The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-16
Democratic Members Attempt
to Middle Kansan.
DEFENDS THE TARIFF.
Says It Has Brought Prosperity
to the Country.
Defends the Income Tax Prop
OsitiOn in Congress.


should bear its just share of the bur
dens of government. but do not care
at this hour to enter into a length!
discussion of the subject, but simpl!
express an opinion as to what I deem
the wisest action the house can take
at this time,'' said Congressman Jane:
Mr.. Miller of Kansas.
| I'VE are called upon now to pass upor
the question whether or not we are
willing to place tax upon corpora
tions," continued Mr.. Miller. During
this discussion there has been a good
bit of talk, especially among our
friends on the other side of the aisle
about a tax upon wealth and not tax
upon want or upon poverty. I have
never heard of anybody anywhere,
either in this hall or elsewhere, advo-
eating any tax either upon poverty
or upon want, and I imagine that the
man who would advocate a tax upon
either poverty or want would eventually
find himself in the insane asylum,
where he belongs 1t may be all right
for political purposes and to seek to
make political capital to try to make
the poor people of this country believe
that some political party is wanting to
rob them.
There is no political party that is
foolish enough to attempt to rob the
this country that has any desire to
put any tax of any kind upon any
portion of our people greater than their
ability to bear the burden; but the
Republican party has always favored
an equitable system of taxation, and
it is the belief of this party that all
classes of our people ought to be bear
their just proportion of the burdens
rich or poor, that they ought to be
called upon alike to bear those bur
dens."
MI SuIzer-Does the gentleman think
a protective tariff tax is an equitable
tax?
Mr.. MiIler-I think that protective
tariff tax properly levied is not only
equitable, but that it is a tax that
has always brought prosperity to the
American people. 1t has always given
employment to the labor of this country,
and under this system for the past II
years our people have enjoyed the most
marvellous prosperity the world has
ever seen. I am surprised that the gen
tleman from New York comes here
and complains about legislation that
has given to the people of that great
state the wealth it has within the last
Il years.
Mr. SuIzer-Does the gentleman claim
that there ever was a line written in
any protective tariff law or tax bill
adopted by the Republican party that
benefited the laboring man?
Mr.. Miller-I say that every line ever
written in any Republican platform and
enacted into law upon the subject of
protection has brought wealth to the
American people and has given en-
ployment to the laboring men of this
country, and that it has made the poor
man rich and not the rich man poor,
as advocated by some gentlemen on
that side.
Mr.. James-The gentleman says that
the protective policy of the Republican
party has brought great wealth to the
and benefited the laboring men,
I would like to ask him what brought
out of employment?
Mr.. Miller-Some bankers of this |
country brought on a financial panic. |
Il was not the fact that laboring men
the language used by Mr.. Gompers in |
the campaign during the time when
the Democratic party was In power, |
when he said that more than two and |
q half million labortng men of this |
were out Of employment, and |
that their wives and children were beg
cling for bread. And remember |
shortly after that time. when the Re-
publican party enacted the law of 1897, |
when nobody was out of employment
and nobody begging for bread.
Mr.. James-The gentleman puts the |
for the panic on the |
bankers. If that is true, your party in
control of this government uninter-
for the last twelve years and
almost forty years, with the exception
of four years or perhaps eight, years,
has then legislated in such manner
that the bankers of the country have
such control Of this country that they
can throw the whole country into a
panic and throw out of employment
millions of men.
Mr. MilIer-I have no time to discuss
the question of the recent panic, if you
are to dignity it by that name. 1t is
sufficient to say that it pales into alb
solute insignificance. in comparison
with the Democratic panic when Gro
yer Cleveland and the Democratic
party was in power.
Mr.. Byrd want to ask the gentle
man this question: If the Republican
policies of this country during the last
why is it that the Republican party
wants to steal all the good things out
Of the Democratic platform and enact
hem into law? 0aughter)
Mr.. Mi1ler-Mr. Speaker, it is not
necessary for me to discuss the reasons
why the Republican party wants to en-
act certain kinds of legislation. This
great party never asks the Democratic
n all the years of its history it has re-
sponded to the wishes of the people.
And now, as in the past it Is about to
write upon the statutes another wise
and beneficent act of legislation; and
his in response to the wishes of theI
American people and in accord with the
promise made in the last national Re-
publican convention. And when this
act is contaminated, as it will be in a
very few days. the tariff will have been
revised downward. the pledges of the Z
party sacredly kept and the American {
people will enter upon new era of :
Mr.. Rucker of Missouri understand
hat gentleman to say that the last
,orty years. with the exception of four
Years, under Republican rule. they 7
nave benefited all the. people and espe- {