Montpelier examiner., 1910-04-08

allow the imposition of tax on In
comes. Virginia, another southern
state, declined to ratify the provision.
Representatives in congress are keep
Ing close watch on the action of the
various state legislatures. There are
both friends and foes of the income
income tax proposition In congress,
but even among it's friends there is
sharp difference of opinion as to
whether such a tax law ever properly
could be enforced, because of the
proneness of men to hide the facts
concerning the amount OF their In
come.
The proposed amendment to the
constitution which will make legal be-
yond all question the laying of the
tax on incomes has been ratified al
ready by the following states: South
Carolina. Kentucky, Oklahoma. ILL
nois and Alabama. 1t has been reject
ed by Virginia. The legislatures of
the following states are either now in
session or have just adjourned and as
yet no action has been taken by them
on the constitutional amendment:
Rhode Island. Ohio, Massachusetts,
New Jersey. New York and Maryland
Why It Was Submitted to States.
1t will be remembered that during
the tariff debate early last spring the
administration and the Republican
leaders suggested that the income tax
amendment to the constitution should
be submitted to the state legislatures
for action. This unquestionably was
done in order to discourage income
tax debate and the introduction of
amendments to the tariff bill OF
course it is not intended to say that
the administration was not sincere in
its desires to have income tax legisla-
ton, If it ever should reach a legisla-
tive form. put on safe constitutional
grounds. 1t is believed that President
Taft is in favor of the income tax pro-
vided 1T can be shown that it is nec-
essary in order to raise revenue, but
his friends say his judicial mind" is
such that he does not want any legis-
lation to go on the statute books un-
less 1t is absolutely certain that It has
the constitution back of it.
AS has been said, there are many
friends and many foes of the income
tax amendment proposition in con-
gress. Most of the friends of the
measure come from the west and
south, while the foes as a rule come
from the east and northeast Three
fourths of the state legislatures must
ratify the proposed amendment before
1t can be put into form and be given
place in the constitution of the
United States. Within the next year
Il states through their legislatures
will have a chance to ratify the
amendment The states that have rat
flied 1T and those whose legislatures
are now in session but have taken no
action, already have been named The
legislatures of the following states
will meet and either sanction, reject
or ignore the amendment within the
next year: Indiana, Iowa, Missouri,
Minnesota. Arkansas, Louisiana. Kan
sas, Nebraska. Nevada, North Caro-
line, Michigan. Georgia, Colorado, Ore
gon. North Dakota. South Dakota, Wy
i oming, Washington, Wisconsin, Texas
and Tennessee.
Twelve That Are Doubtful.
1t can be said that the general opin-
ion is in Washington that all of the
states last named will sanction the
amendment. In three of these states
| the legislative sessions will open in
| the late spring or summer of this
year. There are IL states which will
have Legislative sessions In 1911 and
in these IL there is great doubt
whether affirmative action on the
amendment will be taken The 12
states are California, Connecticut, Del
aware. Florida, Idaho, Maine, Mon
tana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania.
Utah. Vermont and West Virginia.
Roosevelt Well Informed.
1t is a pretty thoroughly established
fact that Theodore Roosevelt has in
his possession an exhaustive letter
written to him by Senator Elihu Root
of New York and giving in outline an
account of the Taft administration
from the fourth day of last March up
to the time that the letter was penned
early in February of this year.
There cannot be the slightest doubt
that the New York senator, who was
Mr.. Rooseve1t's secretary of state,
wrote the letter in the hope that 1t
would Offset the statements of a num-
ber of people who had gone out to
meet Mr.. Roosevelt to tell him that
from their point of view. that of PRO
| gression," the Taft administration has
been a dire failure.
In several speeches made recently by
Democrats of prominence and in one
or two letters by men of that party
of almost equal prominence, it has
been held that Mr.. Roosevelt himself
is likely to be big figure in the next
national election. In these Demo.
cratic epistles there has been lacking
something of specific detail. and opin.
ion is pretty evenly divided as to
whether the present minority party
hopes that the former president will
again be a candidate or that the hope
is he will sanction the Taft admins.
tration and continue to support II
through its present term, including
the time when the present president
may be a candidate for reelection
| RAI,. "a ThIrsa TaHr,n Ieaua