Evening star., 1909-07-12
Consideration of Income Tax
Amendment Brief.
CRITICISM IN THE HOUSE
Members Declare Matter Is Being
Rushed Through.
SPEAKERS COMMENT CAUsTIC
Political Jack Cade of Future for
Levying of Political Blackmail,"
Mccall Says.

| The political Jack Cade of the future,
| for the levying of political blackmail,"
was the characterization given the income
tax constitutional amendment by a repub-
lican member of the ways and means
committee in the course of debate in the
House today. 1t was Mr. Mccall of
Massachusetts who thus tagged the
amendment in his remarks protesting
amendment through the House.
Exactly three hours and forty-fiye min
utes debate was allowed for considera-
ton of one of the most important and
far-reaching amendments ever proposed
to the Constitution of the United States.
1t was conceded by every one that the
resolution proposing the amendment will
pass by an overwhelming majority. Yet
the method taken to bring the resolution
to vote was freely criticised.
| 1t was pointed out that no committee
of the House had considered the form
| of the proposed amendment. 1t had been
"eXtemporized" or 'improvised it was
/ declared in debate, and yet it was to be
| sideration.
Short Time for Debate.
| Acute emphasis was laid upon this
| point by the fact that members were
! yielded four minutes, three minutes and
| less for debate on a proposition in
| volving an absolute and radical change
| in the governmental policy of taxation
| and measure which in the end may
affect the earnings of every breadwinner
| in the United States.
Representative Clayton of Alabama an
| nounced that the Alabama legislature will
meet in extra session July 81 and he
nat he loS oil xx,ty1 ol~a
| up ratification of the amendment if 1t
! is submitted and be the first to indorse
the great democratic proposition of an
income tax
protest against ratification in various
state legislatures were heard in the pro-
tests voiced today by republicans from
New England in the east, who plainly
forecasted the fight which will be made
against ratification by three-fourths of
the states
Lack of General Interest.
Another striking feature of the consid-
Grafton of the amendment was the lack
of general interest manifested in the de-
bate. Within half an hour after it start
ed not two score members remained In
the House, and few of those seemed to be
paying much attention to the remarks of
the five-minute speakers. Later in the
day, as the time for vote drew near and
the "sharpshooting' debate was expected,
the members began to drift in, but for
the major portion of the day no one
would have suspected that a constitution
al amendment of the deepest public i'm
port was under consideration.
Would Make Nation of Liars.
Il believe it tends to make a nation of
| liars" Chairman Payne declared in con-
nection with statement that he was
Init or1x Cnd 10 10 iy. ttx1,n
of peace. He believed it was the most
difficult Of enforcement and the hardest
to collect. 1T is. in a word" he said,
"a tax upon the incomes of honest men,
an exemption, to some extent. to the ras-
cals.'' He hoped it would never be in
voked
I'VE welcome the conversion of the re-
publican party to another democratic
principle was the comment of Mr.. Clark
(Mo). the minority leader who got rous-
ing applause from his side of the cham
ber for his utterance. An income tax. he
maintained, was a democratic principle.
"One by one the roses fall he said, ad-
| dressing the republican side. ''and one by
one you adopt our platform"
1t was the fairest tax devised by man,
| he argued, rema rking in that connection
| that 1T was monstrous to say that the
accumulated wealth of the country should
not bear it's just proportion of the pub
| lie burden. If the proposition should be
| that the tariff conference would last until
| the first Monday in December. He con-
| cluded by expressing himself in favor of
| increasing the amount of exemption
| above 5000.
Colloquy With Mr.. Burke.
| This led him into coloquy with Mr..
Burke (Pa).
How far above five thousand dollars
and why?' Mr. Burke asked.
Il would fix whatever figure / did fix
| for the public good,'' sharply answered
Mr. Clark.
| Upon being pressed to be more specific.
Mr.. Clark said he would want to think
| the matter over.
Declaring that if the question had been
put to him. Mr.. Clayton LAla.) said he
| would exempt the poor man, who was
| least able to bear the burdens of govern
| ment, and would tax the multi-mllion-
aires and thereby make the idle rich pay
something to the support of the federal
government.
| Il would he exclaimed, amid demo-
cratic applause. get your Willie Waldorf
Astors in the light, who have millions of
| incomes and live abroad. l would get
| the Laird of Skibo or Skeebo or whatever
you may call it.
Hobo a voice on the republican side
| was heard to say
Well" replied Mr. Clark, those who
help to make hoboes in this country"
Quotes President Taft.
Il scorn," Mr.. James (ky) said, in ia
| voring the resolution, "a government
| whose taxing power provides that Laza-
rus shall share his crumbs, but that
| Dives must not give up his riches"
| Mr.. James quoted from an ante-elec-
! ton speech by President Taft, in which
/ Mr.. Taft favored a graduated income tax
| and expressed the view that perhaps a
change in the personnel of the United
| States Supreme Court might effect a re-
versal of it's former opinion holding the
/ income tax unconstitutional.
You denounced Bryan for that" he
/ exclaimed. facing the republican side.
| You said he was assailipg the honor
| and integrity of the Supreme Court, yet
| the man you elevated to the loftiest sta :
1 ton in the nation virtually repeated the
very same words that for twelve years
| the democratic party in every platform
/ had uttered"
CONGRESSIONAL BASE BALL.