Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-22
N AIR
As 70 REVENUES
OF. CONGRESS FEAR
EFFECT or INCREASED TAXES
IN ELECTIONS.
PREPAREDNESS OPPOSITION
DUE TO NECESSARY COST
Fear Of Poli.iea, con..au1ne.. Felt by
Many, Especially Southern Members
Opposition May Defeat MeAdoo
Program For Raising Revenues
What Will Follow Is Big Problem.
Especial Correspondence.l

Washington. Dec 22.-Utterly in the
air as to legislation for additional
revenues-this is the condition in
which the majority party in house and
senate finds itself.
The time that passed between the
first Monday in December and the re-
cess for the holidays by no means
served to straighten out the difficult
ties in which the democrats have found
themselves over revenue. Wide varia-
ton of opinion appears among the
leaders and among what may be called
the rank and file of the democrats.
Inasmuch as the house is to pass on
the revenue legislation first the house
members just now are worrying more
than the senators.
One development is the disclosure
that large share of the opposition to
national defense legislation Is not OPP
position to national defense at all but
fear of the political consequences OF
imposing more taxes on the public
This fear is pronounced among some
Of the southern democratic members
and it will have it's effects when II
comes to shaping the defense program.
Fear Tax Increase.
One of the most prominent Of the
southern democrats in the house de-
clared today that II more revenue was
extracted from the public 1t would de-
feat him for denomination and that
II would likewise defeat number OF
other members from southern states.
But isn't there going to be national
defense legislation"
81 suppose SO and maybe we ought
to have IT: but my people don't want,
to pay any more taxes.
This represents the view OF a great
many mem bers, and especially Of dem
ocrats from, southern states Most OF
them will find It like pulling teeth to
line. up with the administration yet Jew
of them want TO draw apart from it
Meantime the taxes proposed by the
president in his message are under
bonbardment that would make CALI
poll seem calm. Tho auto taxes which
are proposed. the gasolene tax. the
stamp tax. the taxes on pig iron and
on steel manufacturcs-all are being
criticized In letters and petitions.
An Unanswered Problem.
The opposition Is such that it Is gen
erally believed the ways and means
democrats Will turn down the presi-
dents proposals. That is, the propos-
ais which originated with Secretary
McAdoo and are fayared by the presi-
dent.
But what to do II these taxes are
not imposed-that Is the unanswered
problem. While there Is growing talk
of a bond issue. the democrats in con-
gress stand in great apprehension as
to the political effects of a bond is
sue.
large number OF the democrats
would like to expand the income tax
and pass an inheritance tax Law. But
here enters the opposition to the in
herisance tax from a number OF the
states and the antagonism, especially
in the eastern centers. to imposition OF
more income tax.
The substance of It all Is that the
whole taxation and revenue problem Is
vet to be threshed out. II there is a
diplomatic break with Austria, that
may simplify it.