Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-05-15
Washington Correspondence
BY ROBERT f. WILSON.

WASHINGTON, May 12.-Declaring
the belief that in castingh HIS vote for
an income tax, he wasscarrying out
the desire not only of the Democrats
of his district, but of 80 per cent of the
rank and file of Republicans and Pro-
gressives as well, Congressman Clyde
H. Tavenner of Illinois made speech
on the floor of the House, on the in
come tax, which was given close at
tention by both Republicans and
Democrats.
AS Washington newspaper cores
pondent, Tavenner has been advocat-
ing an income tax for years. Many
of his articles on the subject have been
sent broadcast over tie country by
the Democratic Congressional Com
mittee. Tavenner's speech was
warmly applauded on the Democratic
side.
"When went before the voters, in.
the campaign last fall, /" said Tavenner,
~ made the declaration, repeating it
over and over, that should be elect
ed, | would make conscientious en-
deavor to ascertain how they desired
me to vote on the important legisla-
ton, and then vote that way. I made
that declaration in very good faith. l
desire no greater tribute when I shall
conclude my service in this House,
than that the people q my district
may say of me: He made practice
of ascertaining how the the people of
his district desired hi4ss to. vote on
even the simplest piece of legislation,
and then voted that way
Gin keeping with my reelection
promise, it is my intention to cast my
vote, on behalf of the Fourteenth
Illinois district, for the income tax.
l believe in sincerity, Mr.. Chairman,
that in doing SO, l am carrying out the
desires not only the Democrats of my
district, but of fully 80 per cent of
rank and file of Republicans of my
district, and of the Progressives, So
cialists and Prohibitionists.
"The income tax is part of the
program of this side of the House to
reduce the ever increasing cost of liv-
ing in this country. The program,
and it is being carried out, is to take
some of the tax off of such articles as
woolens, cottons, sugar, meat and
lumber, and then to make up for the
loss of this revenue to the government
| by levying tax on the incomes oi
the wealthy. Strange to say, up to this
moment wealth has not been taxed tc
the extent of a SINCE penny to defray
the expenses of the national govern
ment. This is almost unbelievable
but it is absolutely true, and will MOI
be denied on this floor or elsewhere.
cit is true that wealth is taxed fol
the benefit of cities, counties ant
states, but revenue for building bat
tleships, maintaining the army and
navy, and running the national gov
ernment, is obtained solely by taxing
the things eaten, worn and used by
the people. Since the poor eat as
much as the rich, and wear clothing
on which the tariff tax is higher thar
on the qualities worn by the rich, it il
obvious that the poor contribute al
much toward bearing the burden o
national taxation as do the rich. I'm
der the present fiscal system of the
United States, nearly everything il
taxed save wealth. Wealth alone il
excluded from taxation. And l sub
nit that wealth should be the frs
thing to be taxed. The pending bill
removing very moderate portion Of
the burden of taxation from the bend
ing backs of the poor, and placing /
on the rich, who are best able to bea
it, will go down in history as the fair
est, sanest, and most progressive
measure ever presented to Congress
with hope of passage.
"Mr. Chairman, do not believ,
that it is just that the men who owl
80 per cent of the wealth of the Unitet
States should bear 10 per cent of the
burden of taxation. Ifmembers agree
with me, that such a condition is un
just, then submit the pending bill i
a move in the right direction to rem.