The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-12-01
DIR. {. F.: LADDIS
WEEKLY LETTER

w dSIlllSIOll -. ~. NOVs AO, 1CHls
Sparks From The, Congressional Anvil
As one of the conferees from the
Senate, Senator Simmons in speaking
on the floor of the Senate November
2z"d on the conference report OH toe
tax bill, says with regard to the sun
tax amendment:
"Around that amendment most of
the discussion which took place with
reference to incomes revolved. Does
anybody doubt what would have been
the fate of that amendment but for
the insistence and demand Of 81 or %
strong, stout hearts over there, spok-
en- of derisively as the agricultural
bloc or the progressive bloc-some
sort Of bloc in the Republican party
which the old guard would spurn and
ostracize? Is there anybody here or in
the country who believes that the re-
dictionary crowd that controls the FL
nance committee, thoroughly commit
ted to the House provision of 80 per
cent, ever would have yielded to that
amendment if they had not been con-
fronted by that hard and insurmount-
able rule of the necessity of things?
They surrendered because they were
beaten, and they knew it; but, oh, my
friends, fear-I dislike to say it
fear that that surrender carried
with it mental reservation. Yea, Mr..
President, if we are to interpret the
thoughts Of men by their actions in
the past, I know that there was a
mental reservation.
"Here was -fought-out amend
ment made for the purpose of chang
ing a provision of the bill that made
a dead line at an income of $4,000,
that deliberately selected the income
that represents the ordinary CONNER
cial interest upon an investment OF
million dollars and made line upon
one side of which were arrayed men
worth millions of dollars, and upon
the other side no man whose income
was beyond and above $4,000. 1t
lifted the bulk of the surtax imposed
in the present law off of this million
aire class and took practically moth
ing off of the surtaxes of those below
that millionaire line. The amendment
upon which the aggressive and pro-
gressive forces Of the other side OF
this Chamber were lined up with this
side of the Chamber removed these
inequalities by materially reducing
the tax which the man below 100000
income would have to pay, and proper
ly and justly adding a reasonable
amount to the 80 per cent to the sur
taxes upon the men who have accum-
ulated their millions of dollars. Many
of them either accumulated them dur
ing the war, when profiteering was
rife and when they marched to the
head of the column of profiteers, OF
they multiplied them then. They, more
than any other class of the people of
this country, have profited financially
by the war; and this attempt, second
ed by the Secretary of the Treasury,
who even wanted the maximum sur
tax to go down to rs per cent, second
ed by the reactionary membership of
the Finance Committee was defeated
in the senate. It went to conference.
That was the issue involved. That was
the purpose of the amendment. What
was it's fate there?
"Mr, President, 60 not into details;
I tell not what any ma min this con-
ference did; but I do say now and
here that the subject of the amend
ment was hardly opened in the com.
mittee before there came, hot ano
quick, with the vehemence of earnes,
desire, suggestion from the confer
ees on the part of the Senate that g
compromise should be made and thai
the rate should be reduced to 40 pei
cent instead of so, the maximum rate
What would have happened if the!
had just had the power, if it had no
been for that wise precaution of tn
House, a body that did not trust it
conferees upon this question as tn
Senate had trusted it's conferees, wh'
felt that in dealing with question
like this in which the interests OF tn
great masses of the country were ar
rayed against the interests of tn
classes, it was necessary for those VIII
put this provision in the bill in tn
House to safeguard it? They did safe
guard it by forcing an agreement tha
it should be carried back to the Hous
for a separate vote. The House SCENE
to anticipate concessions from tni
body, and the House Members SCENE
to feel that with their conferees, prot
ably representing the same elemer
in the Republican party there that th
majority Of the conferees on the pal
of the Senate represented, it was NJ
cessary that this precaution be takeI
and it was this precaution that save
the Senate amendment"
Speaking on the tax bill :Novembt
23rd, Senator Norris said:
"I wish we could have kept the il
come tax at the present rate and
voted gainst the bill because of Il
change in the rate among other re-
sons.I intend to vote against the Co
ference report, because / do not b
lieve it is fair. It lets too much veal
escape taxation. Senators ought
vote their convictions regardless
what party is in power, and we ha'
Ia just right to be suspicious Of Il
sincerity Of any man who experienc
a change Of heart on the eve OF
Ielection, especially when he is to be
]. candidate at such election" "