The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-26
INCREASES COST OF LIVING
So Ways and Means Democrats AlIege
in Report on New Tariff Bill.

Washington, D. Champ Clark,
the minority leader, was asked what
attitude he would take with regard
to the duty on lumber, and he replied
that he would develop that in his
coming speech in the house. Mr..
Clark's alleged position on this SEIZED
ule has been vigorously criticised by
democrats from Georgia, Alabama,
Florida and Tennessee, each of
which states has large interests in
lumoer.
That the Payne tariff bill increas-
les the cost of living; that it is
crude, indefinite, sectional and pro-
hibiuve, and that it is an open chal-
lenge to trade war with every other
nation on earth, are some of the crit
lcisms of that measure made by the
democratic members OF the ways and
means committee in the minority re-
port submitted to the house by Minor
lty Leader Champ Clark.
Declaring that tariff is tax paid
by the consumer, and that the only
function of q tariff law is to raise
revenue to supply the needs of the
government, the minority members of
the committee insist that, instead of
an Increase of taxes, or new issue
of bonds, the correct remedy for the
growing deficiency in the revenues is
the cutting down of the expenses of
running the government
The bill is, in many respects,
crude, indefinite, sectional and prohib-
Tive. 1t seems to us, from our exam
ination, which was necessarily hasty,
that, on the whole, 1t increases the
cost of living The claim that the
bill is a sectional one, made by the
democratic members of the commit
tee, is based largely on the cotton
schedule. The report contends that
the bill does not lift any burdens
from the shoulders of the southern
farmer, although the manufacturer of
cotton goods is protected by heavy
tax, it claims.
"The treatment of the farmer by
this bill is along the same lines as
nave characterized republican, meth-l
DDS in the past says the report. HE
gets practically no relief, and the la
borer and producer have greater bur-
dens imposed upon them. Every ar
ticle of food the laborer must have,
to live comfortably is heavily taxed;
even the salt on his table is not
exempt.
That the bill is sectional one is
shown by the failure of the majority
of the committee to lift any burden
whatever from the shoulders of the
southern farmers. The grower of COT
ton must sell his product in the open
markets of the world. In order, how
ever, to benefit the manufacturer of
cotton, the republican party makes
him pay heavy tax on every pound
of it that is exported, and comes back
into the United States in the shape
Of manufactured goods Thus he sells
in free trade market and buys in
protected market Not only have
these burdens not been lifted, but adj
ditional ones have been placed upon
him. BY lately discovered process
fabric known as "mercerized fab
RIGS" is now being made. This is a
very fine article of cotton goods, look
ing very much like silk, ,and is large
I,ly worn. In order to further enrich
the manufacturer and to further tax
the masses of the people, tax has
been laid on these goods.
Cotton hose has fallen under their
greedy gaze, and the tax on it, al
ready too high, has been greatly in
creased. Cotton goods are more gem
orally used than any other class Of
goods by the masses of the American
people, and every cent of duty laid
on such fabrics is an additional tax
on the people least able to pay it.