Cordell Hull Quotes
Every good citizen … should be willing to devote a brief time … to the making of a listing of his income for taxes … to contribute to his government … a small percentage of his net profits.
Cordell Hull, 1871-1955, U. S. Congressman & U.S. Senator (Democrat, TN), U. S. Secretary of State, Nobel Laureate in Peace, U. S. Secretary of State, Chairman, Democratic National Committee, House Debate, April 26, 1913
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The original constitution allowed federal taxes on the states or on the people to be levied only proportional to the number of people in the state—a so called “head tax” of “poll tax.” This was a very regressive form of taxation since the rich could only be taxed the same amount as the poor even though they could afford much more and the poor could hardly afford anything at all. This amendment paved the way for the income tax where a percentage of income could now be taxed.
Cordell Hull was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during most of World War II. Before that appointment he represented Tennessee for two years in the United States Senate and twenty-four years in the House of Representatives.
