Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-07-16
PASSES HOUSE BY LARGE VOTE
Only Fourteen Votes Against In
come Tax Resolution.

Washington, July l2.-It Is now I'D
to the Legislatures of the several States
to say whether there shall be an in
come tax amendment to the Constitu-
| ton.
By the decisive vote of 81 to IA, more
than the necessary two-thirds, the
House today passed the Senate joint
resolution providing for thesubmission
of the question to the States. The ne
gative votes were all cast by Republic
cans No amendment having been
made to the resolution, it now goes to
the President for his signature.
Practically four hours were consum
ed IN debating the proposition, and this
afforded many members, mostly on
the Democratic side, an opportunity to
air their views. Chairman Payne, of
the Committee on Ways and Means,
voiced the sentiment that such tax
would make ''nation of liars" although
he said it was we'll that such power
should be given Congress, especially in
times of war.
The burden of the Democratic
speeches was that it was simply case
of stealing Democratic thunder, al
though some of the remarks on that
side incidentally touched upon the
tariff and the corporation tax, with
no little amount of castigation of the
Republicans for failing, as was alleged,
to keep party pledges.
eve welcome the conversion of the
Republican party to another Demo-
cratic principle" was the comment of
Mr.. Clark, Missouri, the minority
leader. An income tax, he maintained,
was Democratic principle. He con-
cluded by expressing himself in favor
of increasing the amount of exemption
above five thousand dollars.
Mr.. Clayton, Alabama, said he would
exempt the poor man, who was least
able to bear the burdens of government
and would tax the multi-millionaires.
81 would" he exclaimed amid DEM
ocratic 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."
81 scorn," said Mr.. James, Ken
lucky, in favoring the resolution, ga
government whose taxing power pro-
vIdes that Lazarus 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 graduated income
tax and expressed the view that per-
haps change in the personnel of the
United States Supreme Court might
effect reversal of its former opinion.
While favoring the amendment, Mr..
Henry, Texas, expressed the fear that
it would suffer defeat if submitted to
the Legislatures. The only safe way,
he contended, was TO submit the prop
osition to constitutional conventions.
Mr.. Bartlett Georgia. shared in the
view that the amendment stood good
chance of being defeated through lack
of the necessary support by the Legis-
latures.
In fiery speech in support of an in
come tax, Mr.. Robinson, Arkansas,
severely arraigned the Republicans for,
as he charged, "fooling the people" be-
fore the last Presidential election.
Others supporting the resolution were
Messrs Hull, Tennessee; Sims, Tennes-
see; Byrd, Mississippi; Richardson,
Alabama; Helm, Alabama; Dies, Tex
as and Hobson, Alabama.
When the speech-making had been
| concluded Mr.. Henry, Texas, vainly
sought to offer an amendment provid-
ing for the submission of the question
to the people through constitutional
| conventions