ustxtxb_obs_1961_04_29_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

A TALK WITH TOWER \(Continued from Page pediency than mine.” Why shouldn’t a liberal Democrat vote for Blakley? “Because of the pack that he runs with. Because of his own personal interests that he might feel compelled to protect.” Apart from party affiliation, would liberal voters gain anything from Tower’s election? “That question compels me to say things about myself I would rather leave to others. “I think that I have an inherent sense of justice. “My political philosophy is not oriented to any selfish economic interest. It’s purely ideological. “While I am a man of conviction and can be counted on to consistently stick by my convictions, the principles I believe in, I at the same time have a desire to be fair. “Of course my election would enhance the growth of a twoparty system. I think it would en’: courage other able young people to run for office as Republicans, giving the people a better choice on both tickets.” ‘No’ to Kennedy How would he characterize his economic philosophy? “Well, I’m aI’m a capitalist. The role of government is simply to preserve order in the economy and not to regulate or regiment it. Of course, preserving order involves some regulation. Anti-trust regulations, for example–I don’t see how anybody in his right mind could oppose them.” What are his views on labor? “They would be classified by my good friend, Fred Schmidt, as anti-labor. I favor right-to-work laws, I am an advocate of the Landrum-Griffin law, I want the Russia in military strength, our edge in industry and technology “is rapidly disappearing” and “the communists propose to pass us,” and as for education, “When they get that education program going in China, it is hypocrisy to say that we can catch up,” Strube said. There Is, however, another factor, the spiritual one. “And I think the spiritual situation of this na. tion is disintegrating very rapidly,” he said. What to do? “I think we’re going to have to turn from our wicked ways as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Strube concluded. Rev. Franz Lickteig, a standard Crusade speaker, director of guidance at Mt. Carmel High School in Houston and a teacher of history and modern languages, developed the theme for the students that the communists want them to be lazy and interested in sex. The communists were “very successful, very successful” in California, as shown in the film, “Operation Abolition,” the priest said. They are aiming at youth in this country, he said. They want young people to be indifferent, “moral cripples,” “intellectually lazy,” and selfish. Making ‘U.S. youth “decadent and immoral . . . is a definite program of the communists,” he said. He called for understanding of “the sacred nature of sex, the sacred nature of marriage” and said “the communists are interested in getting filthy literature in your hands. They definitely are.” Strube, on the night of April 20, spoke on why 75 per cent of American prisoners of war in Korea “knowingly or unknowingly” collaborated with the enemy, as anti-trust laws extended to include trade unions.” Is Tower for any of Kennedy’s domestic porgrams? “Generally speaking, I’m opposed to them.” Are there any of Kennedy’s domestic legislative proposals Tower can agree with? “No.” How does he stand on government subsidies? “I don’t regard tax incentives and extensions, depletion allowances, that sort of thing, as subsidies. I view them in a different light from direct subsidies, where the money goes from one taxpayer’s’ pocket into another’s. I think they must be judged in light of what is good economics and what is bad economics. For instance, if a subsidy tends to encourage inefficient methods of production, it is bad.” Does he intend to raise the issue of the federal subsidies received by Braniff Airways, in which Blakley is the principal stockholders? “We may do that. We’ve got, of course, a lot of information. It’s a tactical question.” What about states’ rights? “I’m what would be classified as a states’ righter. I always coupled with it the necessary concommitant, states’ responsibilities. If the states are to keep the functions traditionally theirs, they must assume the responsibilities.” What of the field of civil liberties? “The true conservative must be for the preservation of these individual rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, because it’s part of our Constitution, part of our tradition. “The Bill of Rights had evolved long before it was put into the Constitution. Some of the language of the English Bill of Rights of 1689 was lifted verbatim. When we fought the Amer he asserted they did. The showing of “Operation Abolition” was prefaced by a film of Col. John Mayo, director, Dallas Civil Defense, the chief of police, and the sheriff of Dallas. These men endorsed the film. Mayo said civil defense includes defending against enemies “from the back door.” During the showing, some members of the audience laughed and applauded when the demonstrators were roughed up by police. Especially did a number laugh when a policeman swooped a girl down the stairs of the city hall in San Francisco and she bumped down, on her derriere, what appeared to be about 20 or 25 wet steps. Mrs. Potter, head of history, civics, and economics in the Houston public secondary schools, stated that “we’re terribly outnumbered in this war in which we are currently engaged” with communism. She told the students they need “facts, faith, and fortitude.” She urged the students to take up diplomacy, because “Every time we go to a conference, we seem to come back with less than we went there with.” Evidently Mrs. Potter has been listening to Crusade speeches or reading their literature, for she repeated, in the course of her talk, one of the favorite themes of the Crusade. “Our enemies have said,” Mrs. Potter stated, “we do not have the fortitude to win” because we are “too selfish, too intoxicated with pleasure, and too intellictually dishonest.” After she concluded, Strube said, “I think we are very fortunate in having a lady like that as the director of social studies in our Houston public schools.” R.D. ican revolution, we started out fighting because we were fighting for our rights as Englishmen.” Is this an area in which liberals, moderates, and conservatives can agree? “I think so.” What about civil rights; integration? “I’m what’s generally classified as a moderate on civil rights.” If he had to choose between supporting Goldwater or Nixon for an office, whom would he choose? “I’ll cross that when I come to it.” Is he classifiable as “a Goldwater Republican” or “a Nixon Republican”? “I don’t like those. labels.” What is Tower for? “I’m for the preservation of the capitalistic system, our existing political and legislative institutions, states’ rights and state’s responsibilities, maximum individual liberty and freedom of choice. Because I’m for these things, I must oppose those things that are detrimental to them. “You know in England they have what they call the ‘Loyal Opposition.’ ” When we become a majority, then we can be for things, you see.” Does he have a position yet on the John Birch Society? “I think it would be wrong to jump to conclusions. I have not studied it first-hand; all I know is what I read in the newspapers and what members of the society and people opposed to it have said to me about it. I have not had time to study it, I have not had time to read the Blue Book.” The UN Blakley has said he favors withdrawing from further participation in the United Nations. What is Tower’s stance on this? “In an age when nations possess the power to destroy each other in nuclear warfare, I think there must be some association of states within which nations can strive for peace. Actually, it seems to be effective against small states, but not against the large.” Would he favor U.S. withdrawal from the U.N.? “Not at this time.” Cuba? “It has been my hope that the Castro ‘government would be brought down from within . . . the attempt has been temporatily sidetracked. I do not think it has broken the will of the people to rebel.” As for Kennedy, “it is a little early to assess Kennedy’s performance in the international field.” Does Tower favor disarmament? “I’m opposed to nuclear disarmament. We can’t hope to match the Soviet in manpower, though we can in weapons and techniques.” How do we relieve “the balance of terror”? “I don’t have any pat solutions. I wish I knew. There is a feeling of frustration and hopelessness. I understand the problems, but I have no pat solutions. Play it by ear; roll with the punch, I guess.” R. D. Malin to Address Dallas Audience DALLAS Patrick M. Malin, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, will speak Wednesday on “What About Civil Liberties in the Nation Today” at Arlington Hall, corner Turtle Creek and Hall, in Dallas. Admission for the talk is free. THE TEXAS OBSERVER Page 2 April 29, 1961 AUSTIN If the legislators are looking for another tax to pass that might draw away some of the fire that will be directed at them for passing a sales tax, Rep. Dan Struve, Campbellton, this week offered them a choice. But it wasn’t likely to be a popular choice, because it is between two income taxes, and income taxes are not held in wide esteem in the 57th legislature. One of the tax programs \(HB and revenue committee would harvest one per cent of the federal adjusted gross revenue and would, he estimated, bring the state $150 million a year. But that program didn’t attract as much interest as its companion piece, HB 990, which would levy not only a personal income tax but also a corporate income tax, both six per cent of the federal income tax. Dr. Carey Thompson, a University of Texas professor of economics who appeared in behalf of the bill, said: “I realize that the personal income tax is so unpopular and may be considered so politically untouchable that -no one will want to have anything to do with it, but it is generally recognized that the personal income tax is the most equitable tax because income is the best measure of economic well-being.” He said he also approved of the “piggyback” mechanism by which the tax could be collected through the facilities already se j t up to collect the federal income tax. As for the corporate tax feature, he said “corporation income taxes are used in more states than use the sales tax.” Thompson said a man making $10,000 net taxable income would pay the state $132 a year, whereas the man with a $4,000 net taxable income would pay only $48 a year. But since that is dealing with “net taxable,” he said, it still wouldn’t accurately represent the average burden, because the average gross income in Texas is only about $4,000. A head of the house with a wife and two children, earning that much, would pay the state only $14.40 a year, compared to nearly $40 which he would pay the state under the sales tax. AUSTIN The House this week approved by voice vote an appropriations bill calling for $379.3 million in spending from the general revenue fund, $15 million more than the Senate-passed version. A House-Senate conference committee will begin meeting shortly to resolve the differences. The bill advanced to final reading by a vote of 123-25. With appropriations committee members following the usual strategy of fighting most amendments, to keep the measure largely intact, only two of 23 attempted amendments were adopted. One of these provided for a $180 annual pay raise for state employees making under $2,500 a year. The other increased the pay for Liquor Control Board inspectors and supervisors. Among the defeated amendments was a proposal by Rep. Dm’ Garrison of Houston for a $1.2 million home for neglected But Thompson, though seemingly urged by the committee through friendly questions, refused to say that the administration of the income tax would be simpler than for the sales tax or that the state would be cheated less in the collection of the income tax. But he did concede that the administration of the income program is “relatively simple.” Then Thompson, who came prepared to talk at length on the corporate tax but found little interest in that aspect of HB 990, said wryly: “There seems to be more interest in the personal income tax than I had thought. Perhaps it is considered more politically feasible than I had supposed.” Chairman Charles Ballman said: “This committee does not always think like the majority of the House.” Thompson said 34 states now have personal income taxes, 36 have a general sales tax, and 37 have a corporate income tax. But statistics also show that income taxes are usually born in depression periods or in depressed areas. Since 1937, no state has passed a personal income tax; that is, no state until this year when hardpressed West Virginia passed an income tax. Also appearing in favor of the bill was Fred Schmidt, secretarytreasurer of the state AFL-CIO, who said that the corporate income tax is the only tax with growth possibility. He said that take from the sales tax increases one per cent for every one per cent increase in the gross national product, whereas take from the income tax increases 1.7 per cent per one per cent increase in the gross national product. He also touted the income tax as an “honest tax” because its emphasis is squarely where the legislature puts it . . . it can’t be passed on.” Schmidt said the sales tax can’t touch out-of-state owners, nor can the personal income tax, but the corporate tax can. There were no opposition witnesses, possibly because the bills are not given much chance for survival. They were sent to a friendly subcommittee, composed of Reps. Hinson, Cotten, Foreman, Eckhardt, and Korioth. and dependent Negro children. Another, by Rep. W. S. Heatly of Paducah, would have provided $4.5 million to renovate the Austin Confederate Home, which Heatly called a “firetrap.” Rep. Bill Jones of Dallas was unsuccessful in offering an amendment which would have allocated $54 million a year for an $800 teachers’ pay increase. Rep. DeWitt Hale of Corpus Christi introduced a similar amendment, also unsuccessfully, to the general sales tax passed last week. Speaker James Turman, just