The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-03-26
UNCLE SAMUEL
NEEDS FUNDS

.NNH'f' 's DO fHf fH.HNn|' fNH IffHH
Hn m ie.r ahart fi.nU wl e.
tsHf masH 900 r.frr iak unHIl ha
HnfumIar IIf h.mo.His RanIi aeIae
rIHu af aH .s.ur hUi saHl af CO.,
-fHfrs would neaf thr Inheritance iaf.
hs an rnD.H.c'mt.f UroF thcIf iatr2
Intr sai.fcs
~funFc'r enough fhat GA subject of
fHFH content .nr #.raHr. mot nrnr.
inr u 500 grrnt inUu huhhnb af Tia
present moment lt uai 90 he fhp
piece ID, resistance. nui the upper
most question is bow Oh got revenue.
and ihp experts are convinced that The
sugar dutics 81 the Dingley law are
fixed lusi about right for getting ~
masimum ~ revenue. That is the
chief reason why there las been n5
chewing the rag over sugar. Some
81 ihc hig canning factories East and
West, hnve asked for lower sugar du-
ties, but apparently they have made
no impression upon Congress.
II would be very easy to clap a
higher tax upon whisky. but there,
again. the experts in internal revenue
matters say that the country is now
getting a maximum of revenue from
whisky. II they tax it any more the
moonshners will become active. which
means that IN the aggregate the cost
4 of collecting the whisky taxes will
rise enormously and that the net pro-
/ ceeds 10 the government will not be
materially increased. The tax on beer
can be raised. There is no such thing
as moonshining in the brewery bust
ness. and a larger beer tax would sure
/ " Weld additional revenue. But the
1 trouble there is that the saloonkeeper
will find WAYS Of curtailing the ca
pacity of schooner and the thirsty
citizen with an educated foot at the
public bar will "holler''
So the brows of lot of statesmen
on the Hill are furrowed. Not but
what there are ways of raising money
| plenty Of WAYS. But all the ordi-
nary methods Of taxation have been
well-nigh exhausted. With all its great
military establishments, this has be
come billion-dollar-a year govern
ment. The people like TO see the
money fly. They applaud at the Unit
ed States making such a fine show.
Now, however, the bills must be paid,
and apparently it IL going to be i'm
possible to pay them without impOs'
ing taxes such rs have hitherto been
imposed only in time of war.
Uncle Sam himself is beginning to
feel the hard times. He will not cur.
tail. The country will not let him,
but he must have the money. Hence
the great TODD about taxing coffee,
tea and beer or anything else that can
yield the Treasury an honest dollar.
President Taft is facing a new cundi-
ton. He now has Congress on his
hands 1t is nothing new, of course, as
far as other esidents have been con
ccrned. But Congress has been SUI
preme test to many a President 1t
was 10 Cleveland, to Harrison and to
; Roosevelt. Congress has made Presi-
dents pass many sleepless night. 1t
may, or may not. give President Taft
insomnia before the spring and summer
are over
The incoming Congress is a problem
to its leaders. They have been wrest-
ling days and nights over its program.
Little wonder that it should give a
new President quite as much worry.
For he is the party leader. as well as
the President. The country, in the
long run. holds him responsible. 1t may
blame the Speaker. 1t may blame the
Senate Constituencies may blame
their respective members of the House
in certain instances. But after the
man at the crossroads has argued il all
out, if Congress displeases him, he puts
the blame upon the man in the White
House Ditto, the credit, if Congress
; cnacts the laws that please him.
President Taft is playing strong
! hand thus far TO be sure he has had
no legislative experience. He never
even served as member of any minor
legislative body. In that regard he is
; in the same class with Cleveland. Har
rson had been United States Senator
from Indiana for six years. Garfield
I was a veteran in the House, as Me
Kinley had been. Mckinley got along
G ! splendidly with Congress, but every
( congressman felt as though Mckinley
( was one of his own clan. There il
o much of the elan in your average sen
ator and average member. He like
men who speak the language of hi
tribe. Cleveland did not speak tn
congressional dialect; neither dir
Roosevelt, although in his younger day
, he had been member of the New
y York legislature.
But President Taft has had more ex
perence with Congress than eithe
}. Cleveland or Roosevelt had had. Ill
r. has "..worked" bills through the Senat
. and through the House. All in all h
has had very good preparatory tram
&c ing.
e. The conferences and parleys tina
Is precede every important session
~ Congress call for much tact and niue
70 resourcefulness on the part of a Pres
n dent. Mr.. Taft has been going throug
n that ordeal during the last ten day
He has stood it very satisfactorily,
. least from the standpoint of the me
ia who rule at the Capitol. He has refuse
=, to treat with insurgents, who, of cours'
~ are a small minority. He has show
~ ~ great frmness in adhering TO his view
- but at the same time has been cou
II teous and considerate of Republiea
y congressman with whom he found hin
nc self at odds. And on the whole thes
n insurgents. most of whom are Wester
." men. entertain nothing but good wi
for him.
n. Mr.. Taft has been laboring assidl
III ously to master the details of his ofii'
~ af ha