Washington sentinel., 1900-09-15

Means Committee OF the douS'
to the Editor OF the WAsHINGTo
SENTINEL. The record OF his part
in the past, Mr.. Mckinley think!
should be sufficient for prohibition
lists. They should not press hir
to discuss awkward questions
this time. hey shoIld trust hir
10 see that the Unforeseen" e.
brewers) will happen, and that
the beer business is not immedi
ately suppressed it will at least b.
harassed and destroyed piecemeal
There is business in Mr.. McKin
leY's failure to speak out on th'
beer tax. He wants the prohibition
vote.
Then again, brewers have vote!
which Mr.. Mckinley would like
to get which he knows he will no
get II it is believed that the policy
he is pursuing will tend to con.
tinuance OF the present high rate
oil taxation. Hence he throws a
sop to the brewers in the shape oi
hope that something uniore
seen" NAV not occur to prevent
tax mot necessarily beer tax) re-
duction. With this sop he hopes
to shut the eyes OF the brewers to
the fact that the "unforeseen" is
happening every day. Not week
passes without a list OF casualties
in the Philippines to show that the
paci6cation on which alone tax
reduction depends is apparently as
far of as it was year ago. Here
and there we may find a brewer
whose sales are increased some
what and who, under the stimulus
OF supposed increase OF trade, finds
a word to say in praise OF McKin-
ley, but the fact stares US in the
face that an official publication OF
the United States Brewers Asso-
citation has asserted that the trade
is crippled. to the point even Of
annihilation, by the burdens i'm
posed by the war revenue act,
which a small increase Of sales
here and there will not relieve. AS
to the cause, or the necessity for
the continuance of the war, opin-
ions differ, but as to its effects on
the brewing business there is no
difference Of opinion. The indus
try IS suffering, and it's sufferings
will not be allaYed by equivocal
Mr., Mckinley recognizes the
necessity OF holding out some hope
10 the brewers, and he felicitates
himself on his ability TO convince
hem that tax reduction, il nothing
Unforeseen" occurs, will come
their way, while all the time he
knows in his heart that he has no
expectation or hope Of coming to
their relief When necessity there
was the brewers were the first to
come to his aid with offers of assist
lnce which meant a heaV!' drain
upon their resources. AS long as
that necessity lasted there was not
A complaint from them, nor would
there be today il the necessity ex-
isted. 1t does not exist. The
burdens of the war tax are uniusti-
iably severe and exacting, the
monthly deficits are disappearing.
the surplus is piling up by the ad-
d tions from the customs revenue,
and there is no good reason why
relief should not be given. There
is politics in Mr., McKinley's refu.
sal to make known clearly his po-
sition on the beer tax question,
but those who are suffering from
his political methods may decline
any longer to serve as buffer for
the Presidents ambitions. In that
event it will not be the "unfore-
seen" but the "foreseen" that will
occur to prevent material reduc-
tion of taxes-by Mckinley.
Deceived and refused relief during
the last Congress, when it was
shown by Secretary Gage at the
instiga'ion of Congressman Levy
of New York that the surplus Tor
the wear ending June 80 last would
be over $4,000, 900, a sum amply
to allow OF the repeal OF
the extra dollar on beer without
the resources Of the Gov
ernment, which was urged by the
Democrats, notably by Messrs.
Richardson, Levy and Sulzer, but
without success, there are now
signs that the brewers will refuse
any longer to listen to Mr.. McKin
ely's promises or to trust him
Hence his attempt to hoodwink
them. Will he sueceedP
THE Republi ;ans have at last
realized the fact that massacring
entire bridal parties and lootinP
and desecrating Catholic churches