The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-22

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oissoiving existing trusts. and In pre-
ventlng the organization of new ones.
] tnere VIII be no trusts against which
| 70 use the remedy of which he COM
trusts. but 1t has not been suffScientiy
| enforced to prevent trusts. The Demo-
Gratis demand Its enforcement; If its
enforcements rids the country Of trusts.
men tnis. policy which Mr.. Taft SO
mucn fears viii become perfectly
harmless. II the Democrats secure
control OF both the house and the sem
ate, they are pledged to legislation
wnlcn Will make private monopoly
Impossible. II tho Republicans retain
control of part Of the legislative ma
chnery OF the government and refuse
to Join in the effort to make a private
monopoly impossible. they are not in q
position to complain OF tariff legisla-
| assist US In exterminating the princi-
pie OF private monopoly, they cannot
Well object to legislation necessary to
| protect the people from trust extor-
| ton.
Mr.. Taft did not refer to the plat
! form demand that wool pulp, print pa
| per. lumber, timber and logs be placed
upon the free list. Why? Because the
president vainly besought congress to
enact a law embodying part OF this de-
mand. 1t Is absurd to complain of the
exhaustion Of our forests while we en-
courage their destruction by a tariff
on the products of foreign forests. But
| such legislation becomes not only a
| folly but a crime when 1t Is remember
| ed that handful Of men monopolize
| the benefits flowing from the tariff on
| these things, while the whole country
bears the burden Of the tax. Hon.
| a speech made in the United States
| senate. referred to an important state
ment, which appeared in the North
| western Lumberman. February "a. 1897.
Senator Burrows of Michigan had re-
ferred to a Mr.. Winchester as a man
Of great reliability and truthfulness.
and Senator Pettigrew quoted Mr.. Win
chester as saying in the Northwestern
LuTnberman:
There were a lot Of gentlemen from
| the Northwest. up Minnesota way. in
Washington the other day. and they
were sitting in Senator Burrows room.
An interesting incident occurred there.
Senator Burrows Is chairman of the
committee. The committee had not had
a meeting for a long time. They hap
pened to be seated in that room, and
one Of the gentlemen from Minnesota
had an envelope and lead pencil He
walked around the room and ciphered
up a little bit, and he said:
Mr.. Burrows. do you know what
81 a thousand would mean to this
crowd Of men in here?
There were not as many in the
room as there are here. He said:
lumber would mean $6,125.000 on last
years product
The Same Burrows.
Could more conclusive proof be de-
sired? And the Senator Burrows men
. toned is the same Senator Burrows
/ the last Republican national conven-
ton. and sounded the keynote Of the
campaign.
How long will tho Republican far
mers, merchants and laboring men
permit a few men to make the tariff
laws for their own pecuniary advan-
tage and at the expense of the rest of
the country?
The second step in the reduction of
the tariff is q material reduction up
on the necessities of life, especially
upon goods competing with such
abroad more cheaply than at home"
At present the articles used by the
poor bear a higher rate, ad valorem,
than the articles used by the rich.
This statement can be verified by an
examination of any Of the schedules
A tax upon consumption. even when
laid with absolute impartiality, bears
heaviest upon the poor. because our
necessities are much more UNIFORM
than our possessions. People do not
eat in proportion to their income; they
do not wear clothing in proportion to
their income; they do not use taxed
goods in proportion to their income.
As all taxes must come out OF ones
income, no matter through what sys-
tenn levied or collected, they are, In
effect. income taxes. and taxes on con-
sumption are really graduated income
taxes, the largest per cent being col
lected from those with the smallest In
come and the smallest per cent from
those with the largest income. 1t is
only fair. therefore, that In an attempt
l.
ties of a high tariff, the poor. who are
oyer-burdened, should be given first
consideration. Then, too, reduction
in the tariff on the necessities or life
brings a benefit to all the people,
while a reduction in the tax upon lux
the people.
Surely no one will object to reduc-
ton being made upon articles Wnlcn
come into competition with American
manufactures which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home the
American manufacturer who sends his
goods to foreign lands and there,
without any protection whatever,
completes successfully with the manu-
facturers Of all the world. does not
need a high tariff to meet competition
in the home market. And there are
enough articles sold abroad at low
price to assure q large advantage to
the American consumers through the
carrying out OF this one plank.
Taft's Alarm.
Mr.. Taft, however, finds the great
est alarm in the following clause in
our platform:
Gradual reductions should be
made in such other schedules as may
be necessary to restore the tariff to
q revenue basis"
He regards this threatened depar- |
ture from the protective system as ia |
tai. We are here brought race to face |
with the theoretical difference be- |
tween the positions of the two parties |
on the subject of tariff. The Demo- |
cratic party regards a tariff law as a |
revenue law, the protection 1t gives |
being incidental; the Republican par