The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-07-14

(By CLYDE ii. IaVener, staff Wash
ington special correspondent of The
Reporter.)
Washington, D. c., July 9.-One
of the GROWING sins of the congress
which recently passed into history
was it's failure to pass income or in
heritance tax legislation All of the
first-class nations of the world have
either an income tax or an inherit
ance tax, and many have both.
We now raise practically all nat
ional revenues by placing tariff tax
on things eaten, worn or used by the
people. This system is unjust be-
cause it requires the workingman to
pay not less than one thousand per
cent more taxes in proportion to his
income than the millionaire.
Our protective system of course,
requires the millionaire to pay tax
on that which he eats, wears or uses.
but it does not tax him to the extent
OF one penny of his wealth.
Thus it might, and no doubt fire.
quently does, happen that a section
hand on the railroad with family
of six or seven children pays more
towards running the national gov
eminent, toward building battle
ships and maintaining them, toward
keeping our standing army, than the
millionaire bachelor who is too
proud to marry and raise children
President Taft. and President
Taft alone, must bear the brunt of
responsibility for the failure of con-
gross to pass corporation tax in
stead of an income tax To fool and
console the people the treacherous
Aldrich smiling consented to a rati-
fication of constitutional amend
ment legaliZing an income tax, we'll
knowing that the ways could be
worked out to thwart such ratifca-
ton, at least within the life of the
present generation
But there still remains another
chapter of this legislative swindle
that the American people ought to
know about. AS an excuse for hav-
ing killed an income tax, President
Taft stated that the corporation tax
should contain a publicity clause
which would enable the government
and the people to secure information
about the working methods of the
corporations. He held out the hope
this publicity clause would make il
possible for the government to hold
the law-breaking trusts responsible
in court for their acts.
So congress passed the corpora
ton tax, but jokered the people by
purposely failing to provide funds
for the handling of the data which
would come in under the publicity
| clause. Even this was not enough
Congress, in the session just closed
completed the swindle on the public
by striking out the publicity feature
altogether. And Mr.. Taft had de.
tclared the publicity clause was the
most valuable feature in the bill
How long are the people going tc
stand for, such treachery as this?
Senator Clapp's Illustration.
Senator Clapp, of Minnesota, re.
publican insurgent, was recently Civ
of tax on incomes. Finally he stop.
ped abruptly and pointed out OF his
window. ''Tavener," he said, notice
that marble wall yonder. Which
stone bears the greatest weight? the
stone at the bottom or the one at the
top? Before you answer ] will ado
that is just the way 1t is without dl
income tax. Until the present tar
lift schedules are revised along lines
of justice, and until we have an in
come tax to take off some OF the
burden of taxation from the man al
the bottom, that stone wall will stanc
as a deadly parallel to existing con
ditions."
| The Issue.
Two big state conventions were
held recently. Pennsylvania republl
cans declared as follows on the tar
liff:
| 1--WE believe that the tariff bill re
Gently enacted is in accord with the
Republican policy expressed in its las
national platform. We agree witt
President Taft that it is the best tar
iff the republican party has ever
passed"
Said the Ohio democrats:
We demand a revision OF the
present unjust and oppressive tariff
Producing the rates so as to lower thu
lprices imposed on the consumers.
Consumers, it is up to you. Thinl
the matter over.