The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1910-07-14
Vital Washington News


browning sins of the Congress which
recently passed into history was its
failure to pass income or inheritance
tax legislation. All of the first class
nations of the world have either an
income tax or an inheritance tax and
many have both.
We now raise practically all nation
al revenues by placing tariff tax on
things eaten, worn or used by the
people. This system is unjust because
il requires the workingman to pay
not less than one thousand per cent
more taxes in proportion to his in
come than a millionaire.
Our protective system of course
requires the millionaire to pay tax
on that which he eats, wears or
uses, but il does not tax him to the
extent of one penny Of his wealth.
Thus il might, and no doubt fire.
quently does, happen, that a section
hand on the railroad with family Of
six or seven children pays more to-
ward running the national govern
ment, toward building battleships
and maintaining them, toward keep
ing our standing army, than the mil
lionaire bachelor who is too proud to
marry and raise children.
President Taft, and President Taft
alone, must bear the brunt of respon-
sibility for the failure of Congress to
tack an income tax provision on the
Payne-Aldrich bill. Amajority OF both
houses were in favor OF an income
tax. Aldrich saw that an income tax
amendment would be passed, and, as
usual, appealed to President Taft for
aid.
The President knuckled absolutely
to the will of Boss Aldrich, urging
Congress to pass corporation tax
instead of an income tax. To fool
and console the people the treacherous
Aldrich then smilingly consented to a
ratification of constitutional amend
ment legalizing an income tax, well
knowing that ways could be worked
out to thwart such ratification, atleast
within the life of the present genera
ton.
But there remains still 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 it
possible for the government to hold
the law-breaking trusts responsible
in court for their acts.
So Congress passed the corporation
tax, but iokered the people by pur-
posely failing to provide funds for
the handling of data which would
come in under the publicity clause.
Even this was not enough. Con-
gress, in the session just closed, COM
pleted the swindle on the public by
striking out the publicity feature al
together! And Mr.. Taft himself had
declared the publicity clause was the
most valuable feature in the bill!
How long are the people going to
stand for such treachery as this?
Senator Clapp's Illustration.
Senator Clapp Of Minnesota, Re-
publican insurgent, was recently Civ
ing me an interview on the business
of a tax on incomes. Finally he stop
ped abruptly and pointed out of his
window. "Tavenner," he said, mo
tee that marble wall yonder. which
stone bears the greatest weight? The
one at the bottom or the one at the
top? Before you answeraI will add
that is just the way it is without an
income tax Until the present tariff
schedules are revised along lines Of
justice, and until we have an income
tax to take some Of the burden OF
taxation from the man at the bottom,
that stone wall will stand as deadly
parallel to existing conditions.
The Issue.
Two big state conventions were
held recently. Pennsylvania Repub-
l. - L.