The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-07-18
VITAL WASHINGTON NEWS.
How the Day Laborer Bears
Move Than His Share of the
Ely clyde K. Tayenner.
rres pordence of The Robesonian

by Clyde Z. Tayenner.
CORES poodence of The Robesonian.
Washington, July II - One of
the GROWING sins of the Con-
gress which recently passed into
history was it's failure to pass
Income or inheritance tax legis-
-latlon. All OF the first class ma
tior4s of the world have either an
income tax or an inheritance tax,
and many have both.
We now raise practically all ma
.tional REVENUES ny placing tar
if tax on things eaten, worn or
used by the people. This system
is unjust because it requires the
WCrkingman to pay not less than
~one thousand per cent. more tax
es in proportion to his income
than a millionaire.
Our protective system of
course requires the millionaire to
pay tav on that which he eats,
We ars or uses, but it does not tax
him to the extent of one penny
son his wealth.
Thus it might, and no doubt
frequently does, happen, that a
section hand on the railroad with
1t family Of six or seven children
pays more toward running the
national government, toward
building battleships and main
tanning them, toward keeping
our standing army, than the mil
lionaire bachelor who is too proud
20 marry and raise children.
President Taft, and President
Taft alone, must bear the brunt
of responsibility for the failure
~of Congress to tack an income
xaX provision on the Payne-Al-
sdrich bill. A majority of Doth
houses were in favor of an in
come tax. Aldrich saw that an
ancome-tax amendment would be
passed, and, as usual, appealed
to President Taft for aid.
The President knuckled abso-
iutely to the will of Boss Aldrich,
a1rgingCongress to pass a corpor-
alton tax instead of an income
tax. To fool and console the peo-
pile the treacherous Aldrich then
ssmilingly consented to a ratifca-
ton of a constitutional amend
,snent legalizing an income tax.
well knowing that ways could be
worked out to thWart such ratifi-
ecation. at least within the life Of
the present generation.
But there remains still another
chapter of this legislative swim.
IDLE that the American people
ought to know about. AS
an excuse for having killed an in
come tax, President Taft stated
that the corporation tax should
contain publicity clause which
would enable the government
and the people to secure informa-
ton about the working methods
of the corporations. He held out
the hope this publicity clause
would make it possible fol the
government to hold the law
breaking trusts responsible in
court for their acts.
So Congress passed the corpor.
:ation tax, but ''jokered"the PEG.
pie by purposely failing to pro-
vide funds for the handling of
data which would come in unde,
the publicity clause. Even this
was not enough. Congress, ir
the session just closed, complet.
ed the swindle on the public by
striking out the publicity feature
altogether! And Mr.. Taft him.
self had declared the publicity
clause was the most valuable fea
t1lre in the bill! How long are
the people going to stand fol
such treachery as this?
SENATOR CLAPP's ILLUSTRATION
Senator Clapp of Minnesota
Republican lnsurgent, was recent
sy giving me an interview on thu
business of a tax on incomes. Fl
nally he stopped abruptly AM
pointed out of his window. 'Tav
enner," he said, notice tina
marble wall yonder. Which ston
bears the greatest weight? Tn
stone at the bottom or the on
at the top? Before you answe
1 will add, that is just the way
is without an income tax. Unit
the present tariff schedules ar
Aavsed along lines of justice, an