Washington sentinel., 1900-11-03
To the Brewers of the Country.

To the Brewers OF the Country.
Next week will decide whether
that enormous tax on beer, larger
than that OF any other country,
shall continue. One thing is GER
tain, that if Mckinley IS elected
the tax will not only continue but
very likely be increased by reason
OF the Presidents war policy. In
1896. when Bryan was a member
oi the Committee on Ways and
Means, the chairman OF that COM
mittee, Mr.. Wilson, asked US one
day what the brewers would say
to the doubling OF the beer tax.
To this we replied that that bill
would injure the Democrats and
that we would bitterly oppose such
a measure. We mentioned this
interview with Wilson to Mr..
Bryan, and Bryan declared that
Deer was the poor mans beverage
and agreed with US that it should
not be taxed any higher. We pub
Iished these interviews with Wilson
and BRYAN at the time in the SEN
TINEL and gave wide publicity to
the expression used by Bryan,
namely, that beer was the poor
mans beverage" this being the
first time that beer was so named.
The Democrats in committee i'm
mediately consulted with Bryan
and came to the conclusion that it
would be an impolitic and unjust
move to make this increase, and
so the question was dropped.
The following year the Repub-
licans in the Senate attempted to
make an increase of "A cents on
each barrel. This proposal en-
anated from the Internal Revenue
Department. We called the atten-
ton OF Senator German to this pro-
posed increase, and he being then
the Chairman Of the Democratic
Caucus Committee, labored aSsid-
uouslY among his Democratic
friends, and when he had them all
united in opposition to the in
crease he brought the matter up in
the Democratic Caucus With the
result that the Democrats unani-
mously opposed any increase ot
the beer tax. AT the time this was
done the election OF Senator Hanna
and other Senators was pending,
and the Republicans therefore
quietly withdrew the amendment
to increase the tax because they
did not want to incur the displeas-
ure OF the brewers just before elec-
tions.
Senator German and the Editor
OF the SENTINEL who were at the
bottom OF this move did not re-
ceive the credit for the work, which
was unjustly given to Mr.. Butter
worth, at the time a Republican
Office holder, who could not have
influenced Democratic Senators
because OF that fact. In the follow
ing year the Republicans renewed
their attempt to have the tax in
creased and the opposition on the
part OF the Democrats was made
useless and ineffective because
their leaders were informed by the
committee that the brewers had,
in the Republican Committee,
from patriotic reasons quietly con-
sented to have the tax doubled, in
consideration OF ~ per cent re-
bate. and with the promise that the
tax would be removed at the end
OF the Spanish War. That COM
promise has cost the brewers thus
far about SIS, 200, 900, The brew
ers Of course at the close OF the
war demanded an immediate re-
duction from Congress. The Dem
ocrats in the House willingly came
to their assistance. Bills were pre-
sented and numerous speeches
were made in the endeavor to force
the Republicans to live up to their
promise, but the Republicans, who |
were in the majority, prevented |
and checkmated every move made
in that direction. Speaker Hender-
son himself refusing to recognize
Congressman Sulzer when he at
tempted to bring this matter before
the House.
II the brewers want to have the
tax reduced the only hope for them
is to go to the polls on the 9th OF
November and cast straight Dem
ocratic votes for their friend, VIM.
]. Bryan. u