The Washington herald., 1907-06-11
TUESDAY. JUNE II. 1907.
The President at Jamestown.

Who revised President Roosevelt's two
jamestown speeches. particularly the one
addressed to the members Of the National
Editorial Association, wherein he dis
CUssed 'reshaping our system Of taxation
so as to make it bear most heavily on
those most capable of supporting the
strain" without saying a single word
about the burden Of tariff taxation, which
falls with some weight not only on the
consumer, but also on many of our pro-
ducers?
And what is the significance Of the re-
mark, in the same speech. that "even
such questions as the regulation of rail-
way rates and the control Of corporations
are in reality subsidiary 70 the primal
problem" OF the conservation, by the Fed
eral government, Of our national re-
sources. such as forests. miues. grazing
lands. and waterways?
Two topics. tax reform and Federal con-
troll Of national resources. were chosen
y -fsr presentation to the editors. The note
OF nationalism. or. as our Southern
friends prefer to call IL. federalism. sound
ed strong in the Presidential utterances
on what Mr.. Roosevelt regards as two
great movements I'm our public life" which
he feels must necessarily occupy no in
considerable part Of the time Of our pub
lie men fin the near future" The con-
servation Of natural resources has been
undertaken by the Federal government
through several agencies. Vast irrigation
works are under construction by the
Reclamation Service, and the preserva-
ton and utilization Of our timber re-
sources engage the energies Of the Forest
Service. There remain the coal and min
eral lands and the cattle ranges, covering
S0300105o acres. all located i'm the far
West. As 10 the former the President
repeated his recommendation Of last win
ter that the Federal government be given
authority 20 keep the fee Of coal and
mineral lands, and % lease thom % rri-
vate operators. The cattle ranges. he
thinks, likewise should be under Fedora!
control in order TO conserve the pastur-
age now so wastsfully used by roaming
fiOcks and herds as 10 be utterly de-
stroved. The development Of the nations
waterways which heretofore has been
undertaken by the Federal government
for the promotion Of commerce. should
now be carried on, according to Mr..
Roosevelt. with due consideration Of an
the Services which waterways may be
capable Of rendering. he evidently having
in fliud the use of water for irrigation
ruFoses and for supplying mechanical
pV+er. The federalistic drift I'm an this
j. who runs may read.
I The subject Of tariff taxation. as we
I have iutimated. was dcxtarouslv avoided
in the Presidents disouisition on tax re-
form. He renewed his former declarations
in favor Of income and inheritance taxa
ton for the ayowej purpose of limiting
swollen fortunes. Perhaps his most inter
esting suggestion under this head was
that by means of the progressive priacf-
pie, as applied in the French law. which
Mr. Roosevelt heartily commends. il
would be possible to confscate 100 par
cent Of a swollen fortune above a certain
specified sum without confscatirg the
rest Of it. thus fixing an absolute limit 10
the accumulation Of inheritable wealth
But would not such a taxing system De
most illogical as long as. by means OF
our high protective tariff taxes. we stimu-
late the accumulation of swollen fortunes?
Consider the operation Of such q svs-
TEN. The benefciaries Of the protective
tariff make huge fortunes by imposing
monopoly prices on the consumer: the
government steps in and seizes on fixed
percentage of these fortunes through the
Inheritance tax. and then expends the pro-
ceeds for various public interests. What
is the visible difference between that way
Of raising government revenue and the
imposition Of direct taxes on all citizense
in either case the revenue comes out Of
the pockets of the people. for the govern
ment simply receives as the proceeds OF
an inheritance tax what has been paid to
tariff benedciaries by the victims OF their
exactions.
Al all events, it hardly seems timely 10
talk Of income or Inheritance taxes when
government revenues are exceeding out
go; and when II does become necessary
20 impose additional Federal tax burdens.
It will be found that the tariff is insepara-
bly, connected with the whole question of
Federal taxation. and cannot be ignored
as the President has chosen to ignore it
in all mis- public utterances