Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-07-15
Vital Washington News.
Washington, D. c., July II, 1910

Special Correspondent of The Sentinel
Washington, d. c., July II, 1910
One of the 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 national
revenues by placing tariff tax on things
| eaten, worn or used by the people This
system is unjust because II requires the
nottingham to pay not less than one thous-
and per cent. more taxes in proportion to
his income than a millionaire.
Our protective system of course requires
the millionaire to pay tax on that which
ne eats, wears or uses, but it does not tax
him to the extent of one penny on his
| wealth.
Thus it might, and no doubt frequently
does, happen, that section hand on the
railroad with family of six or seven
children pays more toward running the
national government. toward building bat
tleships and maintaining them, toward
keeping 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 responsibility for
the failure of Congress to tack an income
tax provision on the Payne-Aldrich bill.
A majority of both Houses were in favor
OF an income tax. Aldrich saw that an in
come 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 in
come tax. To fool and console the people
the treacherous Aldrich then smilingly con-
sented to a ratification of constitutional
amendment legalizing an income tax, well
knowing that ways could be worked out to
thwart such ratification. at least within the
life OF the present generation.
But there remains still another chapter
Of this legislative swindle that the Ameri-
can people ought to know about. As an
excuse for having killed an income tax
Taft stated that the corporation tax should
contain a publicity clause which would
enable the government and the people ia
secure information about the working meth
DDS OF the corporations. He held out the
hope that 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 corporation tax,
but jokered the people by purposely failing
to provide funds for the handling of data
which would come under the publicity
clause. Even this was not enough. Con-
gress, in the session just closed, completed
the Swindle on the public by striking out
the publicity feature altogether 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 ILLUSTRATIONS
Senator Clapp. of Minnesota, Republican
insurgent, was recently giving me an in
terview on the business of tax on incomes.
Finally he stopped abruptly and pointed
out Of his window. "Tavenner he said, mo-
tice that marble wall yonder. Which stone
bears the greatest weightS The stone at
the bottom or the stone at the tOpH Before
you answer will add that is just the way
II Is without an income tax Until the
present tariff schedules are revised along
lines of justice, and until we have an in
come 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 Republicans de-
clared as follows on the tariff
I'VE believe that the tariff bill recently
enacted Is in accord with the Republican
policy expressed in its last national plat
form. We agree with President Taft that
II Is the best tariff the Republican party
has ever passed"
Said the Ohio Democrats
I'VE demand a revision of the presen
unjust and oppressive tariff, reducing thu
rates so as to lower the prices imposed OF
the consumers"
Consumers, it is up to you. Think the
matter over
WHAT DEMOCRATIC LEADERS THINK
IN my opinion the next House will b.
Democratic by majority Of between fort
and fifty, said Chairman Jas T. Lloyd, o
the National Democratic Congressional Com
mittee. Mr.. Lloyd is in close touch will
political conditions in practically every
congressional district in the country, anC
is generally reputed among his colleagues
as more likely to be OVer-cautiOus thar
over confident when making political prog
nosticatiOns Minority Leader ChamI
Clark predicts the Democratic majority il
the next House may possibly reach seventy
FIVE
REPUBLICAN ExTRAVAGANCE.
When the Republicans took control o
the Federal government in 1861 the ex
penses of the government we're about $65
900 900 annually. nearly $1,000, 0000 0(
less than now. AS Hon James G. Blaine
says in his Twenty Years in Congress-
THE leaders of the Democratic party haC
guarded the treasury with unceasing vigi
lance against every attempt at extTava
dance or corruption" The result Of Thu
fmgality and honesty was seen in the an
nual expenditure. Economy in public ex
penditures has always been a cardina
principle Of the Democratic party Thu
appropriations for the four years Of Cleve
lands administration we're less than on
half the appropriations Of the last f0u
years of Republican rule.
WHERE Our MONEY Co.'s.
Figures showing the number Of new
Offices created for Republican politicians b.
the last session of Congress- have not ye
been prepared The preceding Congress
however. created 26.944 new positions
For new offices created and salaries in
| creased the SiKtieth CONGRESS- added Il