Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-03-13

NOIuAlS lH the ulSlOry OF American
tariff making has SO thoroughly
demonstrated the fallacy Of the high
protection principle as the testimony
" the Lawrence, Mass, strikers be-
tore the House rules committee.
! The wooden trust is the especial
pet CT the high protectionists. In
order that this trust may enjoy i'm
n!uni.y from foreign competition, ev-
cry man, woman and child in the
country pays tribute. ALL along this
trust has said: 1--WE must have a
high tariff in order to protect our
workmen.. We can't pay American
wages if we have to compete with
the cheap labor Of Europe"
The rules committee OF the House
summoned some Of the strikers to
Washington, and in the same room
where Carnegie and Perkins told
how they juggled millions this
committee heard fathers, mothers and
children tell how whole families we're
forced to live on IS and Sc week
paid by the highly protected wooden
trust. The witnesses told how they
were forced to work ten hours, a day;
how they had to use "a, sort of
molasses" as substitute for butter;
how children had to go into the
mills at an early age in order to
keep the family from actual starva-
ton, and how the constant demand
of the mill owners was for more and
more speed and less and less pay.
| In the committee room sat some Of
the mill children. They were fresh
from the mills, and mere glance at
them told more than spoken volumes
could tell. All had punched faces
All were poorly dressed, some OF
them having only a cheap sweater in
lieu Of coat and overcoat. ALL had
dull, expressionless faces, in which
there was no trace Of color or ami
nation. All Of them, moreover, We're
slightly deaf, because of their work
amidd the fearful clatter of the mill
machinery, SO that at times the
committee members almost had to
shout to make themselves heard.
! Among them was one little italian
girl-Camilla: Teoi by name - who
amid the fearful CHATTER of the mill
had suffered the almost total loss OF
i her scalp. She was unable to work
for year, during which she receiv-
ed not a cent in damages or COM
pensation. When at last she was
able to get cut of her bed she went
back into; the mills at a reduced
wage, because she wasn't as strong
as formerly.
All the children looked worn and
old, as though they had been speed
ed up beyond the limit OF endurance.
These children revealed. as nothing
else could reveal, that protecting.
American workingmen" is the last
thought of the wooden trust. They
stood as living proof that,the motive
ii seeking a high tariff on wool was
greed.
Instead of taxing sugar nearly two
cents pound, place tax ON
wealth.
| The Democratic House Of ReEresen'
tatives has announced this as part
Of its program to bring about a re
4 duction in the cost OF living.
Now get ready for the old cry:
"You can't do it; it's unconstitu-
tional.'' Whenever 1T is proposed to
tax wealth instead OF poverty, wealth.
raises the question: Of constitutional
NY, accompanied with the charge OF
"radicalism.'' The income tax Is
not radical. Every first class nation
on the face of the earth--except the
United States-ra seq a part Of the
lrevenue to meet government expenses
by taxing incomes. Among these ma
tdons are Great Britain, France, Ger
many, Holland, Switzerland, New
Zealand, Australia and Denmark
Under our present fiscal policy.
the expense OF maintaining the
army and navy, building publ
buildings, and running the govern
nent, is met by taxing the things the
people must have in order to live.
Practically all revenue is raised
through the. custom houses and the
internal revenue Offices With the
exception of comparatively small
amount derived fr m the corporation
tax, which recently was passed as q
cheating substitute for the income
tax, all government revenue is rails
ed in this way. While the hats,
coats and shirts of the masses are
taxed almost II per cent under the
present fiscal system, Rockefeller
Morgan and the other millionairies
| are not asked by the federal govern
ment to pay any tax whatever OH
their swollen fortunes. Thus a poor
man with a family actually contri-
butes more to the expense of the
governm emit than rich bachelor.
The democratic plan is to- place
sugar on the free list, thus repeating
a tax on the breakfast table, now
borne by the American people. Then
the present corporation tax will be
extended to include individuals and
copartnerships having an income of
1000 year or mere The excess OF
T. =
per cent, bringing into the treasury
between $5o,000,0Oo and $6o,ooo.-
900 year, which will more than
cover the $4,000 900 now derived
annually from the sugar tariff. The
price of sugar to the consumer, it