Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-11

one of the bitterest and most snec-
tacular fights of the approachine.
session of congress and of the new
congress that will succeed it.
Senator La Toilette has announced
that he and his political associates
Will demand an investigation of the
returns made public with an idea of
proving That certain men of sup
poSedly great wealth are tax dodg-
ers. lie wants to know how they do
1t ana why the treasury department
authorities permit them to get away
with it. The Wisconsin statesman
names names in making his charges,
out oilers no evidence beyond the
mere fact that the men he is after
.dld not make income tax returns as
large as he thinks they should have
made.
The mere proposal to create an
other congressional investigating
committee is expected to provoke a
memora bic fight. Congress has done
httle but investigate in recent wears.
with the result that two strong and
ahta2oniStic currents of popular SEN
tlment have been set in motion. One
element of the public insists that il
Is time TO call a halt ON the inquisa.
torlal tendency of congress. termine.
1t mere pandering to the insatiahI
appetite of sensation mongers The
other element contends with even
greater Vehemence that the investi-
cations into the conduct of both
pubic affairs and big business should
so on until there has been a thor
ough national house cleaning.
Obviously, the first element will
oppose an inquiry into the income
TAX situation, contending that it
would be an unjustifiable intrusion
INTO private affairs and that if there
has been tax dOdcine. treasury of
Meals will ferret it out in due time
and see that the offenders are prose
cuted and punished. Leaders of this
Sroup are optimistic, saying that a
tldal wave of indignation over the
making public of tax returns has
swept across the country and that
congress will not dare ignore this
sentiment.
However, it is quite clear that in
TINS contest the advantage lies with
the element that will demand an in
VestlSation. In the first place, the
procedure and precedents of both
houses of congress are such that it
is always easier to pass than to de-
feat resolution calling for an of
fetal inquiry Of any kind Then,
again. opponents of such proposals
are always subject to attack on the
grounds that they must have some
thing to conceal. otherwise they
would not be afraid of an investiga-
ton.
This argument is 4 powerful weap-
on in the hands of the radical grOun.
as an illustration of how il is used
will show. The chan Sc is made that
an inquiry will disclose that ? Ger.
tain oil masnate, known as a muEt-
millionaire. who made an income re-
turn of less than $500 is VIGOROUSLY
and Outr2 SeouSlN tax dodGer. Sen
ator Blank. a conservatives but a
somewhat timid soul. inumates that
i he i opposed 10 the inquisatorial
DISSOLUTION.
Very we'll" he is warned. "but
lif YOU vote against it we'll brand
YOU before The country as q public
official who seeks 10 protect rich
criminals and as r tool of the oil in
terests. If there is nothing rotten in
The income tax business an in
vestigation Will disclose that fact
and no harm viii he done. but we
/ believe there i rottennesS and that
IAN investigation is the only way 20
/ This resolution is proposed in the