The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-08-01

| fortunes IN the nduuS VI lho Ao"
helped to produce the high cost or
living and has taken from the
mouth Of labor the bread that 1t has
earned
Wealth is produced by the COM
bination of brain and Drawn ana
natural resources The swollen for
tunes of Rockefeller, Morgan, Car
negie and others is the production
of the brain and Drawn of the toll
ling millions applied to and operative
on the natural resources with which
Providence blessed the land for the
benefit of all. These could have
been gathered and accumulated only
by an unjust and in many respects
criminal system.
The high tariff has sheltered and
fostered monopolies by excluding
foreign competition. 1t has allowed
protected interests to fix price at
will limited only by the price OF the
foreign article with the tariff added
and the measure of their own greed.
A protective tariff that excludes the
foreign product cannot yield revenue.
1t only allows the home producer to
charge an eXorbitant price on his
own product.
1t is impossible to calculate the
amount of money that is yearly ex-
torted from the people by TINS
method. The nearest one can get IS
to take the total value of protected
products made and consumed at
home. the amount of protection they
enjoy. the actual cost OF production
and thereby determine the amount
added and eXtorted from the people
las an unearned profit. This tribute
is largely paid on the necessarles
of life, the things that the common
people consume. 1t is laid and col
Elected on the necessities OF exist
|ence. food, clothing and shelter. On
a large proportion of this consump-
ton no revenue is paid into the
treasury of the government but tri-
butte to the captains of industry.
The manufacturer that can sell
his product in other countries IN
competition with the markets of the
world does not need protection at
home. Trust made articles on
which there is no competition, but
the output, quality and price OF the
product arbitrarily fixed by the greed
of the manufacturer, should be plac-
ed on the free list.
The republicans admit that some
|of the rates of tariff are too high,
but they do not seem to know or at
least do not state what ones or how
much. Here again they confess their
Ignorance of the question and their
Inability to determine what sched-
|ules should be reduced Or to what
amount until they receive the IN
struction Of an expert commission.
The people know that former
schedules were made by the experts
of the interests, and now since they
have forbidden any further action
of this kind the republican party
seems to be totally unable to form
a tariff on systematic or sclentlhc
basis This proves that the basis
heretofore fixed was that demanded
by the interests and since that is
prohibited there seems to be no liked
rule by which to proceed.
i If Congress by it's committees
duly selected for that purpose can
not investigate and learn conditions
know and determine the facts upon
which tariff duties should be laid,
certainly committee, specially APP
!; pointed for that purpose, would be
unable to do so. Congress has the
power and means and intelligence to
investigate and determine the facts
for themselves. Such findings, when
made are accessible to all.
The executive is not the proper
department of government to select
a commission to investigate the facts
concerning the framing OF tarlH
laws. Revenue laws by the constl-
tuition must originate in the House
of Representatives and any commit
co1aot06
pointed to Investigate the facts and
conditions relating thereto should
belong and be responsible to Con-
. gress. The tariff commission, as
has been aptly said, is simply mo
ton for continuance, not made in
, good faith but for the purpose of
, delay
The Income Tax.
The question of taxation while
always a difficult one yet is founded
on we'll defined principles OF neces-
sity, sufficient to pay the expenses OF
the government when economically
administered and should be levied
so as to be equal and just, measuring
the amount paid by the protection
, furnished.
=, One class should not be taxed for
the support of another. Our sys-
tenn of national taxation imposes it's
, chief burden upon consumption. By
reason of the high tariff it has be1
come oppressive, enabling the pro-
tected interests to take toll from the
, product of the industry of the people.
We have reached the time for fiscal
reform. Our system of taxation
, should be revised SO that the people
may be freed from the merciless
greed of organized plumber. The
tariff should be reduced so that the
people would not have to pay a
, number of dollars of tribute for ev-
eryone that reaches Unites States
: treasury This has been one of the
chief causes Of the increase of prices
f in the protected industries and the
, general derangment Of our industrial
economical and social affairs.
The complete reorganization and
reimbursement of our revenue system
Y furnishes the only adequate remedy
: The correction of existing Inequalities
2 should be made by reducing custom