March 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, MARCH 2 — Free sugar and an income tax, the Siamese twins of revenue legislation, are welcomed with joy by a majority of the Democrats in Congress. There are still some conservative members of the party who hesitate to join in the rejoicing because they think there is a certain amount of dynamite concealed on the person of each twin. But in the main, the party is satisfied with the sugar bill and the other twin, which is variously called an excise measure and an income tax measure. These bills are inseparable because one takes away from the Government $53,000,000 a year, while the other is calculated to put it back, with perhaps a little more. Those Democrats who are somewhat fearful of the two bills base their criticism on the idea that these measures indicate that the announced Democratic policy of a revenue tariff has fallen down. They say that the party has departed from the revenue principle and has gone to free trade, on the one hand, with an income tax as an antidote. They realize that an income tax is good Democratic doctrine, but they do not like the fact that it is resorted to in order to overcome a revenue deficiency which would be caused by the passage of a free trade bill.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “HOLLYWOOD (U.P.) — Movie stars make their living by selling themselves to the public and for that reason cannot claim an invasion of privacy, a judge ruled yesterday in a $10,000 suit brought by actor Robert Mitchum. The dreamy-eyed star had sued Nanette Bordeaux for $10,000 on grounds she invaded his privacy by advertising a sofa, ‘Robert Mitchum sat here.’ Superior Judge William B. McKesson threw the case out of court. The sofa was from the hillside cottage where Mitchum and three others were arrested on marijuana charges. He is serving a 60-day sentence. The advertisement in a community newspaper said: ‘For sale. Robert Mitchum sat here. Charming sofa and arm chair. Slip covers hide cigarette burns.’ Mitchum accused Miss Bordeaux of using his name for personal profit without his permission. The French actress and artist is the owner of the cottage which was sub-let to starlet Lila Leeds, convicted with Mitchum.”