The Irish standard., 1909-06-26
PRESIDENT TAFT's MESSAGE.
The Presidents message of Thu

Inc PreSldentS message OF Thurs
day. June II. suggesting the taxation
of corporations in lieu Of an income
tax for revenue purposes has not been
warmly received by Congress nor by
the leading Republican papers of the
country What actuated President
Taft to send such a message while
the senate was engaged in the ad-
justment Of tariff schedules is a
conundrum to the people at large.
Had he written a message demanding
that the tariff rates should be revised
In the interest Of the consumers in full
f1llment Of the pledge in the Republican
platform and declared that if the bill
was not satisfactory he would certainly
veto it on the ground that the Dingley
bill now in operation is less obnoxious
than the proposed Aldrich ,bill-if he
had sent such a message. there would
be SUFFICIENT reason for his interference
at this time. and the press and public
would applaud him for his actions. 1t IL
evident that President Taft will never
be known as the. peoples president,
for il his plan of taxing corporations
be adopted by Congress in. connection
with the passage of the Aldrich tariff
bill, the consumers of the land will
derive no relief from the exactions of
the beneficiaries Of the tariff. The cost
of living will be higher than before,
and the American manufacturers will
have the people at their. mercy more
than ever.
And pray, why should corporations
be taxed any more than individuals to
make up the deficiency of the income
derived from the duty on foreign i'm
ports? Corporations are made up of
individual stockholders. AS individ-
uals the members OF corporations pay
the tariff like other consumers, and
why should they again as corporate
body be taxed? Corporations pay
high prices under protective tariff
for everything used in their business,
and why should they again pay a
tax for the benefit Of the lumber barons
and cotton manufacturers, for instance?
President Taft does not seen to grasp
the situation. He has a splendid oppor-
tunity to display his statesmanship,
but there is every indication that he
will not avail himself Of it. The Pion-
eer Press sensibly remarks:
THE nation needs more revenue. The
specious logic of the Aldrich crowd is
that the proper way to get more reve-
nue. is to raise the tariff. The president
should not be deceived by such rea-
soning. He should know that the way
to get more revenue is to cut down the
duties to point where they will yield
more revenue, not to put them so
high that imports are excluded and the
home market laid at the mercy of a few
monopolists. A prohibitive tariff sche-
dule will yield nothing. Cut the duty
to point where there are imports, the
government will get revenue enough
and the consumer will no longer be
obliged to pay unnecessary toll to
plethoric trusts. Keep the duty high
enough to protect the American labor
er and manufacturer, but reduce it suf-
hciently to protect the consumer
against extortion. There Is no need for
devising new ways Of raising money.
A tax on corporation dividends is not
what is needed"
A tax on incomes is preferable to
tax on corporation dividends. but. a,
tax on either would not be necessary IL
the tariff on foreign imports is properly
adjusted. The, Aldrich clique is in the
saddle and will not lower the tariff
to let foreign products in. The Aldrich
bill should not be permitted to pass.
President Taft has the power to pre-