Washington sentinel., 1900-11-03
rhe Question for Brewers.
The AmGytcan Byea0eys' Reoiea0,
OF Chicago, in ITS latest issue says:


If general character, the paramount
issue" in the present national campalgn
is. 10 the brewer, the war tax Inc
question of what is the paramount issue
ha, perhaps never Been more vigor-
ously and successfully disputed ana
obscured in any Presidential campaign |
than the one now in progress, as lar as
the people at large are concerned On
the one hand we are told It is whether |
prosperity" shall continue, on the other
we are asked to place imperialism
above all other considerations. Brewers
should not allow themselves to be
nisIed by these rival claims. For them
the campaign presents but one issue
the war tax.
How can the war tax be consid-
cred apart from the question oi
imperialism, which has its nantes
tation in the Philippine WARP This
tax was imposed to meet the ex-
penses occasioned by the war in
augurated for the liberation OF
Cuba, with the understanding that
when that war was over taxation
should cease. Granting that the
expulsion Of the Spaniards from
the Philippines was necessary to
clinch the victory in Cuba, no one
will assert that for nearly two years
have we been at var with Spain.
Our account with that country is
closed, and with its closing the
war tax should have ceased.
The war we are now waging, and
for the prosecution OF which this
tax is continued, is not one for the
Liberation OF human being. For
zoo years the FIlipinos had been
struggling to throw of the yoke
Of Spain just as the Cubans were,
and could the islands have changed
positions the Spanish war would
have been inaugurated for the lib
Grafton Of the Filipinos instead Of
the Cubans. The same disregard
OF human rights, the same cruelty
and oppression were practiced on
the FiIipinos as on the Cubans,
and by the same masters. Every
consideration OF humanity should
have impelled us to do Tor the Fill
ipinos what we did for the Cubans.
What did we do, however, With
out consulting the people affected,
who had a regularly organized
government OF their own, with
out the consent Of Congress. in the
face OF all our traditions, the Pres
ident paid Spain S2o,ooo,o 900 Tor
rights she did not possess and
could not transfer, we took over
10, 900, 900 human beings as we
would take so many cattle, and
when they objected to the change
OF masters we turned our guns on
our former allies. we changed our
role oil liberator for that Of enslaYer,
and entered upon war unforeseen
when the war tax was levied, un-
contemplated at the time, INSANE
toned by the law. making power,
and so unjust as to make a self-re.
specting man hang his head in
shame. 1t is impossible to con-
slider the war tax apart from the
purposes for which it is used,
and we do not believe that brewers
are so callous hearted. so devoid Of
human sympathy, as to wish to do
so. Without the war in the Phil
ippines there would be no war tax.
How can you divorce them1
In the prosecution Of this war
the beer tax is being used, and we
very much fear that the longer the
war is prolonged just so long will
the brewers have to submit to its
exactions. We MIGHT as we'll look
the proposition squarely in the
face and act accordingly. Had the
Republicans desired to repeal it
they had the opportunity last
spring, when Secretary Gage ad-
mitted that the surplus from war
revenues at the close Of the fiscal
year would amount to S75,ooo, 900.
We believe it reached a larger sum
than this. The extra tax on beer
is about $50, 900, 900. Deducting
this, the excess Of revenue over
expenditures was still $40, 900, 600.
Did the Administration make good
it's promise to the brewers9 No;
and it won't.
Brewers are justified in demand
ing its repeal for many reasons
because the object for which it was
levied has been accomplished, be-
cause they were already paying a
war tax, because the extra one is
badly crippling their business, be-
cause there are other avenues OF
revenue now exempt from which
taxation should have been drawn,
because revenues are now in ex-
cess Of expenditures, because the