Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-06-02
UNFRAMED MOB"
SAYS T|LLMAN
Scores Democrats for Loose Man
ner in Which Laws
are Drawn.
INCOME TAX LAW JUMBLE
INCOME TAX LAW JUMBLE
OF IMPERFECTIONs.
Congressman Mann Often eau
toned House on Poorly
Drawn Bills. r"

Washington, June las compar
cd with the republicans, we are an
unframed mob, with little knowledge
Of parliamentary law and with very
little effective knowledge Of the
rules"
Senator Tll!man, democratic sena'
tor from South Carolina, spoke these
words in an address to the United
States senate. In the light Of subse.
quent events, they have Become q
warning and a prophecy.
Laws Arc Crude.
The laws enacted during the last
two years are crude and family to the
last degree. AS illustrative Of thic
fact, a few notable examples Of the
many jblunders contained in the tariff
bill alone have been hitherto publish,
ed.
Lest we forget" a brief summary
Of these examples follows, merely to
emphasize the general principle Of
inaccuracy prevailing in the demo
cratic laws:
/. The tariff bill as a whole was q
blunder, because it was a revenue
measure that produced many millions
Of dollars les than were needed, g
depleted treasury being the result.
2. The provision for a ) per cen.
discount in duties on merchandise in
ported in American vessels, involving
millions Of dollars, was declared in.
operative by the attorney general
over a year ago, and went to the court
Of customs appeals.
3. Another provision affecting hun.
dreds Of business concerns is before
the same court because of the inser
ton Of an obscure phrase that Meth,
err customs officials, lawyers nor busi-
ness men affected could understand
Vital Provision.
4. A vital provision in the income
tax law, a part Of the tariff bill, re
lating to deductions allowed in com
putting gross income, must go to the
courts like hundreds Of others.
5. The entire income tax provision
has 'heen pronounced by the taxation
committee of the American Far asso
citation, a non-partisan body, "as oper
to the gravest objections both ir
structure and specific defects % i'm
! %perfections hcing pointed out.
G.. Necessity for amending this law
has forced administration officials to
the work Of formulating a report OF
its crudities, as a basis for amend
ment by congress.
Cautions Majority.
On innumerable occasions during
the debate on the tariff and other
bills, Republican Floor Leader James
r. Mann Of Illinois cautioned the ma.
jority to S greater care, and gave
one reason for the dividing line be.
tween the two sides of the house as
"a lack of information" on the part
Of the democrats.
Like Senator TilIman's u]tterance,
these words have assumed prophetic
meaning. Literally, hundreds Of 9TH
er plumbers in the tariff bill might
be cited. Typical examples have been
referred to because they show the
logical results that followed the en-
ployment OF slovenly, inaccurate
methods Of legislation.
Practically every important statute
passed by the present administration
is likewise honeycombed With need
less imperfections. that must he cor
rected ,by expensive legal procedure
or legislative action. They are facts
with which everyone should become
familia. and with that object in view
the subject will be dealt with in fu-
tire articles.