Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-01-06
CARNEGIE AFRAID
OF INCOME TAX
Why He Is For FreeTrade;;
TelIer'S Silver Letter
To FreWen
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS

BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. az
Senator Teller has raised ripple of
mild silver excitement by writing u
silver letter to one Morton +. Frewen
OF bimetalism and England, which
missive found publication in u
French paper of more or less neon
sequence.
The incident is curious, rather
than important, and amounts to no
more in the story of present finance
than does the pale, flickering, phos-
phorescent light seen occasionally
dancing about midnight gravcyards
In the story of present life.
Silver is dead and buried, and the
Teller-F rewen letter may be taken
rather as proof thereof than other
wise. Even Senators have dreams,
and what should be more natural
or, perhaps, supernatural would be
the better term-than that Mr.. Tel
Ter, whose middle life was passed
with silver, should now, when stlycr's
dead and gone, be haunted by its
shade.
Wise Mr.. Frewen
Mr.. Frewen, to whom Mr.. Teller
writes. is an Englishman with u
Cambrian source. lie makes spc-
cialty of bl-metalism, which Is wise
in Mr.. Frewen, since If he weren't II
bi-metallst he wouldn't be anything.
Some complain that, remembering
Mr. Teller's official position, his FIRE.
wen silver communication was inap-
propriate, untitled to a situation, and
more calculated for disturbance than
confidence. II this were so. II would
be in keeping with the Teller repu-
tation, which is that of well-mean-
ing gentleman, who, while excellent
in many respects, has passed most Of
his life with his blind side toward the
unthinking proprieties.
BE II far from me to lift the vera
cious laurels from the brow of Mr..
Carnegie, and yet he said nothing
before Mr.. Payncs committee about
our ability to tlndersell the world in
steel that might not. with equal
| truth, have been said by him q score
of years ago.
Also, he might have added that the
armor plates for which the Govern
ment has been and still is pulmg
$500 and $500 and as much rs $500,
per ton, ought not, in the nature OF
steel mongering thugs, to cost more
than steel rails. However, as Kip
ling hath 1t, THAT is another story"
Steel Tariff Prohibitive
Mr.. Carnegie fears an income tax.
He let the cat out of the bag when
he exclaimed:
| "Of all the demOralizing taxes that
n nation can impose upon the people,
the income tax is the worst"
The expenses Of Government have
been kited SO hlgh-sOmC put them
rs high even us S1,4OO.O 10000 for
the coming year-that deficit is
threatened No tariff, no taxation,
as presently arranged, will produce
that amount of money. The next
move Is bound to be an income tax,
and Mr.. Carnegie sees It coming.
The present tariff on steel, As per
cent. advalorem, | think Is prohibi-
tive. To lower II would lower prices
TO consumers. even IL II failed 20 in
vite importation and SO put money in
the public purse. The common Of
feet, at least, would make toward
staving OFF the advent of income tax,
besides setting a tariff example that
would result In lowering duties on
other commodities than steel. The
tariff on wood pulp, coal, lumber,
and divers other matters is as pro-
hibitive as the tariff on steel bars.
Carnegie Fears Income Tax
Mr., Carnegie hates i'm income tax.
Mr.. Carnegie has cause to hate 1t.
Were he and his income living under
Bngland's meteor flag MI. Carnegie
would pay an income tax of more
than 100000 n year. In Germany
he would pay more.
You are to note, too, that in his
present surrender of protection Mr..
Carnegie personally surrenders moth
ing.
! Mr. Carnegie could not be injured
| by lowering the tariff on steel,
though it resulted-as II wOuld-in
lowering the price of steel. His for
tune of $500, 900, 900 isn't in steel,
but in steel bonds. These must be
paid, the interest must be paid, in
gold, whatever may be the lowered