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The Commoner.
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 28
I
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Wiixiam J. IlnyAM
Editor anil Proprietor.
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nob.
r , 'i
observed by Him who "tempera the wind to
the shorn lamb."
And, Mr. Chairman, I desire to hero enter
my protest against the false political economy
taught by our opponents in this debato and
against the perversion of language which wo
have witnessed. They tell us that it Is better
to consider expediency than equity in the ad
justment ot taxation. They tell us that It Is
right to tax consumption, and thus make the
needy pay out of all proportion to their means
but that it is wrong to make a slight compen
sation for this system by exempting small in
comes from an income tax. They tell us that
it is wise to limit tho use of the necessaries of
life by heavy indirect taxation, but that it is
vicious to lesson tho enjoyment of the luxuries
of life by a light tax upon large Incomes. They
tell us that those who make tho load heaviest
upon persons least ablo to bear it aro distribut
ing tho burdens of government with an impar
tial hand, but that those who insist that each
citizen should contribute to government in pro
portion as God has prospered him" are blinded
by prejudice against tho rich. They call that
man a statesman whose ear is tuned to catch
the slightest pulsations of a pocket-book, and
denounce as a demagogue anyone who dares
to listen to tho heart-beat of humanity.
Let mo refer again, In conclusion, to the state
ment made by tho gentleman from New York
(Mr. Cockran) that the rich people of his city
favor tho Income tax. In a letter which ap
peared In tho New York "World on the 7th
of this month, Ward McAlister, tho leader of
tho "Four Hundred," enters a very emphatic
protest against tho income tax. Here is an ex
tract: In Now York City and Brooklyn tho local taxa
tion is ridiculously high, In spite of tho virtuous
protest to tho contrary by tho officials In author
ity. Add to this high local taxation an Income
Ia:S9f tw. por cent on every Income oxcooding
?4,000. and many of our best ooplo will bo driven
put of tho country. An Impression seems to exist
In tho minds of our great democratic solons in
congress that a rich man would give up all his
wealth for tho privilege of living In this country.
A very short period of Income taxation would show
these gentlemen their mistake. Tho custom is
growing from year to year for rich men to go
abroad and live, whero expenses for tho necessi
ties and luxuries of life aro not nearly so high
as they aro in this country. Tho United States, In
spite of their much boasted natural resources
could not maintain such a strain for any consid
erable length of time.
But whither will these people fly? if their
tastes are English, "quite English, you know,"
and they stop in London, they will And a tax
of more than two per cent assessed upon their
incomes; if they look for a place of refuge In
Prussia, thoy will find an Income tax of four
per cent; if they search for seclusion among
tho mountains of Switzerland, thoy will And
an income tax of eight per cent; if thoy seek
reposo under tho sunny skies of Italy, they will
find an Income tax of moro than 12 per cent; if
they tako up their abode in Austria, thoy will
And a tax of 20 per cent. I repeat, whither
will they fly?
Mr. Weadock: The gentleman will allow
mo to suggest that at Monto Carlo such a man
would not have to pay any tax at all.
Mr. Bryan: Then, Mr. Chairman, I presume
to Monto Carlo he would go, and that there
ho would glvo up to the wheel of fortune all
tho wealth of which he would not give a part
to support tho government which enabled him
to accumulate it.
Aro there really any such people in this
country? Of all tho mean men I have ever
known, I have never known one so mean that
I would bo willing to say of him that his
patriotism was less than two per cent deep.
There la not a man whom I would charge
with being willing to expatriate himself rather
than contribute from his abundance to the sup
port of the government that protects him.
If "some of our best people" prefer to leave
tho country rather than pay a tax of two per
cent, God pity the worst.
If we have people who value free government
so little that they prefer to live under mon
archical Institutions, even without an income
tax, rather than live under the stars and stripes
and pay a two per cent tax, we can better afford
to lose them and their fortunes than risk tho
contaminating influence of their presence.
I will not attempt to characterize such per
sons. If Mr. McAllister is a true prophet, if
we are to lose some of our "best people" by
the imposition of an income tax, let them de
part, and as they leave without regret the land
of their birth, let them go with the poet's curse
ringing in their ears:
Breathes thero tho man with soul so dead
Who novor to himself hath said,
This Is my own, my native land!
"Whoso heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As homo his footsteps ho hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strand?
If such thoro breathe, go, mark him woll;
For him no minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power and pelf,
Tho wretch, concentered all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vllo dust, from whence ho sprung,
Unwopt, unhonored, and unsung.
DEMOCRATIC PATRIOTISM
A republican president proposes a constitu
tional amendment specifically authorizing an
income tax and although the amendment was
proposed for the purpose of preventing the
passage of an income tax measure proposed by
the democrats, every democrat in the senate
and house supported the resolution proposing
tho constitutional amendment.
Query: Suppose Mr. Bryan had been elected
and had proposed the constitutional amendment
(as he would have done) would the republicans
have voted for the resolution? The democrats
are to bo commended for their patriotism. They
support a good measure even though a repub
lican president recommended it.
MR. TAPT AND ELECTION OF SENATORS
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat is a republican
paper. In fact it is one of the leading repub
lican papers. In its issue of July 14 the Globe
Democrat prints an editorial which Is so inter
esting that it is hereinafter published in full.
It will be seen that tho Globe-Democrat says
that Mr. Taft will not give his sanction to the
election of senators by popular vote because
"no republican national convention has ever
sanctioned any such proposition." Neither did
the republican national convention approve the
income tax. Yet a republican senate (unani
mously) and a republican house (with only
fourteen republican votes in the negative)
passed the proposed income tax amendment.
