Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-12-12
Government Taxation.

| ending June 30; 190J-tlIe last Omclul
report published--were $G97; 101,27O of
which $261, 79S,S5T was tariff taxes and
4 $234, 095, i TAI was internal revenue taxes,
and those amounts have been largely
1 increased during the past fiscal year.
E&travagant appropriations by Con
gress mean more taxes and therefore
everyone is Interested In nm economical
and honest government, both in the leg
islative department that makes the
laws which authorize the expenditures,
and in the executive department, which
expend the money. When Congress au-
tlioflzes more taxes to be collected than
are needed to produce enough money to
cover expenditures and there Is a large
surplus in the United States Treasury,
1t very naturally leads to larger ap=
j. preparations, because there is d con-
slant demand by tile Individual Con-
gresham for an appropriation for his
district, besides the general demand for
appropriations fot all kinds Of pur-
poses.
There Is now a surplus In the treas.
ury of over $780, 100000, of which over
| 1854, 100000 has been loaned to the
national banks upon which they pay
no interest. That large sum would al
low the tariff taxes to be reduced one
half and still produce surplus for the
coming fiscal year, and If the tariff
rates were so revised that diamonds
and other articles that are Injuries
paid as much per cent tax as some ar
ticles of necessity are now made to pay,
there would be about us much money
collected as there Is at pres
ent, and the price of arti-
cles Of necessity would be cheaper, but
the price Of diamonds, 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
manufactured in England, Germany or
elsewhere would be imported ut the re-
duced tariff rates and compete with the
trusts products. Under such plan of
reducing the tariff rates on necessities
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 tar
lift revision would reduce trust profits
Is tho reason that trust magnates are
all Republicans and are willing to pay
a percentage OF their large profits to
l - 10 u, IL,
keep that party In power. That is the
reason Republican Congress stands
| pat and refuses to consider the bills
| for reforming the tariff that were In
troduced by the Democrats at the last
and former sessions of Congress. I'm
doubtedly this stand-pat attitude of the
Republican leaders led to the defeat of
"a. number Of Republican candidates for
Congress and the greatly reduced ma
jority of others. Still the Republican
leaders declare they will 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 ma
tional election, IL Entrusted with an
other lease Of power, they will again
promise in their national platform to
reform the tariff-AF-rER ELECTION.
Wage Farmers and Farmers.
There is new political movement
under way that may In the near future
have a great effect OH party politics.
AT the late convention Of the American
Federation of Labor nine fraternal
delegates from the Farmers Unions, or
the American Society of Equity, were
admitted and given the privilege Of the
floor. In addresses made by them they
expressed the hope that the Society of
Equity might become affiliated with the
labor organizations. IL 1t is possible
to join these two organizations for the
common purpose of defeating those
who oppose the demands of the farm
ers and wOrklngmen, the result will
be to entirely disrupt the Republican
party, which is naturally opposed to
what the workingmen and farmers are
uniting to attain. The Republican lead
ers have shown great hostility to the
legislation that the American Fedora
tien of Labor feels Is necessary for the
well-being Of Its members aud the re-
forms the Society Of Equity desires are
receiving no encouragement from the
Republican leaders, for to grant them
would directly Interfere with the spe-
cial privileges of the corporations and
trusts that are the chief reliance of the
Republican party for campaign funds,
which alone keep that party in power.
There are many Republican voters
who doubtless believe the reform legis.
lation demanded by workingmen and
farmers Should be granted and there
are Republicans elected to Congress
and State Legislatures who promised
to vote for such reforms but lnvestisa-
ton shows these are hut a small mi
nority of those the Republicans elected
as lawmakers. The great majority are
willing followers of Speaker Cannon in
his stand-pat policies on labor legisla-
ton and revising the tariff.
On the other hand, Democratic repre-
sentatiyes have shown every desire and
have promised to vote for the legisla-
tlon demanded by the workingmen and
farmers, for the Democratic party has
no alliance with corporations and
trusts, and no desire other than the
greatest good to the greatest number,
with equal rights to all and special
privileges to none.a With n compact
4 and militant organization fine wage
carriers and farmers, with their nat
ural allies, the Democracy will be po-
litically irresistible.
A Special Tarin session.
As members of Congress drop into
Washington, one by one for the short
session, it begins to dawn upon Repub-
lican bosses and "leaders" that the
American people own this country, and
that they want something done to the
Dingley tariff.
| They hnva a lroudyy dnpa cou,atbIpy