The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-07-20
LET NOT THINE RIGHT HAND s,
KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND
DOETH.

DOETH.
DOES Governor Blaine mean what
he says Or is he just talking for the
purpose of catching the votes of the
unsuspecting?
To q Washburn audience, less than
two week ago, he stated he was pro-
hibited from revealing any of the
secrets of the income tax returns of
corporations because of the ''terrible
secrecy clause" and if he did so he
would be Immediately landed in Jail.
That statement appears to have been
for local consumption.
Governor Blaine is now talking
closer to home and he does not seem
to fear the same laws he feared while
in Washburn for he is going about
divulging the names of the corpora
tions as we'll as some of the amounts
which he claims have been withheld,
and he has not even been arrested
and has not been jailed.
He told Northern Wisconsin peo-
pie how the state officers had been
prevented from reviewing the income
returns of corporations because of
the secrecy clause, yet he now says
$500 of the $4,000 corporations in
the state have made incorrect re-
turns, and of 116 of those investigat-
ed the state is going to collect
81, 430,952. When in Washburn the
Governor claimed to have collected
more than three millions of dollars.
The Governr now estimates that the
income through these withheld taxes
will amount to about $4,000 a
month.
These are big figures, important
figures, impressive figures when skill
fully presented from a campaign
platform by a candidate seeking re-
election, but what have they got to
do with the secrecy clause or the
election of Blaine. The secrecy clause
is still in effect and yet the tax COM
missions auditors found those des-
crepencies in the returns and they
will keep right on looking for them
whether Governor Blaine is in the
official chair next year or not.
The Federal Government, accord
ing to this willy politician, has col
lected in Wisconsin some $68,000.00
withheld by Wisconsin corporations,
and there is an air tight secrecy
clause to the federal income tax law,
and he does not advocate a repeal
of the fedora, law, but in Wisconsin.
according to Blaine the secrecy
clause is something awful, yet in
spite of it, if he can be believed, the
Wisconsin corporations making frau
dulent returns have been made to
pay just the same.
He il also promising lower taxes.
He has been Governor of Wisconsin
for two years. In 1920 the state
expenditures amounted to $24,946,-
690.42, and in 1921 they increased to
$50, 438, 1859, which does not look
very much like an attempt to reduce
taxes for the farmers and laborers of
the state, yet he pleads another
chance to make good.
He threatens the tax lodging corr
porations. 1t must be remembered
that for the two years Def pc he
was Governor Blaine was Attorney
General in Wisconsin. That was
during the time the corporations
were engaged in getting big prices
on war contracts. There 81 no re-
cord to show any attempt by the
Governor who was then Attorney
General to force these corporations to
pay their just share Of the taxes. He
has been Governor the past two
years and again there is no record of
any prosecution Of corporation for
defrauding the State of taxes. Gov
ernr Blaine names some of the COR
porations and the amounts withheld,
yet there has been no prosecutions.
He has two arguments. One is his
defense of the pardon power which
he has used so freely in pardoning
moonshinerss When he tells of
these pardons he talks about some
thing not the issue. The heroism of
the bloody advance in France, the
home where hungry babes await the
return OF their father, the fearful
appeal Of wives and children, and
then he asks: "Who wouldn't have
done as ! did when I took these
men out of the jails and gave them
an education?" And while under
the sob spell the voter sees the issue
as the Governor makes it, but when