The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-12
M 'LAURIN TALKS
 UPON THE TARIFF

Jackson, Miss. March 11.-(Special)- United States Senator A. J. McLaurin came over from his home in Brandon ] this morning and spent the day with his daughter, Mrs Dr. J. T. Berry. and other relatives and friends.
 Senator MoLaurin is apparently in the best of health and spirits, and says he will remain in Mississippi till about the end of the month as there will be nothing much for the Senate to do till the House gets over its work on the tariff. He states that 1t is not the intention of the republicans to reduce the tariff to any material extent, that it is their purpose to continue it a protective tariff, and in many instances to make it even prohib- tive
 sThey will make some immaterial re- auctions" said Senator MeLaurin, Ito give it the appearance of downward re- vision, but when it is summed up the last state of the tariff will be as bad as, if not worse than, the first. Where it is mado prohibitive of course no revenue will be derived, and as the extravaganza continues and grows, often for the very purpose of giving an excuse for high tsriffs under the false pretense that the higher the tariff the greater the revenue, ad infinitum, other sources of revenue will be sought and found by the party of ex- travagance and robbery of the toiling millions under the guise of law"
 "What other sources of revenue do you think they will fnd?" was asked,
 "Why, 1 should not be surprised if they return to the stamp tax and require all legal documents, deeds, notes, accounts, postoffice orders, etc. to be taxed, tax that has heretofore been regarded as sim ply war tax, not to be used in times of peace. I fear they will put tax on coffee, about the only luxury the toiler can afford. If they put a tax on coffee of 5, or even s, cents pound, Will not be surprised. This after putting the profit on the amount of the tax, will add from to 10 cents a pound on coffee, un- less the consumer gets the lowest grade
 twill you oppose and try to prevent the stamp tax and the taxing of coffee?' asked the reporter.
 II certainly will If the party in power in the national administration would lop off all unnecessary expenses and tax ln- comes above a certain amount, the rev enlSS NOllu De dilply SbhiNitht NlNhOte taxing coffee and tobacco, the only lux ures of those who toll"
 But" asked the reporter, did not the United States supreme court decide that an income tax is unconstitutionalT'
 ''It did, by divided court five to four, overturn the law of a century, but tho personnel of the court is different now, and they should be given another guess. Maybe they would return to the long ac- ceIted principle"
 'I see you were trying to increase the aIpl opriaton to fight the boil weevil. What became of that?" queried the news paper man.
 Yes the bill as it came from the House to the Senate carried an appropriation of SAG 40 to be used in an effort to de- stroy the cotton boil weevil, and as l think this effort is of exceedingly great interest, and, I hope, benefit to the farm CTS of Mississippi, and indeed to the en- tire south I offered an amendment to increase the appropriation for this pur- pose to ssO0, GOO, and had 1t referred to the agricultural committee, who thereupon reported for s250,000, which was adopted by the Senate. The House refused to agree to this amendment. and in the con- ference committee of the two houses 1t was fixed at s225000. Senator Money was on both the committee on agriculture and th,. committee of conference of the Senate and House of Representatives and gave this amendment special attention and et- fective support"