The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-10-08

the White House on the avenue. 1t
IS aptly named. Its object is torput
American products into direct com
petition with European products IN
American markets. The object is
already realized. The foreigners
promptly accepted the Invitation to
compete. and were on hand with
$100,000,OQO worth Of specimens OF
their goods when the signing Of the
tarin bill flung wide the gates OF
American markets to the more
cheapIy produced products Of En-
1 rope. This competitor on the home
grounds" Is expected to reduce the
prices of everything and lower the
cost of living to the American peo-
lple. There is no sign Of that yet,
and the date for that desideratum
has been yariously showed into the
distant future by Wilson, Simmons,
Bryan, Underwood and all the high
priests practicing in the temple o.
'the new freedom" Underwood says
1T will be year before 1t even be-
gins to happen.
To make up for the loss Of revenue
by the opening toi American markets
to European products, an income tax
is tolbe levied, starting at $4,000 FOR
the unhappy unmarried person. This
is only expected to add to the tax
burdens Of two per cent of the popu.
lation-some 10000 citizens Of West
Virginia, it is estimated by the re-
Yuted clerks. Should this fail to
make up the deficit caused by the
free pass given foreign-made goods
into American markets, there is
nothing to hinder dropping the max
imum amount OF income to be taxed
to $1,000. The reason that was mot
done at this time iiwas apolitical rea-
son. 1t would have prevented the
Democratic party passing piece os
rank class legislation, but 1t would
have turned its majority in the
ItIIouse of Representatives next year
into minority 1t will come along
in due time, however, If the party
now in power is continued in power
by the people. 1t is on the program.
1t has to come to complete that
party's program. 1t has to come to
complete that party's plan to do
away with indirect taxation such as
tariff is, and substitute direct taxa
ton. That has been the chief artil
Gle of faith in the Democratic creed
since it was a party in cradle
clothes. tt
The supreme test OF this new tar
If experiment is whether or not it
will reduce the high cost of living.
On that it must stand or fall. The
Democratic party said it would. and
its administrative officers Of high rank
stih assert it. 1t is rather more OF
a faint hope than,a confident expec-
tation on their part, Just now. II
the high cost of living is not re-
duced, then the people have gained
nothing. In fact, they will likely
find themselves hurt much. They are
frank to state that they do not see
any signs of benefit looming up at
the present time, with the activity
of exporters abroad, the disgorging
of our warehouses Of their foreign
made stores, the initial step taken
toward a graduated income tax
which viii fall on all incomes great
and small in proportion, the prompt
decrease of our securities, even gov
ernmetn As when the law went
into effect, the insecurity OF the
wage standard-these are. some of
the many disquieting signs that they
do behold, and which they see with
fear and misgiying.
1T is not near so hard to ascertain
what the effects that this new law
will be upon American industry as
1t Is to tell with accuracy what is go
ing to happen to the prices we are to /,
pay in the future for the necessary
commodities. Lincoln said that the
value of protection was found in the
fact that when we purchased Ameri-I
can goods, we received the goods and
kept the money, while when we puF-
chased foreign goods we received the
goods, but the foreigners got the
money. Lincoln disclaimed knowing
anything much about the tariff, but
with his strong common sense stated
i, in that one sentence the crux of the
subject. That there will be trans
fer of profits from American manu-
] facturers to froeign manufacturers
goes without saying. Every dollars
worth of goods manufactured in Eu-
rope and sold in the United States
means the displacement of a propor-