Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1910-04-17
Especial by Tarl

WASHINGTON. April I4.-Recall
ing that the corporation tax amend
ment was tackled on the Payne-Ald
rich bill for the admitted purpose o
defeating inheritance or income Ia,
legislation. Rep Gilbert NJ. Hitch
cock of Nebraska. In a speech on the
floor of the house. which evoked
great applause on the democratic
side, charged that now that the cor
poration tax had achieved its pur-
pose. the plan is TO emasculate and
destroy the efficiency OF the law it.
self"
Within an hour after Mr.. Hitch
cock had concluded his speech, his
statement was to all practical ends
verified when the republicans passed
an amendment to the corporation tax
law restricting the operation of its
publicity feature AS passed, the
corporation tax bill provided that the
returns of corporations should be
public: as amended by the house. the
measure provides that the returns
shall be open to inspection only upon
the order of the president. As Presi-
dent Taft himself declared that the
publicity feature of the corporation
tax was its best asset. tho usefulness
of the measure has been greatly i'm
paired, TO say the least. And in the
meantime the country has been
oh Fn1 r,F u.
The defeat of the inheritance tax
said Rep. Hitchcock. and the aban
donment Of the income tax was. in
my apinion. a great national m.sfor
tune. There are many arguments
why a graduated inheritance tax is q
wise and just form of taxation. II
has been approved and accepted by
many of the great nations of the
world 1t is a tax upon wealth and
not upon poverty; a tax upon prop
erty and not upon consumption. II
comes at a time when those who
pay it are receiving property which
others have earned or saved. Il
tends in a slight way to check tbs
Capitalization of wealth. There is IL
doubt as TO it's constitutionality.
AN income tax also falls upol
wealth and not upon poverty NJ
valid argument has ever been made
or can be. against the income tax. i
appeals to our reason and our senss
Of justice. 1t not only taxes men ii
proportion to their ability to pay. bu
also in the proportion of the benefit.
they receive in living under gov
ernment of law and order
I fear. Mr. Speaker, we do not re
alize the injustice of our present sys
TEN of national taxation. Our tariff
taxes. by which we raise seVera
hundred million dollrs year. and
our Internal revenue system. by which
the remainder of our national reTe
nue. is raised, are both a tax on the
things that people use or consume.
They increase the cost OF living
though hardly felt by the weII-to-do
The poor man with a large family
often pays more national taxes thar
the rich bachelor with no family. be
cause the poor man and his family
consume more. The poor man on q
salary, the working girl. or the work
ing woman feels the national taxes
in the shape of incresed cost oi
living. These taxes increase the cost
Of food, drink. clothes, houses. hard
ware, furniture. carpets. shoes. glass
paints, and a thousand other things
including rent
This system of raising money &c
support an army. navy and govern
nent has always seemed to me un
lust. because 1t is like taxing the
people of the country-men, women
ana children-so much per person
regardless Of the benefits they re
ceiye from the government and re
zardless Of their ability to pay.
The income tax offered one means
of remedying this evil. Every demo
crat In congress and many progress
eive republicans were ready to in
sert an income tax provision in the
tariff law. In the senate the demo
Gratis and progressive republicans de-
yeloped an outspoken and admitted