The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-03-26

that the men who own 80 per cent Of
the wealth Of the United States
should shoulder but 10 per cent Of
the burden of taxation for running
the government?
The Democratic House of Represen-
tatives believes that 1t is not, and
hence the passage of the excise-income
tax bill which levies tax of / per
cent on incomes in excess OF $4,000 a
year.
This does not mean that all persons
having more than $4,000 must pay a
tax on the excess of that sum- 1t
means that those who have an annual
"ihcom" of NOR than $4,000 must pay
the per cent on the excess of $4,000.
1t will be necessary for a man to draw
higher salary than $4,000 year, or
to have a capitalized sum of about
100000 before he is called upon to
pay 1 per cent tax on that portion in
excess of $4,000
This is class legislation. the stand
patters and protectionists say. They
were never heard to complain, howev-
er, of the existing class legislation
which permits the burden of federal
taxation to fall entirely upon the
shoulders of the masses, taxing the
average man, woman and child on ev-
cry stitch of clothing they wear and
everything else they must have in Or
der to live, while permitting all forms
of wealth to go untaxed.
The masses of the people produce
the wealth, and by legislative advant-
age few get possession OF it, and
now these few object to the transfer
to wealth of even the amount Of rev.
enue derived from the taxation of su-
gar, but one of the 500 things on which
a tariff is levied. They would prefer
that the government continue to tax
sugar instead Of wealth, because they
eat no more sugar than the section
hand or the mill worker and there
fore under the present system are
compelled to pay no greater tax to
the federal government than does the
poorest man. These facts may read
strange. but they are facts, and will
not be contradicted.
The United States is practically the
only one of the great nations today
that raises practically all it's revenue
by taxing the people according to their
needs and practically according to
their poverty, and allows wealth to
go untaxed, so far as the raising mon
ey to build battleships, maintain the
army, and run the government are
concerned.
i The government now raises 1914,
3. 100000 annually by placing an import
duty or tariff on the things the people
eat, wear or use. Banks, railroads and
steamship lines pay nothing to Uncle
Sam because they do not come
through the customs houses.
If fiscal system which requires q
millionaire to pay no more tax to the
federal government than the section
hand or the mill worker Is fair ant
just, there is no need of reform; but il
such a system Is unjust, the excise
income tax is move In the right di
rection to remedy II.
Ruined Again!
The sugar industry in the United
States, according to the wall goini
up from protectionists, will be ruined
by the bill removing the tax from su
gar, reducing the price to the consum
er approximately 2 cents a pound
This, then, will be the fourth time the
industry will have been ruined" &C
cording to ectionists-always &C
cording to protectionists.
The standpatters said the industry
would be ruined when Porto Rico su
gar was admitted free. But 1t wasn't
Then they said it would surely perish
when Philippine sugar was admitted
free, and gave up the same cry wheI
Cuban sugar was given downward
revision During this time of ruin,
cane sugar production in this country
increased materially, and beet sugal
production more than doubled, but th'
price of sugar has never ceased tt
advance in price to the consumer. Th'
Wholesale price of standard granu
lated sugar on the day this item IL
written is $5.85 per one hundred
pounds. One week ago today it wal
$5.75 One month ago today, $5.45
and one year ago, $3.50.
Whether the sugar trust finds it nee
essary to increase prices to reimburse
itself for the stolen millions it wal
forced to disgorge to the government
following the exposure Of the under
weighing frauds, or whether the in
creases are actually justified by {
shortage of sugar production abroad
Is considered debatable question b,
many. But the fact that the wholesale