The Washington herald., 1910-07-10
By JAMES 3. MORROW.

considerable part OF his personal liberty
and privacy TO what has since been
known as human government.
Now, being civilized 10 a hne point,
or specialized" as Col Roosevelt says
when he goes TO Oxford and lectures on
biology man meekly tells the census
enumerator that he can read and write,
that he has never been IN jail. and that
his father was not OF African descent
To the diligent county assessor he con-
fdes q list of his stocks and bonds, con-
fesses 10 the amount Of his cash IN bank.
and patiently puts value on his wife's
jewelry. His dog is tagged and muzzled
by order OF the city authorities. and in
some places there is more or less agita-
ton concerning his cat.
He dare not catch a Wild bird and put
It IN a cage. and II he IS hunter he
must consult the revised statutes Of his
state. When he fishes ne is prohibited.
as rule, from using a net Nor can he
sprinkle his lawn after 9 o'clock. Mean
while. a sanitary policeman is watching
his back gate and the board OF educa-
ton sends him notice to yaecinate.
Would Tax Incomes.
And now comes Norris Brown. Senator
IN Congress from Nebraska. with an
amendment 10 the Constitution OF the
United States requiring, on occasion, that
man be compelled to swear 10 the sum
OF his earnings and to the amount OF Eis
income from whatever source obtained,
that it may be duly taxed by the national
government The amendment. recon-
mended by both Roosevelt and Taft, was
unanimously approved by the Senate, and
only twelve votes were cast against It in
the House OF Representatives. From
Congress. as directed BY the Constitution,
it went 10 the legislatures Of the forty
six States thirty-four Of which must ac-
oept It before it can become part Of the
organic law Of the country. The fate OF
the amendment will not be known until
after next January Already some OF the
States have adopted It. while others have
rejected II rather vigorously.
II the amendment is voted into the
Constitution, tax may then lawfully be
levied upon incomes by an act Of Con-
gress. President Taft. Col Roosevelt.
Elihu Root, Senator Brown, and other
eminent Republicans say that tax on
incomes should be legallzed as a meas
ure Of defense in time of war and for
necessary relief If the ordinary revenues
of the government are ever found 10 be
insufficient Conspicuous Democrats are
OF the same opinion.
How Money Comes In.
The national government is now sup
ported by duties laid on foreign goods
brought into the country and by taxes
on beer. whisky. wine. and tobacco. The
army and navy are maintained by the
money so collected. $50 are Congress and
the United States courts. Rivers and har-
bors are improved public buildings are
erected. and battle ships are constructed
with the taxes obtained on imported
merchandise and on spirits and tobacco.
Moreover. the cost OF government is rap
idly increasing. is very dangerously IN
creasing, IN the Judgment OF many pru-
dent and experienced public men,
The demand of the average council IN
an American city is for more money. II
Is the same with State legislatures. The
government in Washington, voting enor-
nous sums right and left against the
threat Of an empty Treasury, has Joined
IN the demand for pew means OF .axa-
ton. With respect 10 the elementary
principle, members OF Congress are
agreed that a tax on incomes is tndis-
pensable and defensible. The split
win occur when. the power having been
given, a scheme Of taxation Is attempted.
There is a bellef-it is socialistic. per-
haps-that only the well-to-do should
feel the real and direct burdens Of gov
eminent. The obligations OF the citizen,
so Il is argued. are measured by his tai
ents and Accommodations Senator Brown
would exempt incomes Of less than 5000
annually and increase the tax by leaps
and bounds as the incomes grow IN the
l. - - H.. zauS
man In the Senate. But what limitations
and schedules will be suggested by Ste
phen B. Elkins. Murray Crane, and
Simon Guggenheim, of Colorado. the coal.
paper. and metal uillionaires. who fol-
low a different school of political econ
omy?
Should Include All.
Likewise, there are those who hold that
ali men should share in the cost Of gov
ernment-that a tax on incomes ought TO
include the earnings of labor. OF the
miner. MECHANIC. clerk. and school teach
err Anything less, It Is asserted. would
be class legislation and really degrading
to American citizenship. in that it would
tend 10 make citizenship a matter OK
charity In war or financial distress
every self-respecting and patriotic man
would desire, so the argument runs, 70
do his parI in supporting his government.
So the cleavage will be pretty wide If
Congress ever gets chance to debate the
subject In the meantime Norris Brown
viii have gone into history as the Faith
er Of the Sixteenth Amendment"
Aside from his achievements, some of
which have been undeniably interesting.
Norris Brown Is an attractive and force
T7sfr al fxy ID Il RI arb
haired, and smooth-faced man of seven
and forty, and belongs to the younger
faction In the Senate. which believes that
''the current Of thought, like water,
neither runs up hill nor backward" Pre-
vious to his election to the Senate three
years ago, he was the attorney general
OF his State. during which service he
prosecuted tax suits against several rail-
roads. arguing the cases before the SUI
preme Court In Washington and collect
ing the amount claimed. together with In
terest on the same. Briefly. he may be
described as defender of property rights
but an enemy Of monooplies and trusts.
Desiring some rudimental information
regarding the effort to tax incomes" !
said TO him. '1et me ask you about the
mueh-quoted decision in the Pollock
case?'
Pollock BaIIzs Plans
'SThe Democratic tariff bill passed by
Congress IN 1885," Senator Brown an
swered. (which President Cleveland per
mitted to become a law without his sig
nature. because. as he explained. It was
filed with perfdy and dishonor con-
tained section taxing incomes. Pollock
an owner OF real estate, getting an in
come from rents. questioned the eonsti-
tutionality Of the act, and took the case
10 the United states Supreme Court
where his contentious were sustained
Section g. OF the Constitution. declares