The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-04-09


complished for less than half the
money and at no sacrifice Of lie
To think Of spending either money
or life n war FOR the purpose OF feed
ing tho reconcentrados would be
worse than folly, because we can feed
the reconcentrados as much as we will
without wasting q dollar or life Ia
var
Then what must be our estimate OF
an administration who proposes to
sacrifice half billion Of money and no
telling how many lives for no other
purpose than either to put the reins OF
power in the hands OF the insucgent
leaders or to feed the reconcentrados
and not dollar or drop Of blood to
punish Spain for the most atroeious
OF crimes against all nations against
civilizations To fight for things which
can be obtained FOR less than half the
outlay without lighting would be a
crime hardly surpassed by that OF
which Spain itself stands convicted in
the minds Of those who have weighed
the evidence.
The gentlemen who have the war
6nanciug in hand cannot expect TO
raise $500 600, 600 offhaud by means of
additional taxation. The money re
quired for the prosecution Of war &C
cording TO modern methods, and espec.
tally maritime war, must be raised in
lsrgs sums and rsiied quickly. The
proceeds OF taxes are realiz ID slowly.
This is especially true Of the taxes on
consumption, upon which the national
government relies. Hence it will be
necessary to borrow for immediate use.
But the fnanciers, we are told, pro
pose to increase taxes at the same time
that they raise money by borrowing
They do not propose TO rest satisfied
with current revenue which is ins1fli-
eient to meet current expenditures on
peace basis. Under pretense of rails.
ing money for war purposes they mean
TO put on more taxes, seeking to hide
the fact that the Dingley law, in which
thoy have gloried SO much, has proved
q failure as a revenue producer.
Washington dispatches concur in
representing that the financial leaders
hrve sgreed upon revenue bill, but
they differ as to some important de-
tails. One says they have agreed upon
a bill putting an extra dollar barrel
on beer, cents on every bank check
and import duties Of cents per pound
on tea, coffee and spices. Another
says nothing about any tax on bank
checks, and puts the duty on tea at 10
cents and on coffee at cents per
pound.
The latter is the more reasonable,
Tea will bear higher tax per pound
than coffee, and when both have been
taxed tea has been taxed at the higher
rate. During the civil war and until
July, 1870, coffee was du,isFla at the
rate Of cents per pound and tea al
the rate of from go to 25 cents pei
pound. After July, 1870, and until the
duties on those articles were abolished
the rats on coffee was cents and on
tea IS cents. This last adjustmen'
would be more reasonable now thar
the same rate on tea and coffee
As for the tax on bank checSs, Il
ought not to be considered. 1t is ont
Of the most unequal OF all conceivable
taxes. A check may be anywhere
from 81 TO 81. 600. 600 or more, bat TIA,
proposed tax is ? cents, irrespective oi
! the amount involved.
such tax eau be justified only in /
case Of great urgency aud then onlJ
on checks for considerable amounts
not less than 500 The old war tAy
on checks operated to prevent the con
venient tran-ac i)n through banks Of
retail businets TO n vast amount in tn,
agRreg Ate. S.u e itl adjustment peo
pie hbvs come to avail themselves o.
banking facilities to an enormously
increased extent in their small deal
ings. To strike a blow at this bust
ness now by putting a tax on small
checks would be, in effect, to eontrae
the currency to the extent. probably
O. not less than seOO, 900, 900
1t is TO be borne in mind that thi
proposs I'd tax would not fall on bankers
who are supposed to be rich, but upoI
people who deposit money in tn
banks, great numbers OF whom ar
very far from being rich. To put
tax indiscriminsiely on all banl
checks would SAVIOR very strongly o
demsgogism. II would look like
pretense OF taxing wealth, when Il
fact II would be hard only on smAi
depositors who for convenience an
safety keep their little ready cash 4
the bank
I