The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-03-05
TO TAX THE POOR
REPUBLICAN SCHEME TO RE.
FLEMISH TREASURY.
Extravaganza Of the Party In Power
Likely to Lead to the Placing Of
Additional Burdens on the
Workers.

With n deficit for the year Of prob.
ably sl36,00O.000, and with the avail
able cash balance of the treasury down
TO s1490O0,00O. Of which only s42,-
100000 is actually in the treasury, our
tariff makers are giving much anxious
thought 10 the question Of revenue. 1t
is SAID that there Is strong feeling
In favor OF reimposing the taxes that
were levied during the Spanish war.
II is proposed to lay tax of three
cents a pound on coffee. small tax
on tea, TO increase the tax on beer 81
n barrel to restore the stamp tax on
bank checks and drafts, and TO tax
proprietary medicines. Every one OF
these taxes, except possibly that on
bank checks, will fall chiefly on the
poorer people, We believe that taxes
on tea and coffee are In themselves
good taxes. but only on one condition.
and that is that the taxes on other
necessaries of life. which are almost
wholly protective. be abolished. II
we are going to tax tea and coffee
we ought to remove or greatly lower
the taxes on clothing pottery, iron
and steel. tinplate, boots and shoes,
cutlery, and all the other articles
which enter into daily consumption.
To pile on these new taxes. while re.
tanning all the other taxes on neces.
saries, is to discriminate heavily in
favor of the rich and against the
poor.
There is no reason why congress
should not impose an inheritance tax.
II could. perhaps, enact an income
tax law that would be consistent with
the constitution II could Increase
the tax on wines and whIskeys used
principally by the rich. But nothing
OF this is proposed. Tea. coffee and
beer are to bear the chief burden. The
situation is remarkable In many ways
In the first place this resort to the
3ystem of direct taxation indicates
n desperate condition OF affairs, for
Il is known that direct taxes are
viewed by high .lriff statesmen with
particular adherence. Their idea Is
and always hiss been that the people
should be taxed H. such way rs to
make them unconscious OF the TACT
that they were being taxed at all
Again the great devotion OF these
same men to the free breakfast ia.
BILE" idea sdoes not consist with the
propusitlon to tax tea and coffee. The
emergency must be great, indeed. And
finally nothing short of crisis could
lead congress to consider the advlsa.
bility OF imposing distlnctiyely war
taxes in time OF peace,
To such straits as these has the
party been driven by the extravaganza
OF the Roosevelt administration. We
must have more revenue, or else we
must spend less money. Yet there
does not seem to be any man In public
life who has any thought of economy.
The government ought to be able to
live within Its present income, which
is very large. II amounted TO $685.
600, 900 IN 1907 and to s60l 100000 in
1908. With n wise. prudent and eco
nomical management of AFFAIRS the
treasury would now have n comfort
able surplus. But there has been no
such management, and so, instead OF
surplus, we have a most embarrass'
Ing and persistent deficit.-Indianap
oils News.