The daily sentinel., 1913-05-27
TAVENNER IS
ADVOCATE OF
INCOME TAX
Dy ROBERT F. WILSON,

ocuAluel special service.
Washington, d. C., May 27.-De-
claring that the belief taat in casting
[ his vote for an income tax, he was
carrying out the desire not only of
I the democrats of his district. but of
80 per cent of the rank and file of
republicans and progressives as well.
/ Congressman Clyde H. Tavenner of
Illinois made speech on the floor
I Of the house, on the income tax,
which was given close attention by
both republicans and democrats.
As a Washington newspaper cor
respondent. Tavenner has been advo-
eating an income tax for years. Many
of his articles on the subject have
been sent broadcast over the country
by the democratic congressional COM
mittee. Tavenner's speech was warm
/ ly applauded on the democratic side.
when | went before the voters
in the campaign last fall" said Tav-
enner, 81 made the declaration, re-
peating it over and over, that should
| be elected | would make a consCi-
entious endeavor to ascertain how
they desired me to vote on important
! legislation, and then vote that way.
| made that declaration in every good
faith. I desire no greater tribute
when | shall conclude my service in
4 this house. than that the people of
my district may say Of me: He made
practice of ascertaining how the
people of his district desired him to
Z vote on even the simples piece of
I legislation, and then voted that way
"In keeping with my prediction
( promise, It is my intention to cast
my vote, on behalf of the Fourteenth
U .s. a tvf fat for fhs trR "a
/ / believe in all sincerely Mr.. Chair
man. that in doing so. am carrying
out the desires of not only the DEM
ocrats of my district, but of fully 30
per cent of the rank and file of re-
publicans of my district, and of the
progressives, socialists and prohibi-
/ tionists.
"The income tax is a part of the
program of this side of the house to
/ reduce the ever-increasing cost of
living in this country. The program.
and 1t is being carried out, is to take
some of the tax off of such articles
as woolens, cotton, sugar, meet and
lumber, and then to make up for the
/ loss of this revenue to the govern
ment by leyying a tax on the incomes
of the wealthy. Strange to say, up
to this moment wealth has not been
taxed to the extent of single penny
to defray the expenses of the national
government. This is almost unbeliev-
able, but it is absolutely true, and
will not be denied on this floor or
elsewhere.
1T is true that wealth is taxed for
the benefit of cities. counties and
states, but revenue for building bat
tleships. maintaining the army and
navy. and running the. national gov
ernment is obtained solely by tax
ing the things eaten, worn and used
by the people. Since the poor eat
as much as the rich, and wear cloth
/ ing on which the tariff tax is higher
than on the qualities worn by the
rich. it is obvious that the poor con-
tribute as much toward bearing the
burden of national taxation as do the
rich. Under the present fiscal system
of the United States nearly every
thing is taxed save wealth. Wealth
alone is excluded from taxation. And
! submit that wealth should be the
first thing to be taxed The pending
1 bill, removing a very moderate por-
ton of the burden of taxation from
/ the bending backs of the poor and
placing it on the rich, who are best
| able to bear it. will go down in his
tory as the fairest. sanest and most
progressive measure ever presented
to congress with hope of passage.
Mr.. Chairman, | do not believe
that it is Just that the men who own
/ 90 per cent of the wealth of the
United States should bear but 10
per cent of the burden of taxation.
| II members agree with me, that such
condition is unjust, then submit
the pending bill is move in the right
direction to remedy it."