New-York tribune., 1908-09-01
BRYAN ON TAXATION
Discusses "Republican ErtraUa
oonce" IN Speech at st. Paul.

g. ,au1 Ar1 s1-This was Johnson-Bryan day
/, M,nnesota's capital Addressing the members
of the state central committee TINS ai'erhooi' MI
Bryan said
..I know am not the first choice OF the Derno,
Gratis in this state but 1t is good to De even seoo
cbo;ce in q state where Governor John A Johnson
is first am we'll satisfied to have the preference
johnson and Bryan in Minnesota Inc news Sou
bring that this will be a Democralic Sai -
this state is very pleasing.
The meeting Of the state central committee was
a real love feast In which Mr. Bryan ana Gov
ernor johnson showered compliments upon edcn
other Before the gathering Bryan and Johnson
held conferences regarding the campaign Governor
Johnson Will make numerous speeches Oe'"eeH
now and November 8.
Mr.. Bryan spoke for an hour at the falr GROUNDS
this afternoon. His principal topic was Republican
extravaganza. Addressing himself to the farmers
he declared that they had special reason for COM
plaint. because they paid more than their share
taxes collected and received less than tnelr
share of the benefits which flowed from the ex-
pendture of the corporations
He said in part:
The Democratic platform makes Republican ex-
travagance one of the issues of the present cam
paign The Republican platform Is silent on me
omy would have been a inockery, and to have de
Tended the appropriations MADE by 1ne the ast Is CON
gress commonly called the Billion Dollar con
gress, the appropriations made by that congress
during two years amounting for the nrst tlnle 10
billion dollars five hundred million dollars d
tributed to the overwhelming victory won by the
Democrats in the campaign of 1880 Tne last Con- on
travagance. In spite of deficit of more than sixty
made Curing the last session amount to more than
q billion dollars, or twice as nuGh as liIe ~ appao
The increase over the year before was ninety mill
ion dollars. showing growth In expenditures lar
While this tendency to extravagance manifests
oreabe 1nSe n n the War Department and the NAVY
Department The army is than o twice the as g aTgg
are more than three times great as they were
also about three times what they were decade
The increase @ in the Rsar iir in
cess OF what they were in 1897 The imperiallsSIc
R@Gey @ for the whGh dny tes for this
increasing drain upon the 70 the
that nnety-nine thousand new offices have been
against an Of thousand new 9tices
with salaries amonntpg to IN 'ie
iaVq Whiie itu eHery eeent populatien suffers
necessary expenditures Of the goyernmsnt. the the
farmers have special reason for eoPa'i M fbn "a
Collected. and receive less than their share Of the
beneS TR9h Neay all Of
excepting postal receipts are eoleGted % a11 1I9 these
fTna sra taxes UPON consumpton Taxes upon eonsump
og 0g anGey5u2Gen the rch If the federal
separated from the price p6 Of Sdcb the
per capita tax be shown t. would 5 be ~ eoqnd IN sae ne
the tax 5e6e mo~ te2 the aees cent
ing collected from the small incomes ana the ieest
ner upon the large incomes And. TO agsTa-
Tate the case still the appropriations wncn
unfairly oppress the farmers are spent IN cItIes
so that the farmer enjoys few indirect oensnts
from the appropriations and scarcely any direct
benefits. . ,,, l. 80 ,,,,.h
more extravagant than the Democratic party IN
ihe expenditure of public money? There are Two
reasons: First, because Republican leaders are
more Intimately associated with the tax eaters
than with the taxpayers. They hear the hungry
cIamor of the who spend money more tnan
they do the protests of the masses VINO contrlo-
ute revenues. 90,
But there is a reason: The Republican leaders
have taught the doctrine that taxation Is an una
loved good They have tried to cultivate a pup
lie opinion to support the idea that tartn taxes
on the theory that even when not needed Tor rev
enue are (. direct advantage to the protected m
terests and an indirect advantage to the whole
country. IT is not strange that people VINO con-
slider taxation a blessing would pc lnchneu 10
make the blessing as large as possible
The Democratic party is In a position 70 0ring
reform in the matter Of expenditures. 1t believes
that a tax IS defensible only when necessary and
that it should be reduced to the lowest limits con-
sistenf with good government Our party is
pledged to reduction in appropriations and TO
economy In every department OF government, and
our position ought TO appeal with special force
TO those Of population who are engaged In
agriculture
Mr. Bryan left ST. Paul tonight for Fargo.
| y. D.. where he will speak tomorrow.
|