Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-17
LEAGUE FOUNDED
RICH
PAYCOST0F ARMY
Rational Defense Organization fa-
vors Referendum Id Most
Vital Question.

Washington. Dec. 17.-The Rational
Defense league. with emphasis on "ra-
tional,9 Is a new organization Just
formed In Washington TO give a DIFF
ferent turn to the defense program in
congress. 1t is not an organization OF
pacihsts opposed to war on sentiment
al grounds. but Ia an organization to /
push the following proposals:
~ Taxation OF the rich, instead Of
the poor, for preparedness; by In |
herltance and income taxes; ~ gov
eminent manufacture Of all munitions |
Of war; 49, conservation and develop |
ment by the government itself Of all |
national resources Of timber, oil, coal. |
minerals, water power, etc. for na~
tional defense; a. creation Of 8 COM
mission to study the possibility OF ag~
gressive war by foreign nations
against the United States and 10 pro-
pose a plan Of mutual cooperation be-
tween the republics of North and
South America, and (5) the submits
sion Of an advisory referendum TO the
people~nen and women-whenever
/ possible before declaration Of war
| is made.
At the first mass meeting. under the
auspices Of the newly formed league,
! Hon. Edward Heating Of Colorado was
the principal speaker, other speakers
being Representative Warren Worth
( Bailey Of Pennsylvania, General Isaac
+ r. Sherwood Of Ohio and Mrs. Crystal
Eastman Benedict OF New York. Mrs.
Jessie Hardy MacKaye presided.
/ Among those present were Louis F.
t Post, assistant secretary Of labor, and
Mrs. Post; Clarence Y. Powderly Of
the immigration bureau, Mrs, John J.
+ White Of the Woman's Constructive
T Peace party. Mary Mcdowell Of the
I Chicago Stock Yards settlement, Rep
/ resentative B. c. Hilliard of Colorado.
Mrs. Sarah Bard Field of California,
/ Representative C. H. Tavenner of Illi~
nois and George P. West of the indus
trial relations commission.
The question as 10 whether the rich
OF the poor are to be burdened with
the additional tax of the preparedness
I program is what interests Represen-
tative Heating. He promised In his
speech to become 4 pest" on the floor
/ Of congress by his insistence On the
question, who is to pay for prepared
Gess?" KeatiDg's answer is an inner
itapoe and an income lax so regulated
thar, with the increase in appropria-
tons for army and navy, the tax on
I incomes and the inheritances shall au-
tomaticalIy increase.
Il refuse to discuss national pre-
+ paredness." said Mr.. Heating. until I
know very definitely who will be ex-
pected to pay the bills. For my part.
am not in favor of taking a backward
step at this time I favor taxing spe-
cial privilege rather than industry.
believe that if the masses Of the peo-
pie are willing to do the fighting for
this country, the possessors of great
| fortunes should be willing to pay their
share Of the bills incident to war and
preparation for war"
Mir, Heating said ne would not favor
reducing the limit of the present in
come tax exemption so as to include
salaries down to $4,000. The present
limit is $4,000 for unmarried men. He
said the tax should be raised on those
with the large incomes.
The plan I have suggested" he
continued, lis a very simple one. II
involves the creation in the treasury
department OF q fund to be known as
the national defense fund. to be dedi-
Gated to the support Of the army and
navy. This would be made up of a
contribution Of $50, 100000 from gen
era1 revenues, and the remainder
needed for army and navy would be
secured by the imposition Of an in
heritance tax and all income tax.
For the present" he said, this
would involve raising about $500 ,00Q<7
600 a year by a tax on incomes arsi
inheritances, This would be a very
moderate tax, In England, before
war was declared. as large a sum was
being received from the same sources,
although Englands wealth is not half
as great as ours. So, under my plan,
the tax on wealth would only be one
half what 1t was In England before
the war.
"If at any future time we needed
more money for army and navy, my
plan calls for an increase In the IN
come and Inheritance taxes.
THE men who would be affected by
these taxes are the most influential In
the nation. I confidently expect them
to come forward and assume this bur
den which they are so able to bear, IN
stead of consenting to allow it to be
81 shifted by means Of taxes on what the
people eat and wear onto those less
! able TO bear ii. / believe them when
4 they assert that they are patriots and
that their only interest In prepared
ness is the patriotic interest of safe
, guarding the country from Invasion
= They should be willing, and ! believe
y they are willing to bear their share Of
4 the burden
Il will vote for the presidents pro
+ gram Of preparedness. provided thu
d cost Of it shall be borne very largely
l. by the rich; otherwise. / shall oppose
1t ana vote against it.