Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-04-18
washington oorrespondence.
BY CLYDE H. TAvENNER.

income tax, which proposes tc
place upon wealth part of the
burden of sustaining the govern
ment, will pass the Senate and the
White House. Senator Penrose,
who pretends to be the leader ol
the Standpatters, in the Senate,
has made the statement that none
OF the Democatic bills would be
allowed to pass the Senate, but il
is becoming more and more APP
parent Senator Penrose and those
who believe as he does no longer
have the power to allow certain
measures to pass, Or prevent
others from passing.
The truth is, a great many of the
Senators, on both sides of the
chamber, either because they are
at last frightened by the wave OF
protest against the high tariff in
justice, or because they believe in
the inherent justice OF the income
tax measure, have come to look
favorably on the measure. At
least there has been cessation of
the talk about the demonstration
ality" of the bill, and since this
always has been the Standpat way
of opposing all logical measures,
the sign is considered good one.
Nobody pretends to know, of
course, what President TAFT will
do in the event the bill passes the
Senate and reaches him, but from
the amount Of popular approval
that has been accorded the meas
ure, it is admitted by even the
friends of the President that a veto
for this measure will mean politi-
cal suicide for him.
The present tariff law raises
about $3.50, 100000 year in gov
erment revenue. And for every
dollar of revenue turned into the
United States treasury, it is esti-
mated by Democratic leaders in
Congress who have studied the
question from every possible
angle, that the tarif barons put
five into their own pockets in the
form of loot. In other words, the
tariff gives thece beneficiaries the
right to collect five dollars in trib-
ute for every dollar the govern
ment collects in revenue.
This condition is alone re.
sponsible for the b orde of mush-
room millionaires in this country.
On every hand the people pay
tribute.
In. the past, the tariff barons
have urged tariff for two prin-
cipal reasons. First, they pre-
tended that they wanted to pro-
tect American workingmen. That
this argument, which the Repub-
lican protectionists listened to
with a willing ear for the past six
teen years, is a farce pure and
simple, has been proven by the
Democrats at this session of Con-
gress, chiefly through the various
Investigations into trust methods.
Secondly, the trusts urged that in
no other way could revenue tc
support the government be coll
lected.
Having disposed Of the first ar.
gument, the Democrats, through
the excise-income tax bill, hay,
offered solution of the other al.
legged difficulty. The Democrat,
party believes there is anothe
way to meet the expenses of gov
ernment, and that that way lie.
through an income tax. And ol
the merits Of that belief the part,
is going to ask for national sup
port next November.
TWO IRRESISTIBLE MEASURES.
The bill repeating the tax o.
sugar, which will reduce the pric
to the consumer 2 cents poun
If the measure is enacted into Law
and the bill to place a tax on al
incomes of more than $1,000
year, are two Of the most impor
tant measures passed by til,
House Of Representatives in tn
lastsquarter Of century.
These sister bills, conceived an
framed by Democratic commit
tees, were so good in fact, tina
eighty Republicans we're forced I
vote for them. tForced to vot
for them" is the correct expires
sion, because the Republicans re
fused steadfastly when in powe
to pass such legislation, Or eve
to consider it, but when the Dem
ocrats forced them to vote on
way Of the other, they were afrai
to vote against either bill lest tnei
constituents retire them to privat
life.