Washington sentinel., 1898-04-30
To the Democratic Senators.
AN App Al FOR EQUALITY
OF TAXATION.

that the large Republican ma ority
OF the House will pass the bill to
double the tax on the poor mans
beverage. especially as the Demo
cratic members OF the House are
misled on the question by the
sh ortsightedness Of their leaders,
we appeal to you, Senators, to fol-
low the policy which you pursued |
last year, when unanimously in
caucus you voted against an
increase OF the beer tax.
OF all the articles mentioned In
Mr.. Dingley's schedule beer is to
be taxed the highest, notwithstand-
ing the present tax is the old war
tax Of 1864. 1t is paid principally
by the laboring classes. No other
country in the world taxes beer as
high as we do now, and this tax is
to be doubled! Seventy millions
annually are to be paid by our
poorer classes on an article that is
partly food with them.
Why this enormous taxi The
war, if properly conducted, should
be over IN less than four weeks. 1t
has not cost as yet fifty millions,
and this has merely been expended
for reparatIons-shipS, guns, for
tihca'ions, &c.-which we should
have without war
Why then this unnecessary tax
ation9 Unnecessary, as we have
money enough in the Treasury,
and. if we want ready money, can
get any quantity by selling 3 per
cent bonds to our own people.
And then why tax the poor so
outrageouslY and not also the ricb2
Why not adopt an income tax, as
exists in every civilized country2
Why press to the ground the labor
ing men, who most y are all Dem
ocrats now, and will continue to
be il the Democrats assist in pro-
tecting them against this additional
taxation OF thirty five millions a
year on one article oi daily use that
pays alrea1y thirty FIVE millions
annually
Why will you Democratic Sem
ators not protect your constitu-
ents7 Why will you leave them to
the mercies OF their enemies, the
Republicans, many of them prohi-
bitionists.
Mr.. Bailey says that the brewers
pay the beer tax. He ought to
know that in every case the con-
SUI er and not the manufacturer
pays the tax. There is no excep-
ton to this rule. He also says he
is willing to double the internal
revenue taxes, if the Republicans
ask it, for war purposes, but he is
unwilling 10 allow the issue of
three per cent bonds, because he
wants the present generation to tax
itself to death for the benefit OF
future generations.
Even if we should issue FIVE hun
dred millions Of bonds. they would
only cost fifteen millions a year in
interest, and could gradually be
paid off, without forcing the pres
ent generation through a doubling
OF taxes on their necessities, to pay
all the expenses Of the war at
once.
Besides the internal revenue
taxes come in by monthly pay
ment. They are not paid in ad-
vance. Hence some bonds WILDE
necessary anyhow.
Remember that the beer tax is a
tax on the poor. 1t is a high tax
now, and it will be an outrage to
double it. Pass an income tax
bill. and make the rich pay also,
and you will have plenty money
without doubling the war beer
tax.
Democrats! Be true to right
and Justicel Treat ali alike, and
have the same feeling for the
laborng man as for the million
aire. You know that the great
burden OF taxation already rests
upon the laboring classes. Treat
them right and they will look upon
the Democratic party as the bull
wark ottheir liberty and protection.
Let the beer tax alone The
present thirty five millions a year
are enough! Let the rich pay their
share OF taxation through an in
come tax! That is true Democ-
raoYl