The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-29
Senator Hitchcock Makes an
Insurgent Speech.
Saws the Senate Is in Control
of a Machine.
He WILL NOT SUBMIT TO 1T
His Position Endorsed by Sc
niOr Member From Kansas.
Then His Amendment Is
Promptly Voted Down.

Washington, Aug. 29.-Denunciation
of the Democratic senate caucus as a
political machine" by Senator Hitch
cock. one of the Democrats who re-
fused to be bound by the caucus on all
features of the tariff bill, marked to-
davis reopening of the fight over the in
come tax.
WHY should senators be expected
TO be bound by the hasty decisions of
a secret caucus on details of the in
come tax?" demanded Hitchcock.
why should they be expected to vote
down every amendment, however
good. simply because it comes from the
other side of the chamber? Why
should the income tax section not be
amended here upon the floor OF the
senate if debate convinces senators
that it should be-"
The insurgent Democrats who yes
terday demanded that the bill be
changed to increase the income tax on
large fortunes apparently had gained
strength and insisted that they would
force the party conference late today
or tomorrow to make substantial IN
creaSeS.
Hitchcock's attack was delivered in
connection with his amendment for
heavy penalty tax on trusts or monop-
olies controlling more than one-fourth
of the country'S production or trade IN
any given line. Five per cent would
be added to incomes of corporations
controlling from one-fourth to one
third of all the business in any given
line; ten per cent for those doing from
one-third to one-half and twenty per
cent for those above one-haf- 1t
would apply to no corporations capl-
talized at less than S5O,OOO,OOO or doing
q business of less than $1O,O00.Oo0 an
nually.
Beaten in Caucus.
Senator Hitchcock declared his
amendment had been offered in the
caucus and beaten % to IS, but he al
legged it had not been an open tl8ht
there.
1T was not even a fair test OF
caucus strength said he, ''for there
was a caucus within caucus. The
nine Democrat members of the
finance committee voted as a unit
without regard to their individual con-
victions 1t was a wheel within a
wheel a machine within machine
Caucus rule makes public debate
in the senate farcical. Senators will
not even remain in their seats to hear
them Caucus rule kills the very
spirit of legislation The income tax
section ought to be matter of llV-
ing interest. 1t is new legislation with
vast possibilities affecting not only rev.
enue but social conditions. Instead
of being here a thing of life and in
terest it lies in this chamber a veri-
table corpse and great debate that
might occur if there were any real
decision to be made here, becomes
farcical.
Amendments have been offered
from the Republican side by senators
who have made a study of the income
tax They were not contrary to any
Democrat doctrine; they would not
endanger the bill. Why then must
Democrats be required by caucus
rules to vote against them?
Antitrust Laws Fail.
with other Democrat senators 1
felt bound up to this time with these
obnoxious caucus rules. Now, how
ever, we have reached a point where
! feel free to take another course"
Senator Hitchcock added, in sup
port of his amendment that the anti
trust laws had proven failures so far
as checking monopolies and trusts
were concerned. He declared his
amendment, he believed, would prove
an effectual check upon the illegiti-
mate control of the market by great
trusts.
The amendment was discussed
briefly by Republicans and endorsed
by Senator Bristow, who said he did
not believe corporations would be able
to pass on the tax to the consumer
It's a nice thing for us to talk
refuse to touch them when we get a
Hitchcock amendment was defeated
Al to 80. Senator Hitchcock was the
only Democrat voting with Republi-
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