The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-06-16
TAX EQUALITY
ASSN" DEFIED
BY v00RHIS
BY JOHN CARSON

WASHINGTON tCLNSJ-B direct
question and by very pointed implica-
ton, Congressman Jerry Voorhis of
California has offered an opportunity
to the National Tax Equality Associa-
ton to prove its virtue and to justify
the banner of tax equality" it is as
Stunning to carry
Is the National Tax Equality Asso-
citation another one of the groups
which are engaged in a subtle and
furtive campaign of propaganda to
raid the government treasury and to
protect the war profits of monopolies?
Why is the National Tax Equality
Association attacking "co-operatives
which in many instances have stood
between our farmers, as well as other
groups in our population, and sheer
economic ruin and restitution?
These are the questions sent by
Voorhis to Ben C. McCabe president
of the National Tax Equality Associa-
ton in letter which calls for an
answer and which McCabe will have
difficulty in evading.
The tax-raid conspiracy which is de-
veloping out of various centers In the
country is not only attracting the in
terest of those who have accumulated
great wealth. 1t is also causing them
to open their pockethooks to contrib
ute to these so-called educational or
ganizations" Contributors are adj
vised that they may deduct these con-
tributions from their incomes and
thus in large measure the very Treas
ury which the conspirators would raid
is made to bear a large part of the
financial cost of the propaganda
against the less fortunate and the
poor who must pay the burden of
taxes the conspirators would escape.
Voorhis pointed out to McCabe that
experience of the past as to tax-raids
should teach our people lesson to
beware of propagandists. He refer
red, generally, to the experience after
the last war when in 1919 another con-
spiracy got under way which culmi-
mated in October of 1922 in a broad,
but secret, decision "to decide favor
ably in the interest of taxpayers" on
!
on the rich reduced under the leader
ship of Andrew w. Mellon, the multi
millionaire secretary of the treasury.
Billions of dollars were returned in
refunds" also, and returned in de-
cisions which were later exposed but
exposed in large measure after the
horse had been stolen"
Only recently, a very honorable at
.orney for large corporations told this
how one of his clients
mad told him that "all we want out Of
he coming election is to name the
of the treasury" The attor-
ney quietly told his client that if that
was their game and they were sue
eessful they would then have another
attorney.
While Voorhis was deity tearing
he veil off the National Tax Equality
Association, Congressman Wright Pat
nan of Texas was doing a similar
OBJ on an organization known as "The
Committee for Constitutional Govern 3,
nent," an organization which Voorhis
ERECTED attention to some weeks ago.
'atman charged that this group, spon- /
ored by Frank Gannett, millionaire /
newspaper owner, is trying through !
sinister, sordid lobby and undercover S
actics to exempt the wealthy tax pay e
rs" by slipping through various state v
legislatures a call for a Constitutional 2
amendment which would restrict the
ederal income taxes to limit of rs (
er. cent. Patman related how the l.
Obbyists were operating, how they v
yere building on prejudices just as i
, the National Tax Equality League, s
nd under cover of the prejudices are e
citing all-important tax-raid resolu- C
ions through state legislatures with O
ut exposing the real purpose of the
t
Voorhis told McCabe that he had n
card the National Tax Equality Asso- 0
iation referred to as "the anti-co-op- e
rative association. He said he had s.
card that the real purpose of the Il
ssociation is to destroy cooperative Z
EXAMINATIONS and their ability to con- G.
nue. to protect the farmers of Amer v
"a and many other groups of our u
itizens in their right to attempt to
Dive their economic problems through Il
leir own efforts" He said the prop r,
ganda of the association justified the h
ontention that the name National D
ak Equality Association" should be O
bandoned and another name such as Il
init cooperative association" would Il
e more appropriate.