Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1913-04-17
.aoNAnuiowN, NJ
WASHINGTON LETTER
by Robert ' Wilson

swearing In oil CIyde II. 1d'ehhSi
of Cordova, Illinois, as the
representative in Congress OF the
Fourteenth Illinois District, was as
much of triumph for Mrs. Taven-
ner az it was for the young news
paper man himself.
II il fact that Mrs Tavenner
worked az hard in the campaign to
.lect her husband as Tavenner did
himself. Furthermore, she knew
now to work effectively in his IN
,erest. Before her marriage. Mrs.
Tayenner had for three years been
private secretary to United States
Senator Robert NJ. LaFollette OF
Wisconsin
Mrs. Tavenner is Il years old,
her congressman husband Is 81,
Tavenner has been newspaper man
at the National Capitol DUNG the
sessions of Congress for four
years He knows every member oil
Congress personally. and the fact
that he has been writing an article a
day for four years, has quite naturally
resulted in his acquiring much valua-
BILE and useful information on the
tariff andother subjects. Mrs.
Tayenner SAYS her husband is a pro-
gressiye of the LaFollette type, and
Tavenner replies that it is not
necessary for anyone to prove It,
that he admits it.
Senator LaFollette is Repub-
lican. or at least insist that he Is 4
Republican" says Mrs. Tavenner,
while Mr.. Tavenner is Democrat.
Yet so far as can make out. they
seem to take almost identicaliy the
same viewpoints of the big issue
confronting the people. "
''Of course j wasn't responsible
for Mr.. Tavenner's election. i
helped in every way could, how
ever. Ny husband and | work to-
gether in everything. l can take
shorthand dictatiOn quite rapidly,
and can run the typewriter pretty
fast, SO you see, that, together with
my experience with Senator La
Toilette, it makes it possible for me
to make myself pretty useful to my
husband. It is pleasure for me to
help him. Now that he is elected.
/ take Just as much interest in what
he does for his district as he does
himself. We both appreciate deeply
that the people of the Fourteenth
District, belive in us and trust us to
represent them faithfully, and we
Iase wosking day and night to
Ike good"
Mrs. Tavenner was one ot the
spectators in the galleries when her
husband was sworrin.
The oath of Office was admin
istered to Tavenner by Speaker
Champ Clark, which in itself is n
rather remarkable coincidence, in
view of the fact that Speaker Clark
was the first who recognized Tavern
ner's ability as a writer and has
been stedadfast friend ever since.
Tavenner received what he de-
clares was his most valuable edu-
cation while setting type at the
case" i'm a country newspaper office
for four years while boy. He
later conceived the idea that he
wanted to write articles on the great
issues under his own name, and he
went to Washington. His articles
were so independent in character
that ut first no newspaper would
publish them. Champ Clark was
attracted to the articles, looked
Tavenner up, found him working in
a hall bedroom and was SO impressed
that he decided to help him.
The Democratic Tariff Bill, now
pending in Congsess proposes to
take some of the tax off of such
articles as woolens, cottons, sugar,
meat and lumber, and to make up
for the loss of revenue by taxing
the incomes of the wealthy.
Under the Payne-Aldrich Law
the hats, coats and shirts of the
masses are taxed almost Il per
cent, while men like John ID. Rookie
Teller having an annual income of
$50, COO 900 year have not been
required 80 pay single penny of
taxation to the National Govern
ment on their swollen fortunes.
Ii goes without saying that the
Sugar Trust, the WOODEN Trust,
the Lumber Trust, and the Beef
Trust, will condemn the new Tariff
Bill Is class legislation. They were
-nevqf heard to complain however,
of class legislation when it hit the
other fellw.
The masses of the people pro-
duce the wealth, and by Legislative !
advantage few get possession of it.
and now these few object To the !
transfer to wealth of even the |
amount of taxation derived from
the tariff on woolens, Gotten, sugar,
meat and lumber, which are but a
few of several thouands items on /
which the masses are now paying
a tax.
Under the Income Tax provision
those having an income of more
than $4,000 must pay tax of one
per cent, ne his income in excess
of the exempted $4,000. For in
stance, = man having an income of