The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-04-15
THE TAX BILL
Osnnonced by Governor Judson
Harmon of Ohio At
The ANNUAL DINNER

IE1E ABVWUGl DBSyiSGR
OF the National Democratic Club in
New York, the Ohio Governor
Protests Against the Present Tariff
Legislation, the Encroachment Of
the Federal Government.
Denunciation of the principle Of
protection and of the tariff legisla-
tion now pending in Congress as a
pretence and sham, formed the
keynote of the addresses at the an
nual dinner of the National Demo-
cratic Club at New York Tuesday
night, in celebration of the one hun
dred and siXty-sixth anniversary Of
the birth of Thomas Jefferson.
A portrait of Jefferson hung over
with American flags, dominated the
guest table, at which Governors
Harmon, of Ohio. and Marshall. of
Indiana; Senator Chamberlain, State
Senator Grady; John Foy, the clubs
president; Richard Croker, Alton B..
Parker, Charles F. Murphy, leader
of Tammany Hall, and former State
Supreme Court Judge Morgan j.
| O'Brine and D. Cary Herrick sat.
Elsewhere at 6 longitudinal tables
sat four hundred of the elect of the
Democratic party.
A protest against what he declared
were growing encroachments of
special privilege at Washington, es-
pecially as embodied in tariff legis-
lation, was the keynote of the ad-
dress of Governor Judson Harmon,
of Ohio. Asserting that the reduc-
tions in the pending tariff bill would
be but mockery of the demand for
relief, Judge Harmon declared that
real relief never would be secured
except under a Legislature and EX-
ecutive following Jeffersonian rules
and treating taxation as means of
preventure and not of private gain.
The steady tendency since the civil
war has been to exalt the Federal
Government at the expense of the
| State, said the speaker, one result
being the neglect of economy and the
embarkation of the Government in
to eXtravagant enterprises. He in
stanced the action of the last Con-
gress in appropriating two millions
of dollars and the raising of salaries
cf officials in the face of a growing
shortage of revenue, and con-
tinued:
"Now instead of seeking methods
Of retrenchment to meet present
confessed deficit bf more than a
hundred millions, the President and
Congress are devising additional tax
es to exact from the diminished
means of the people and proposing
to issue bonds besides. State Of
sficials who would propose such a
course would not dare to go home to
their constituents and would be for
ever disgraced if they should take
it.
after twelve years of false pre-
tences, at last confessed, which have
bred and fattaned countless monop-
olies and trusts, it is proposed not
to shake off their grip, but just tc
loosen it trifle here and there sc
the people may not be utterly de,
voured."
Of the way the Dartv lines have
been obliterated in the fight in Con-
gress over the tariff Judge Harmon
said:
''It is hardly fair for Republicans
at least, to charge with inconsistency
| Democratic Congressman who take a
land in this selfish scramble. Tn
the last campaign the Republican
candidate for President. openly Of
fered a share of tariff spoil fol-
Democratic votes. When special fa-
vors are the order of the day. it is
natural for a Representative to think
he ought to secure a share for in
terests at home. To do otherwise
requires high courage, and we are
proud of the many who show it in
the face of the decentralization which
legislating for private instead OF
public interest always produces.
Judge Harmon attacked the policy
of spending hundreds of millions of
dollars for a canal at Panama on
the part of what he said was a coun-
try practically without ships, taxed
against the possibility of buying any,
and with the only proposed means
of encouraging shipping, the pay
ment OF direct subsidies to Il favored
few out of money raised by taxes on
all the people. The speaker added:
and why tax the people to build
a costly canal and secure ships for
foreign commerce., while tariff
system is maintained whose purpose
and effect are to discourage or kill
foreign commerce. except such as
consists in selling our products
abroad at less prices than are impos-
ed on our own people. Wat State