The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-12

From the Pascagoula Democrat t-Star. The prominent position occupied by oscar Underwood as chairman of the ways and means committee of the House of Representatives, and the democratic leader on the floor, natural ly makes him the father of any tariff legislation that may be enacted by the House. Whatever tariff bill may come forth from that branch of Congress will become known in the popular mind as the Underwood bill, the same as the names of Wilson, Mckinley and Dingley have been perpetuated Hence the tar if bill enacted by the House will ma terially affect the fortunes of MT. Un- derwood in connection with the demo- cratic nomination for the presidency at the convention in Baltimore. The fact Is so self evident that every movement or suggestion coming from the ways and means committee is inn mediately reported or repeated as coming from oscar Underwood To say Underwood is merely saying the ways and means committee, and vice versa.
 
 and means committee hence by Under wood is placing sugar on the free list, thereby saving to the poor people of the nation something like $S per year, and forcing the rich class to shoulder q more equitable distribution of the cost of government. The duty on sugar is 1.90 cents, and census statis- ties show that each man, woman and child in the country consumes about so pounds annually. This saving of $S per year to the poor man is a material reduction in these days of high cost of living. This saving, too, is good dem ocracy. The nation Is acclaiming the wisdom of Underwood in this daring step forward for the masses, except in those isolated sections that prate and plead about their democracy while at heart they are high protection repup- licans. This fact was forcibly illus trated during the current week in the New Orleans papers, which let out an awful yeIp when their beloved sugar was placed on the free list. Years and years and years ago Hancock, running for the presidency, was laughed out of anu edSlly WHeH he declared that tariff is strictly local issue. So 1t Is, and today 1t is generally so recognized. The howl from Louisiana and Colorado against free sugar serves but to emphasize this self evident fact.
 Placing sugar on the free list means cutting off revenue of about $52,000,- 900 annually The new law forcing the wealthier classes to pay part of the burden of expense means revenue of about s90,000,000, and this is raised by the nominal tax of per cent on all in comes in excess of S5000 per year. The man who earns 5000 annually will have to pay the sum of $10 annually as a tax 1 per cent on the excess over s5000, yet the multi -millionaires, with incomes of $1S000,000 will have to pay $1S0,000 annual tax. If MT. Un- derwood has never accomplished any other thing for the good of the people at large, the forcing of sugar on the free list and making the wealthy bear their share of the cost of government has made him forever the foremost statesman of the present generation. The tariff is to be the battle field for the approaching campaign. The man who is directly and personally respon- sible for whatever tariff Legislation the present Congress may succeed in push ing through is the logical man to be selected as the standard bearer of the democratic party, the party making the new tariff bill.