The Detroit times., 1909-02-08
PLAN BEER TAX To
CUT DOWN j. s.
DEFICIT
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
WILL REPORT PLAN, SAYS Al
FRED HENRY LEWlS-sTAMPs
ON BONDS ALSO.
au ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.

WASHINGTON, Dec. o. ne ta''s
of the members OF the ways ana
means committee wear a padlocAed
expression, especially about the lips.
They have made unto themselves
vow Mankind is not 10 know the
tariff plans OF this deep sea oeyy w.
I'll they are disclosed BY the reported
bill
our ways and means Republicans
for the Democrats have nothing 10
say in the original bill framing-ieel
The grave weight or their burdens IL
is one OF the pleasing attributes OF
CONGRESSMAN burdens that while they
may bend his back they never oeua
mis- selfimportance The more you
pile upon his congressional shoulders
the taller straighIer is his strut.
What are these back-bowing, dig
nity-fostering burdens? The tarin
must be revised because the coun'
try has been promised revision.
Also. there is deficit OF s19,OOO,O 600
which will be Sl3o.000.0 900 by July j
Being backed away from that plan
10 tariY coffee by the public frown, the
ways and means folk have now priv
lily decided 10 clap another dollar In
the way OF revenue tax on every bar
rel of beer. They have found out.
they say. that, whereas beer whole
sales for from $3.50 10 $3.50 barrel,
II retails across the sloppy counters
OF the grog shops for nearly $50 oar'
rel This, they argue. leaves ample
room for notching up the beer tax an
other dollar a barrel II will hurt no
one but the saloonkeepers. and our
WAYS and means publicists repeat
this as though they said, 1T VIII hurt
no one but the rattlesnakes.
Brewers Raise Outcry.
The public drinks tnlrty-fve million
barrels Of beer each year. That doi-
lar IA barrel would bring an annual
s35, 900 600 tumbling home 10 the
treasury
The brewers are. OF course. raising
terrible outory. One would suppose
that they were being skinned alive.
They object most yehemenly to that
added one dollar barrel. They point
tragically at coffee, and cry. Tax
that
For myself think-since money
must be habitat the ways and
means, when IL considers that beer
enterp prise can stand tax IL is the
breweries. Who among you ever
heard OF brewery in bankruptcy or
your man OF malt making an assign
ment?
The tariffites are also talking OF de-
handing a stamp for commercial pa
per, deeds, bonds and mortgages
which. as falling upon gentleman al.
ready more or less in hook would
not be AL right"
The tax on patent medicines, which
the tariff mongers have up their furl'
tive sleeve would hardly meet with
popular opposition, whatever might be
the resentment OF the medicine men
themselves. When IL comes TO hair
tonics. soothing syrups and liver pills.
the general disposition is 10 tell the
ways and means people 10 go as far
as they like.
That cool public indifference as TO
what happens in the way OF tax TO
patent medicines, marks no ebb OF
patriotism. Hair tonics are not the
flag, liver pills not liberty. that men
should die In their defense.
Clearing House for Inebriates.
The committee having In charge the
Taft inaugural is composed OF officers
and gentlemen. IL Is making particu-
lar arrangements to- care for what
visitors, rendered devious because or
Joy and strong drink in inexact pro-
portions. fall into the hands OF those
blue samaritans. the police. The In
augural "drunks" will not be hailed
to a station house and locked in d
vulgar cell For them Is TO be estab-
lished clearing house for inebriates
airy, fresh. clean. commodious.
There. what bibulous ones have over
played their energies are 10 be moved
away until, In the words OF the poet,
reason has resumed her sway, The
legs returned TO duty"
These cushioned preparations TO
care for class OF celebrants SO of
ten scorned, spat upon, despised. show
the Christian spirit wherewith the To-
cal management has gone about its
work.
In and out OF the state department.
among folk official and unofficial, mere
is the widespread belief that Cuba
Will not stand alone upon Its own I'M
supported legs twelvemonth. There
will be a little suffering fash OF re-
bellion; no one will get hurt; there
will occur much jabber and no blood,
and Cuba will fall backward into the
arms OF her Uncle Sam
And the reason thereof is this: Ey.
cry Cuban man with a dollar has his
eyes upon this country, and is eager
to join" Already they have a saying
in Havana Stand Cuban on his
head and II d peseta roll out OF his
pocket he's an annexationist."