Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-07-14
WAR TAXES AGAIN.
SUGGESTED AS MEANS OF MEET.
ING GROWING DEFICIT.

Republican Leaders Acknowledee That the
Present China Wall Tariff Docs Not Yield
Enough Rsvsnue-Root the Logical Corpor
alton Candidate in Line for Head of Cabinet
ttrom our regular corrcspondcnt)
WASHINGTcN, ID. c., July u.
That the actual realization of the
fact that the Treasury deficit is grow
ing faster than any Republican, even
the Secretary OF the Treasury. believed
possible, is creating CONSERVATION
among the stand patters is demon
strated by their Willingness to discuss
seriously the reimpostlon OF the war
taxes. That they are seriously dis
cus>ing such programme and some of
their number even advocating such IA
course, is conclusively shown by the
recent statement OF Senator Dick OF
Ohio, who said when asked by your
cores pondent what he suggested as a
proper course in the light of the $2i,-
900 900 deficit: al have come to the
conclusion that about the best thing
to be done is to impose the Spanish
War revenue taxes on numerous aru-
cles, especially the stamp tax, where
the taxation Is barely ielt by the
masses Of the people. Injustice is
less likely to be done in that way than
by imposing larger sums on various
lines of business and making few
lines carry the whole thing. | have
not gone into the subject in detail but
ON checks, stocks, bonds and legal
papers, patent medicines and all such
things"
In other words, the leaders OF the
Republican party in Congress, having
been forced to an appreciation of the
fact that the present tariff makes aid
for protection and does not yield even
enough revenue to run the govern
ment, propose to tax the people still
further to pay the expenses OF the
government rather than to change the
tariff schedules, which their own Presi-
dent has told them must be changed
if every man is to enjoy "a square
deal" so that the duties may yield
sufficient revenue to pay the expenses
of the administration.
The claim has been made for years
by the leaders of the Democracy that
the Republican party was owned by
the trusts the protected industries and
the monopolies, but majority OF the
voters have been unable to see or
think clearly enough to appreciate the
truth of the charge. 1t has remained
for Republican President to point
out to the people that "the protected
hogs must take their feet out of the
trough" And even in the face of that
assertion, the Republicans in Congress,
who we'll know that they are elected
with the campaign funds contributed
by the protected industries, dare not
pare the tariff until it shall produce
sufficient revenue to pay the federal
expenses but on the contrary propose
to leave the tariff alone while they tax
the people still more to raise the
necessary revenue.
The stand.patters maintain that
they dare not open up the tariff ques.
ton on the eve of Congressional cleo
ton. Dare not. they would tell you If
they told the truth, because they fear
more the wrath OF the protected inter
ests which are their creators, than
they fear the wrath of the people who
are supposed to elect them and whom
they are supposed to represent in Con-
gress.
The war revenue taxes yielded over
500 100000 year for three years,
points out Mr.. Dick. But he did not
add the obvious fact that they took
over $lOO,O0O,OO0 year for each of
three years out of the pockets Of the
people. Senator Dick fAvors a type of
tax which will be spread over wide
surface, rather than a tax which will
fall on few industries. Natural pc
sition for a Republican Senator who
knows that there is no particular in
dustry which does not own Republi-
can Senator or two and several Repub
lican members OF the House, so that q
, tax on any one or a decrease Of the tax
imposed on the people to enable the
protected manufacturers to charge
larger prices, would result, inevitably,
J in the defeat. or perhaps the political
> destruction, of any Senator or member
who voted for it.
The subject which is just now at
tracing the attention and occupying
the thoughts of all men prominent in
public life, as we'll as OF large share
of the general public, is. "Who will
the President select to succeed John
Hay as Secretary Of Statef Just now
it looks as if for mer Secretary OF War
Root would be the man, aud doubtless
he is one of the most capable OF the
men prominent in the Republican
party. Moreover, it would be source
of rejoicing to the railroads to have
Mr.. Root selected for seat at the
Presidents Cabinet table, for they
have not forgotten that the first case
Mr.. Root took when he went out OF
the Cabinet was that OF the Northern
Securities Company, when he became.
for a consideration of 100000. the
attorney for J. P. Morgan and J. j.
= Hill. With Mr.. Root a member Of
the Cabinet, once more the Presidents
radical views ON the subject OF railway
, rate legislation might undergo a radi.
cal modification.
. When the President was making his
famous address to the alumni of Har-
ward University, he said, "Now, the
great lawyer who employs his talent
and his learning in the highly remun-
erative task of enabling a very wealthy
> client to override or circumvent the
law is doing all that in him lies to
encourage the growth in this country
of a spirit of dumb anger against all
laws and of disbelief in their efficacy"
Was not that precisely what Mr.. Root
, did when he attempted to defeat the
governments prosecution of the Hill
, Morgan Merger trust and when, a little
: later, he came to Washington to defend
3 before the Supreme Court the street
railway corporations Of New York who
had for years refused to pay the taxes
on their franchises, taxes assessed I'M
der law the passage Of which was
n IA L