Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-04
Capital Comment
BY CLYDE H. TAvENNER
CONGRESSMAN from the Fourteenth District.

and their civil subdivisions. The con-
troll of roads should remain with the
states. Where the states construct
roads OF such degree of perfection IS
to supply the federal government with
| highways over which to perform its
| functions with reasonable facility,
then the government should contrib
ute to their upkeep. Congress should
provide general standards of roads. for
which contribution would be made.
The government could then protect
itself by inspection and refusal to
make payment for any road falling be-
low specified standards. Such. sys-
TEN would not require much federal
machinery to administer it."
Speaker Champ Clark received ire
mendous ovation when he closed the
tariff debate preceding the vote on
1.-THE tariff conference report. He was
cheered on both sides of the house.
Speaker Clark is the idol of the house
of representatives. There is no doubt
about that.
There has been a good deal of talk
first and last about President Wilson S
action with reference to this bill,
declared the speaker. 81 congratulate
him for the part that he has taken
in this legislation. If l had been elect
ed president l would have gotten a
good tariff blil through this house sure
as you are alive. He has simply dis
. charged his duty in the open.
"One great thing that this bill will
do, and l congratulate the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. HulD on that
most cordially, is that it will intro
duce into the taxing system of this
country the proposition that we viii
tax what a man has instead of v'hat
he has to buy to live on. / refer to the
income tax. will debate that propa-si
ton with any man living, with the
. absolute certainty of coming out OF
top.
Il believe as firmly as that l an
living that on sealed ballot, so tina
| nobody could ever find out how yol
r gentlemen over on the republican side
2 would vote, nine-tenths of you would
} vote for the income tax proposition
! in this bill.
S 81 will tell you what else believe
: l believe if you had a plebiscite, a
/ Louis Napoleon used to call it, o
D secret vote. 50 per cent of the peopl
! of the United States would vote 70
the income tax proposition in this bill
t Just as certain as you live that i
4 coming to stay, and the people vii
: magnify the name of Hull in the day
i to come. If you gentlemen on the re
S publican side ever get into possession
|. of the government again, you will n
), more dare to repeal the income ia
r than you would attempt to jump OF
r the top of the capitol. The peopl
t will not have it. Some people seen
, to think it has never been tried. TIL
e English have tried it, and except TO
e two years they have had the incom
/ tax ever since the Napoleonic wars
Y and they have worked it out wit
d mathematical nicely. l do not BIZ
l. lieve there will ever be another hig
tariff bill enacted into law in thi
a republic
o I'VE stand today justified by on
If works. The old rule, BY their work
d ye shall know Them is wholesom,
1t We are willing to be judged by it. Fo
It 16 years we wandered in the wilde
a ness. We were demoraliSed and di
l. heartened. Gaining one victory afte
h another gives us courage, and believ
this day is the beginning of a quartz
T. of century of unbroken Democrat
IS supremacy in this country"