In his speech to the nation's governors in 1909, President Roosevelt presented the irony of the wealthy class being the ones who benefit the most from a progressive tax system. He argued that the wealthy should pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes because they have the most to gain from a stable and prosperous society. This was an unexpected reality because many people at the time believed that the wealthy should be taxed less, not more. Roosevelt's argument helped to shift public opinion and paved the way for the progressive tax system that we have today.