.. Borah claimed
that the income tax was no more in
quisitorial than the system of ma
tional taxation of today. He referred
to the recent smuggling cases in New
York.
II believe in it." continued Mr..
Borah, Strange as 1t may seem to
some, as an educator in economy in
public expenditures. For a hundred
years we have been making speeches
in favor of cutting down expenditures.
and voting the other way. The Con-
gress in which the voice of retrench-
ment was loudest has been followed
almost invariably by the Congress
carrying the largest appropriations
An Awful Indictment.
: Referring to the statement which
was made by Mr.. Aldrich that Com
gress, in the last session, appropri
ated s5O,o0o,ooo unnecessarily, Mr.
J Borah said: "If that be true. and
!, believe the figures to. be modest. wha
an awful indictment of this Congress
and how vane and futile seems al
prophecy as to the future in the mat
ter of retrenchment. / do not. wan
to be misunderstood. have no kind
of doubt that the Senator from Rhod,
. Island is entirely sincere and who'll,
In earnest when he says that we
. must curtail expenditures. Neither
. do I underrate his ability or his
power. If he succeeds, he will have
performed greater service to his
country than has been performed by
any man in forty years.
: Mr.. Borah, asserting that extrava-
gance Has ecome almost n national
, disease, said: at permeates the
. home. 1t permeates college and
e church. 1t pervades society and 1t is
I rife in every department of govern
ment-that it has reached almost the
point of criminality is proven by the
4 words of the Senator from Rhode Is
land. 1t Is disease of the blood
t and you cannot cure 1t like appen-
dicitis by cutting 1t off. You will
I have to rehabilitate the system. This
will take time and a great deal. OF
attention and immeasurable persis-
tence of purpose. In other words, you
will never do-it until public opinion is
q thoroughly aroused"
ArOuseS Public Opinion.
So long as the sole system of taxa
ton for national expenditures con-
e sists of that form of taxation which
e does not inform the man who pays
r the tax, of the specific amount he
r pays, and SO long as 1t taxes the
) poor and rich to the same extent, Mr.
Borah contended that public opinion
T. will lack that specific information, the
. direct. concrete example as to extrav.
agance necessary to arouse 1t to q
careful scrutiny and an awakened in.
terest in what is being done with thu
money collected He said there is ne
way by which public opinion can be
aroused SO deeply and SO quickly al
y by calling upon the powerful proper.
% ty interests to assume each year q
specific amount to defray the expense.