Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1912-03-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington. D. c., March IA, 1912.
By G. H. TANENNER.


By g. HI. TANENNER.
Instead OF taxing sugar nearly
two cents q pound. place tax on
wealth.
The Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives has announced this as a
part OF it's program to bring re-
duction in the cost of living.
Now get ready for the old cry of:
''You can't do it; it's unconstitution-
al" Whenever it is proposed to
tax wealth instead OF poverty. wealth
raises the question OF constitution
atty, accompanied with the charge
OF "radicalism. An income tax is
not radical. Every first class ma
ton on the earth's surface-except
this country-raises part OF it's
revenue to meet the expenses Of the
government by taking incomes.
among such nations being Great Bri-
tain. Japan, France, Germany, Hol-
land. Austria, Denmark, Switzer-
land, Australia, New Zealand and
many more.
Under our present fiscal policy
the expense of maintaining the army
and navy, building public buildings
and running the government, is met
by taxing the things the people
n ust have in order to live Practi-
cally all revenue Is derived through
the customs houses and internal
revenue Offices, with the exception
OF comparatively small amount de.
rived from corporation tax; which
was recently passed as cheating
substitute for an income tax. While
the hat, coat and shirt OF the masses
are taxed almost II per cent under
this fiscal system, Rockefeller, Nor
gan and other millionaires are not
asked by the federal government to
pay any tax whatever on their swol-
len fortunes. Thus poor man with
family actually pays more toward
running the government than a
millionaire bachelor.
The Democratic plan is TO place
sugar on the free list. This will re-
peal tax on the breakfast table,
now borne by the American people.
Then the present corporation tax
will be extended to include individ
uals and coopartnerships having an
income OF $1,000 a year or more.
The excess of income over Is 900
will be taxed / per cent bringing
into the treasury between $50. 100000
ard $50, 900 90 year. which will
more than cover the $53, 900 900 now
derived annually from the sugar
tariff. The price of sugar TO the
consumer, 1t is estimated. will be
reduced about II cents pound.
Those who scout the idea that an
excise tax bill can be so drawn as
TO stand the test OF the Supreme
court, may be referred 10 the opin-
ion OF one OF the couutry's leading
lawyers, William Howard Taft, as
follows. I'm my judgement an
amendment to the constitution for
an income tax is not necessary. |
believe that an income tax, when the
protective system OF customs and
the internal revenue tax shall not
furnish income enough for govern
ment needs, can and should be de-
vised which under the decisions OF
the Supreme court will conform to
the constitution.
PROTECTING The CHILDREN.
Nothing in the history Of Ameri-
can tariff making has so thoroughly
demonstrated the fallacy of the high
protection principle as the testimony
OF the Lawrence, Mass mill str,k-
ers.
In the same room where Carnegie
and Sch wab told how they juggled
millions, the Rules committee OF the
House heard fathers. mothers and
children tell how whole families
were forced to live on So and $6
week paid by the highly protected
Wooden Trust. The witnesses told
how they were forced to work ten
hours day; how they had to use "a
sort OF molasses" as a substitute for
butter; how children had to go into
mills at an early age in order to
keep the family from actual starva-
tioD, and how the constant demand
Of the mill owners was Tor more and
more speed and less and less pay.
In the committee room sat some OF
the mill children, fresh from the
mills. and mere glance at them
'old more than spoken or written
could tell. All had pinch
I'd faces. All were poorly drassed