Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-12-27
GOVERNMENT TAXATION
No One Escapes His Share
of Tariff Taxes.
TRUSTS AND BANKS BENEFIT,

Nece"SiticS ray More Per Cent Tim
Observation-Disclosures Promises of
Tariff Revision Never F~ulfIIcd-Ey-
~trnHnG"nt Appropriations Further
burden thc People.
Every dollar expended 10y the gov
is paid by the people in taxes,
except a small and gradually dccreas-
ing amount from the sale of the bubble
lands and a few small sums from other
sources. The total receipts for the
year ended June 30, 1905, the last oiti-
cial report published, were $697. 1Ul.27U.
of which S261, 79S,S57 was tariff taxes
and &3i.O95 al was internal revenue
taxes, and those amounts have been
largely increased during the past fiscal
year. ~EXtravagant appropriations by
congress mean more taxes, and there
o every n is interested in an eco
nomical and honest government both
In the legislative department that
makes the laws which authorize the
expenditures and in the executive de-
partments which eXpend the money.
When congress authorizes more taxes
to be collected than are needed to pro-
duce enough money to cover eXpendi-
lures and there is a large surplus in
the United States treasury it very nat
urally leads to larger appropriations,
because there is a constant demand by
the individual congressman for an ap-
preparation for his district, besides the
general demand for appropriations for
all kinds Of purposes.
There is now a surplus in the treas
ury of owe 5000, 900, ZOO, Of which over
1854, 900, 1000 has been loaned to the ma
tional banks and upon which they pay
no interest. That large sum would al
low the tariff taxes to be reduced one
half and still produce a surplus for the
coming fiscal year, and if the tariff
rates were so revised that diamonds
and other articles that are luxuries
paid as much per cent tax as some ar
ticles of necessity are now made to
pay there would be about as much
money collected as there is at present,
and the price of articles of necessity
would be cheaper, but the price of dia-
monds, ETC., would be higher. The
trusts and combines that are now
charging exorbitant prices for their
products would be compelled to lower
their prices, or similar products manu-
featured in England, Germany or else
where would be imported at the re-
duced tariff rates and compete with
the trusts products. Under such a
plan of reducing the tariff rates on ne
cessities one-half and increasing the
tariff tax on luxuries the trusts would
either have to reduce their profits or
lose part Of their trade.
The knowledge that reasonable tariff
revision would reduce trust profits is
the reason the trust magnates are all
Republicans and are willing to pay a
percentage Of their large profits to Re-
publican campaign funds to help keep
that party in power. That is the rea-
son a Republican congress stands pat
and refuses to consider the bills for
reforming the tariff that were intro
duced by the Democrats at the last and
former sessions Of congress. Undoubt-
edly this stand pat attitude Of the Re
publican leaders led to the defeat of q
number of Republican candidates for
congress and the greatly reduced ma
jorlty Of others. Still the Republican
leaders declare they stand pat, al
though they promised tariff revision
when necessary. But the promise is
never fulfilled, and now the declara-
ton Is made that after the next M
tional election, if intrusted with an
other lease Of power, they will again
promise in their national platform to
reform the tarif-after election.