Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-10-04
with the Public
The Primary and the Tariff.
Yelm, Wash.
Editor Standard

Yelm, Wash.
Editor Standard:
How do the people throughout the
county like the primary law. Ii seems
TO me a farce In Vein precinct with
a possible 200 votes CT mere, So votes
ynre cast, 80 Republican, 10 DEM
ocrats and Socialists. Is that
reasonable test of the sentiments OF
he people?, No doubt there were many
Republicans who would like TO have
voted for some candidates on the Dem
ocratic ticket, in fact | know there
were. hut were prevented by having TO
call for the party ballot. A good Re
publican scheme. as IL is in the MAJ
ority in this county.
II senris to me that it would be
much better to have ali the candidates
IN one ballot ard allow electors to
choose from either party as their ludg-
ment dictates. Under the apathetlc
conditions that generally prevail at
elections, it is easy for the minority
20 prevail over the majority. III every
one felt it incumbent upon him to go
10 the polls and vote. it would be diff
ferent. There are too many people
who shirk the responsibility of an
| elector and then growl because they
| don't get what they want, and there
are many others through ignorance
of. prevailing conditions who don't
know how to vote intelliEently.
If people understood the iniquity
of the tariff they would bury the Re-
publican party with ballots SO deep
| that it could never be reSurrected.
For instance take the tariff on sugar
| Of which the average citizen eats 80
pounds year The Democratic
House last session passed bill plac-
ing sugar on the free list. 1t was
estimated this would reduce the price
approximately 2 cents per pound.
Another bill was passed placing a
slight tax on incomes in excess of
$4,000, which would have meant a
transfer of a small burden of taxation
from breakfast table to wealth. The
corporation controlled senate objected
to this program and both bills died
with the session.
The Democratic program Of substi-
tuting tax on wealth for the tax on
sugar was class legislation, shouted
the stand-patters and protectionists.
They were never heard to complain
however, if the existing class legisla-
ton which permits the burden of fed
eral taxation to fall entirely upon the
shoulders of the masses, taxing the
average man, woman and child on
every stitch of clothing they wear and
everything else they must have In
order to live, while permitting for
tunes to go untaxed. The masses
Of the people produce the wealth, and
by legislative advantage few get pos
session of it, and now those few object
and have prevented the transfer to
wealth of even the small amount OF
taxation derived from the tariff on
sugar which is but one of more than
500 things on which the consumers
nav a tax. They prefer that the gov
eminent continue to tax sugar instead
of wealth, because they eat no more
sugar than the section hand or the
worker in the mill, and therefore
under the present system of protec
ton are compelled to pay no greater
tax to the federal government than
does the poorest man. II a system
which requires a millionaire to pay
no more tax to the national govern
ment than the section hand or mill
worker is fair and just, l submit
don't know what justice Is.
The free sugar bill would. If passed
have saved the consumers Sal 100000
but what do the interests care for the
consumer? They have the same love
for the consumer or producer that thu
hawk has for the dove or the wolf fol
the lamb. 1t is to be hoped the PEG
, pie will yet learn, by sad experience
that the privileged classes are COINS
to ride them SO long as they are will
ing to be ridden.
J. C. CONNIE.