Washington sentinel., 1900-04-21

dominating influences which only
regard things in the light OF trust
or organization eXpediencY. Says
the Times:
| The people assumed the burden oi
the war taxes with cheerfulness. They
would bear them without a murmur 4
that were necessary. AS they know II
is not, and that they are being exploited
Tor no public good, they are tired OF the
system and want it abolished, and at
once. Every time an American voter
draws a check or sends a telegram or an
express package he is reminded that
direct taxes, and especially little stamp
taxes, are a nuisance, In theory he may
consider the Dingley customs tarid,
which enriches the trusts a the expense
OF the home consumer, as a vicious and
tyrannical oppression; but 1t does not
come home to him a dozen times daN
as the pestiierous stamp tax does. Every
small vial of proprietary medicine he is
called upon to buy, with its fractional war
/ label, tends to excite his wrath at an
| Administration which milks the masses
OF their pennies until they count up into
hundreds of thousands Of dollars. And
when the upright citizen buy a cigar or
live cent paper of tobacco he is not
apt 70 forget that he and other cOnsum'
ers like him in the single year Of 1899
contributed in extra war taxes the very
| handsome sum Of $40, 262 .6S5 ~,
Do the Republican leaders in Congress
fancy that they can safely allow this
discomfort of the people TO grow, while
they busy themselves with the Subsidy
bill, to hand over a gTatuity of ninety
million dollars to a dozen or less pluto.
cratic m m0nopolists, and other measures
Of similar dagrancYi Are they com
pletely imbued with the VandeTbiltian
idea of "the public be damned?"
We hope not! Every member
Of the majority who failed to raise
mis- voice in this Congress for a re-
peal of these onerous taxes will
live to regret it next November
Not only the rank and file OF the
working classes are kicking siren.
uouslY but also the so-called con-
servative business element. The
Editor of the SENTINEL having
been informed by Congressman
Sulzer, McClelIen and Levy, Of
New York, that delegation OF the
United States Brewers Association
from New York would likely ap.
pear before the Ways and Means
Committee on Tuesday, accord
in9ly attended the session Of that
committee on that day with the e2l
pectation Of lending individual aid
and advice on the mode OF proce-
dure. He was disappoin, ed in
failing to locate any members of
this organization in the Capitol, or
before the committee, but was
pleased to see before the committee
a strong delegation from the Retail
Druggists National Association,
whose spokesman made strong
plea and demand for the abolition
OF the war tax on proprietary med
icines. The grievance Of the peo-
pie represented bV this delegation
is a biting one. AS one Of the rep
resentatives explained, a manu-
featuring druggist in the East who
produces a popular preparation,
decided to bear the war tax and not
to raise the price Of his goods to
customers, thinking that the Gov
ernmental exaction would be but
temporary. AS a result of busi-
ness activity due to the war. the
cost Of every ingredient used in
manufacturing the article referred
10 was greatly enhanced, as is the
case with the brewers, until now
the tax amounts to FIVE per cent of
the gross trade and thirty p er cent
on the profit. This tax upon this
class of dealers, whose sales are
small compared with the stock
they have to carry, amounts to
such oppression as to drive many
pharmacists to the brink Of bank
TuptcY.
We are not so sanguine as to
think that such a consideration, or
even the pitiful plight OF the small
brewers throughout the North
western States, as reported bv our
representative who has just re-
turned from Minnesota, will move
the trust managers on Capitol Hill.
We sYmpathize with the medicinal
and toilet sufferers. We hope they
may have pleasant time in Wash
ington, because the chances are
that is about all the run they will
get for their money. II the dele
CATION from the Brewers Associa-
ton show up they may fare better.
Hanna is lying awake at nights
worrying and scheming as to how
he should proceed in order to ap-
pease their wrath, and by throwing
sand into their eyes force them to
contribute again to the campaign
fund. He may succeed with some
Of them but the majority OF the
brewers Of this country will in our
opinion vote a straight Democratic
ticket in the next election.
On TILE rnen,hers nf The com