Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31

others. In my lecture entitled The
Price Of SOUL l have discussed that
subject. 1 think the standpoint OF
earning is of service rendered, and |
believe that the average man gives q
fair service to society for all he gets
or course, there are many exceptions
and we have some who thrive on the
earnings OF others. giving nothing In
l hope We shall have a partial equali-
cation through the new iscome tax"
But Mr.. Bryan, should not that tax
inciude all incomes-the small as well az
the larger
Il do not think so, and that for two
reasons. In the first place the tax upon
the small incomes would not be worth
the collecting. because the machinery
Tor collecting 1t would be too great. In
the second place the poor man is taxed
upon nearly everything he consumes. and
In this respect he pays proportionately
far more than the rich. We have men in
the United States who are worth tens
of millions. and who spend nevertheless
only n few thousand dollars a year. The
exemption Of the small income is entirely
sound. There is no country in the world
which levies taxes upon incomes, as far
as | know. which has not such exemp-
tons. When l was in Congress in 1896.
took part in drafting the income portion
of the Wilson tax bill, and at that time l
investigated the subject. i found that
England exempted all incomes under
$3.50. that Prussia exempted everything
under 1925. and that Austria had ex-
emptions of all incomes of $113 and un-
der. Many OF the European countries
have been collecting such taxes for q
generation or more. and they have them
today. In England the tax was then q
little more thon per cent, in Prussia il
was from L to per cent, and in Switzer-
land from l to s per cent according to
the size OF the income. Such taxes have
proved equitable and profitable i'm add
ing to the revenues of other nations and
l doubt not they will be SO with us"
Then the income tax is not new
thing?'
mo, it is not new in Europe, and 1t Is
not new in the United States. We had
an income tax for nearly ten years dur
ing and after the civil war. when the
rate was from 2H to 10 per cent. and the
exemptions ranged from $500 to $1,000.
But as I said awhile ago. there is prac-
tically nothing new under the sun. The
similar idea in speech i'm Toxic seven
years ago. Viscount Chinda, the Japa-
nese ambassador, gave me a pamphlet
the other day which had that speech in
it. l afterward presented the same idea
In Europe at a peace conference attend
ed by the representatives OF twenty-six
nations. The same is true of the election
OF the senators by the people. That Is an
old idea. / was working for that TWEEN
ty-three years ago. and the other day I
signed the proclamation OF the seven-
teenth amendment to the Constitution
which makes 1t a law. At that time I
invited Henry st. George Tucker. who
was with me in the House at the time
the movement was first agitated. and also
William w. Ruclker. the present chair
man Of the committee OF the House
through which 1t was passed. I got
three pens and had William engraved on
one OF them. / signed my first name
and gave that to Tucker. I had Jen-
nings engraved on another pen. With
that signed the name Jennings and gave
1t to Rucker. And on the third pen--
holder had the name Bryan engraved.
have kept that pen for myself as q
memento Of the occasion. ] had a fourth
pen for the date which was given to
Senator Borah."
FRANK G. CARPENTER.