St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-03

~ dNSSbAoNJ VI ltitSo PlOGlOlOh Vi
statement of purposes. Let there be no
confusing of old terms; no efforts to
gain ground by false pretense; no car
rying of new wine in old bottles. Pre-
sent the schemes of socialism on their
merits, and we will argue them. trying
all things ands no lding fast what are
good; but keep your hands off of the
good old name of Democracy.
IN TIE WRONG DIREC TION
If we may accept the statement of the
scope of the measure formulated by the
ways and means committee of the
house. an outline of which was given in
our Washington dispatches the other
day. the committee has taken a step in
the wrong direction when it could and
should have taken one in the right. We
believe that the Democratic party is now
in the position which it occupied in 1857,
when its ways and means committee in
the house reported the bill proposing a
decrease of the tariff, with the avowal
that the conditions of the country were
moving in the direction of free trade.
We believe that the Democratic party is
in a position to perform for industry
what the Republican party did for
humanity, increase the measure of its
freedom, strike from its limbs the
shackles of industrial slavery.
We do not believe that this is to come
as freedom came to the negro, at one
stroke of a presidential pen, or approx
ing a sweeping act of congress, but we
do believe that the party, by its rep
resentatives in congress, should recog-
nize its logical direction if it hopes for
continued power. and when the oppor-
tunity presents itself, as it now does, to
seize and utilize it. The progress should
not be so rapid that business built on
the false foundations of protection
could not adapt itself to the changed
conditions, but We would have the first
step in the right direction taken at the
first possible moment. This should
be done that formal notice of the ulti-
mate purpose might be duly served on
ali, and that all dependent in any degree
on governmental taxation for the sup
port of their business might prepare tor
the ultimate and inevitable end, the
largest possible measure Of freedom to
those who buy and sell.
The secretary of the treasury advises
congress that there will be a deficit of
$50, DOC. 900 at the end of the fiscal year.
This is the heritage of the infamous
Fifty frs congress, which dissipated
the surplus by spending it instead Of
wisely reducing the taxation which pro-
duced it. Not only that, but itmade the
appropriations continuous and oblig-
atory on the Democratic house which
succeeded it, and which was powerless
10 repeal the prohigate acts in the face
of a hostile senate and executive. The
present ways and means have endeav-
ored to meet this deficiency by al in
crease of taxes on two articles of con-
sumption, spirits and beer.
We are opposed to this for two rea-
sons. With the free trade which is the
ultimate purpose either of the Demo-
cratic party, or, if it reject it, then of
some other party, direct taxes appor-
toned among the states will be the
source of revenue needed to make up
the deficit arising from the taxation on
tobacco and liquors which may be re-
tanned. The first step must some time
be taken, and now, when a deficit makes
it necessary, when any increase of the
tax on consumption is sure to arouse
opposition, is the suspicious time for
the beginning. We do not know what
the sentiment in other states is, but our
observation warrants the statement that
here in Minnesota even out of every
ten Democrats, and a large percentage
of the Republicans, would favor a d.
rect tax to supply the deficit rather
than an increase of indirect tax.
The second reasoni is that as to beer, at
least, the proposed tax will not. be one
on consumption, but on occupation.
The arguments of Atkinson and Wells,
and, no doubt, the action of the ways
and means committee, proceed on the
theory that the increase of the tax of
81 a barrel will be passed On by the
brewer to the retailer and by him to the
consumer. The increase. it is argued,
will be but one-fourth of a cent a glass,
which is so slight that the consumer
will not feel it. If taxes must be laid
on consu mption, then they are best laid
on those articles whose use is purely
voluntary, like beer, spirits and tobacco.
But if the tax rests as a inality on the
brewer, and. by reason of the conditions
of that trade. cannot be passed on to
rest fiually on the consumer, then it is
in the nature of a tax on occupation or
on product, and is unjust. This, all
brewers assert, is the case. The COM
petition of the great breweries of Mil
waukee and St. Louis precludes the
possibility Of an increase of price to
meet the added tax. This would make
the tax one on the business Of brewing.
Occupation taxes were among the first
to be removed after the war. and the
Democrats should be the last to restore
them.