The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-20
THE STATE PRESS


A~Am ASuUCtOn anu the revenues.
When the Federal income tax IS Federal
law s1mething certainly will have to be dons
TO make up the deficit in revenues IL the Demo
cratic party reduces the tariff The government
will not have sufficient funds to operate and II
VIII depend largely upon the income tax to meet
this deiiciency-Memphis News scimitar.
Here Is the slime old Republican roarback,
"~ntch did duty in the North and West for so
many years, resurrected from the burial of last
November and appearing In ghostly cerements
IN the editorial column Of a Southern news
paper.
We win not gratuitously assume that the
scimitar knows that the higher the tariff the
smaller the amount of duties collected into the
Federal treasury. We much prefer to credit It's
repetition Of this Oft exploded economic faliacy
TO ignorance than to conscious mendaci.y. For
surely no one possessed of ordinary regard for
a decent reputation would knowingly saddle
with fact.
The intent of the Democratic leaders In con-
gress Is ITO reduce the duties to revenue
basis and that is precisely what their reduc-
ton below the prohbtory SCALE which is pro-
tective will bring about. Under the high pro-
tective tariff the trusts have been collecting the
tax from the people and putting 1t I'm their pock-
cts Under tariff for revenue only the govern
ment would collect the rrcm the foreign
manufacturer and put 1t in the national treasury.
on this subject. in response to query from
a Northern Journal, Mr.. Bryan made an answer
which covers briefly the whole ground He
referred to the records OF tariff legislation in
this country for fifty years past to show that
revenue by increasing the imports and at the
same time increase the demand for iabor by in
creasing the domestic output. Where, said he
the tariff Is nrohibitory 1t may result in plac-
ing heavy burden upon the consumer without
yielding any revenue at all. 1t is common
mistake OF prctectionists to measure the burden
borne by the consumer by the amount Of the
taxes collected. whereas the people NAV paw to
the protected interests many times the amount
fhat reaches the treasury. IT, for instance we
import one-tenth as much OF a given article
as we consume and the domestic industry COL
lects approximately the fail afs4etat of the tariff
the burden upon the people is ten times as
great as the amount received by the govern
ment In revenue In such case reduction in
the tariff might double the revenue and at the
OF the domestic article as t. greatly increase
the demand and thus aid the consumer and the
laborer
The question permits OF an additional
answer. namely, that new form of taxation
would be likely to hear as heavily upon the
masses as tariff taxation. for there is no other
form that bears more unequaly upon the pub
lie IT would be difficult. therefore, to find a
new system which would not be more Just to
the masses than the tax consumption which
they have so long borne-a system under which
the poor man pays more than his share, and
the rich man less than his share"
Mr. Bryan might have added that one OF the
Republican indictments against the Cleveland
administration the excess of money flow
Ing into the Federal treasury creating surplus
which stimulated congressional extravaganc
This was an object lesson on one Of the work
ngs of low tariff which Republican organs
@eem anxious to ignore.--Norfolk Vlrgiu!an-
Pilot.