The Washington herald., 1909-05-02
Congressional.

The first formal reading OF the Senate
substitute for the Payne tariff bill having
been finished with the preceding week.
that measure. upon which the eyes Of
the business world are fixed with an in
terest not easy 10 Overstste. was taken
up last Monday. paragraph by paragraph.
FOR amendment Among the first amend
ments 70. come up for extended discus
sion was the anticipated income tax pro-
pOsaI offered by Senator Bailey. OF Texas.
for the minority. The speech Of the
days and Tuesdays sessions. with a
large attendance, both on the floor and in
the galleries Senator Bailey argued that
any tariff law would have inequalities,
and that a tax should be levied directly
upon wealth. nOf on consumption A
man should be made TO pay on the basis
or what he had and not on what he
wanted. He believed that his amend
ment would produce SS0g0.000 OF revenue.
and that thus he could lower many duties
without disturbing essentially the fabric
OF protection He tWiJted Senator Aid
rich upon the fact that. with a number
OF Republicans out fer some kind OF an
income tax. he could no longer say thai II
vas a POpuiistic, a SOcialiSJic. or q Demo-
cratic method Of rediSJTibuting the wealth
OF the nation Aldrich objected 20 the
Bailey plan Of exempting incomes under
8 S.{9 as a class discrimination. and this
vas virtually admitted BY Bailey To the
objection that lowering Of duties would
be blow 81 American labor. Bailey re-
Piled that he would protect American
labor best by excluding the immigrant.
On Tuesday his main line OF argument
was that the trainers % the Constitution.
IN providing for Capitation and other
direct taxes. did not mean 20 include
tax on personal property. To prove that
the proposed tax would not be oppres-
sive TO the rich. he pointed 10 the known
extravagances Of that class As for the
Supreme Courts decision against such q
law in the Pollard case. he thought that
since II was reached BY vote OF four 10
I'VE, one justice had changed his mind.
and il was fair 70 have the matter re-
submitted
Senator Overmsn. OF North Carolina.
proposed a tax OF S12 on every immigrant.
urging that this had the virtue Of pro-
lection 10 labor as well as means OF
raising large revenue and bringing in a
better class OF immigrants
Senator Perkins. Of California. advo-
Gated ar amendment requiring that in re-
turn for free trade with the Philippines
al their goods should be shipped in
American bottoms.
Senator Brown. OF Nebraska. presented
a joint resolution 20 amend the Constltu-
ton so as 10 definitely permit the levying
Of income an inheritance taxes
Senator Gore. the blind Oklahoman. took
issue with the Republican claim that the
tariff laws had caused the prosperity Of
the country.
On Wednesday the debate took 4 sharp
partisan turn when Senators Simmons. Of
North Carolina Bacon. q Georgia. Smith,
Of Maryland. and several other Demo
Gratis frankly advocated the retention OF
q duty on lumber. although the RepubH-
cans reminded them that the Denver plat
form had demanded free lumber Bacon
asserted that party platforms are made
in the night. and IN a hurry. and so do
not mean anything" Most Of the Demo-
Gratis defined their position as being for
revenue duties primarily. but for incl
dental protection Aldrich seemed TO be
much pleased over this turn Of the de-
bate. and declared in reply 70 the offer
Of Bacon 70 vote for 10 per cent duty on
lumber II the duty on New England wool
were brought down to the same point;
that he (AIdrich) was the same kind Of
a pTOtectionist in Georgia that he was in
New England. and that he did not dodge
behind a tariff for revenue o. any Othe-
kind Of a subterfUge-
The Finance Committee agreed upon an
ad valoTem duty on crude petroleum. The
committee also get together on 3 plan
for a permanent tariff commission OF
seven experts.