The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-06
WASHINGTON.
from our Regular Correspondent.

From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, d. c., June 20, 1905
Certain prominent stand patters
who have recently visited Washing
ton have spread the report that the
brewers of the country will be call
ed upon by the next Congress to
make good the constantly growing
deficit III the governments finances
and to provide for such increased
expenses CT the federal institution
as are inevitable with each year S
growth of the country. 1t is de-
clared that under no circumstances
will the stand patters permit any
change i'll the existing tariff sched-
ules which could not be altered as
to produce an increased revenue
without curtailing in some slight
degree the profits of those manu-
facturers whom the President has
described as protected hogs with
their feet in the trough. That
something must be doue to increase
the revenues is, however obvious
to even the most ohtuse observers
OF the federal finances, with the
sole exception of Secretary Shaw,
and it is believed that this can be
done by materially increasing the
tax on beer.
XXX
Those who advocate an increased
tax on beer, as practical substi-
tute for that revision which the
President has declared to be essen
tial to "a square deal to every man"
believe they can enlist the sympa-
thy of the temperance people of the
country who will, they expect,
welcome any increase of the taxa.
ton on drink, regardless of the pur-
pose which is back Of such increase.
1t is pointed out that there are now
sold each year As, 900, 900 barrels of
beer and that AN increased tax Of
81 per barrel would net the govern
ment as many dollars. The Presi-
dent will, it is believed, press rail-
road rate legislation at the next
session of Congress in preference
to all other needed reforms and
that will afford the stand patters
an opportunity to escape any de-
termined onslaught on their posi-
ton. The opposition to railroad
rate legislation is certain to be bit
ter and the details of the fight will
it is hoped, crowd the columns of
the press to the exclusion of all
other issues. so that the necessity
of tariff revision will be temporar-
lily lost ght Of. Then there will
follow short session of Congress
of which, the Republican leaders
claim, it is impossible to change the
tariff, and SO the protected hogs
will be insured at least two years
more Of undisturbed monopoly.
With this situation in Congress
it is claimed that as the session
draws to close it can be so sud
denly discovered that no provision
for remedying the deficit or aug
menting the revenues has been
adopted and it will be comparative
ly little trouble to rush through a
bill increasing the tax on beer and
so the imperative necessity OF de-
creasing the tariff rates will be
evaded. 1t is insisted that this
beer tax bill will, if necessary be
deferred until the approach of the
hot season next summer. The
Treasury has an ample surplus.
The expenses of the Panama Canal
are to be betrayed by the sale of
$I3o, 900, 900 of per cent bonds
and no dangerous dinlinution of
the treasury surplus will be exper-
fenced before the close of the next
fiscal year. 1t is invariably the
case that with the first warm days
of spring Congress always yearns
to get away. Disciples of Isaac
Walton gather their friends in the
cloak rooms of Senate and House
and there relate tales of trout and
bass and tarpon which sets on fire
the sporting blood of most of the
distinguished solons. Then there
comes really hot spell and like a
horde of weary school boys, the
grave statesmen of the national
legislature become almost desper-
ate in their desire to begin their
summer vacations. 1t is at such
times as these that much of the most
pe.nicious legislation is permitted to
slip through unobserved and the
mere warning that objection will
oDroynle debate aud delay adiO1ru.