The Globe-Democrat lays great stress on the
fact that republican orators and editors paid no
attention to the election-of-senators-proposition
during the presidential campaign. The Globe
Democrat says: "Larger issues were before the
country at that time and for a like reason it
will get no attention now. Bigger issues are
before the country now than this question of
tho election of senators by the direct vote of
the people." But the republican party leaders
did not discuss 'the income tax in the recent
campaign, yet the party, in congress was forced
by public sentiment to make a pretense of giv
ing endorsement to the income tax. Why not
adopt, with it, the popular method of choosing
United States senators?
This republican paper speaks quite frankly
upon tho republican party's real attitude toward
the income tax; It says "the bulk of the party
however, will oppose it, and they will be sup
ported by conservative democrats." Perhaps
the Globe-Democrat is mistaken. The income
tax proposition may be opposed by some of tho
trust magnates, financiers rnd politicians. But
it is safe to say that the tank and file of the
republican party, like the rank and file of the
democratic party, favors it. The difficulty will
be that, through the agency of papers like the
Globe-Democrat, the will of the rank and file
is misrepresented; and that through the agency
of the politicians for whom the Globe-Democrat
speaks the preference of tho majority will not
find expression in the acts of republican legis
lators. The Globe-Democrat concludes that "Mr.
Bryan's championship of the income tax will
arouse republican disgust." Also "if, aB now
seems to be probable, he (Bryan) takes tho
stump in favor of the income tax amendment,
that proposition will lose the votes of many re
publicans who otherwise might be inclined to
accept the tax as a necessary evil." In another
column of the game issue the Globe-Democrat,
referring to the income tax proposition, says:
"The question will bo more Important than any
other which is likely to be before the people in
those years." That being true this republican
paper places a small estimate upon the intelli
gence and the patriotism of the members of its
party when it assumes to say that their position
on this all important question will be governed
by tho attitude of a particular individual rather
than by the merits of the question at issue.
The Commoner gives republicans higher
credit than this. It believes that republicans
who understand the question will lead their fel
lows Into the light. It believes that in the great
contest now coming on in behalf of the income
tax, republicans, democrats, and men of other
parties will be found fighting shoulder to
shoulder to put their state in line with that
method of taxation, the adoption of which, we
have the right to say, will mark for our nation
distinct progress along the lines of popular gov
ernment. The Globe Democrat's article follows:
MR. BRYAN'S OFFER TO MR. TAFT
Addressing President Taft in an open letter, Mr.
Bryan asks: "Now that the states aro going to
vote on tho ratification of tho amendment specifi
cally authorizing an Income tax, why not glvo
thera a chanco to vote on an amendment provid
ing for the election of United States sen
ators by popular vote?" Ho refers to tho
circumstance that In his speech accoptlng
tho nomination In 1908 Mr. Taft said ho
was "personally inclined to favor such a change
in tho constitution." Then Mr. Bryan adds: "Theso
constitutional amendments, ono authorizing an In
come tax and tho other providing for tho popular
election of senators, would make your administra
tion memorable, and I pledge you whatever assis
tance I can render In securing the ratification of
these amendments." Possibly Mr. Taft will gratify
his ex-antagonlst and urge congress to adopt a
resolution to refer this senatorial election ques
tion to the states, but probably ho will not. Tho
lncomo tax amendment to tho constitution and
tho corporation tax as a statute aro tho only pro
posed new departures which have much of a chanco
to get a hearing at present.
Naturally Mr. Bryan would bo glad to see a
republican president give his sanction to tho elec
tion of senators by tho direct voto of the peoplo.
The democratic platform of 1908 had this as ono
of Its planks. In 1900 Mr. Bryan also Induced hla
platform makers to include this among his party's
articles of faith. No republican national conven
tion, however, has ever sanctioned any such propo
sition. Speaking for himself personally, Mr. Taft
?aIi tn nIs sPeech accepting tho nomination
that ho was Inclined to favor the idea, but
?. ad2d tnat Jt was hardly a party ques
tion. These words did not commit the can
didate or the party to that proposition. Not ono
republican out of ton who read Taft's speech en
tire at that time took any notlco of his declara
tion on tho senatorial election question. Not one
republican out of a hundred gave any thought to
that question in the campaign. Larger Issues were
before the country at that time, and, for a llko
reason, It will get no attention now. Bigger issues
aro before the country now than this question of
tho election of senators by tho direct voto of the
people. Tho moro the people see of tho direct
primary method of selecting senators tho better
they like the old nlan. Mr. Bryan's proposition
would carry this "popularization" In the choosing
of senators a long step farther than It went In
tho case of Oregon and Illinois In their primaries
of a year ago, and tho thinking portion of the re
publicans aro hardly inclined to tako that step,
at least until the recollection of some of tho re
cent plebiscites on the sonatorshlp fades. There
are some things in the constitution under which
wo havo been living for over a century which
should bo allowed to stand.
.. is easy to soo why Mr. Bryan Is gratified at
tho submission of the lncomo tax question to the
states. The income tax is democratic and not re
publican doctrine. It will get many republican
votes. The bulk of the party, however, will op
pose It, and thoy will bo supported by conserva
tive democrats. Moreover, tho Nebraskan's osten
tatious indorsement of tho proposition Is calculat-
'xHifaw?,ri,vAl,i.l
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