The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-24
TARIFF MEASURE
DEBATE OPENED
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

/ CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
day in the House. Majority Leader Un-
derwood leading off In favor Of his bill
with a two-hour extemporaneous speech,
| in which he declaredSthat the high pro-
| lection theory was an inheritance from
the civil war. Mr. Underwood contended
that the high tariff was. in part. respon-
| sible for the high cost Of living, but that
slashing reductions in this cost could not
| be expected to fellow Immediately upon
the heels Of tariff reduction.
| The real question that we have to
| contend with is the rights and inter-
ests of the consuming masses of the
| American people," said Mr.. Underwood.
! the question OF industry in this country
is today and from our standpoint must
| always be secondary to the rights and
necessities Of the great American con-
| Stunning public"
Mr.. Underwood contended that pro-
| lection was in part responsible for the
| high cost Of living
IT do not contend that the increase in
values Is entirely due to the tariff, >"
| said Mr.. Underwood. I'm some places
| it is and in others It is not. But it is
| safe to say that a large portion Of the
| increased cost Of living to the American
citizen has grown directly out OF the
| system Of taxation that is levied to
protect the great manufacturing inter-
ests of this country. If that were not
true, then We would find in countries
like England, where they have no such
system Of taxation, that the cost Of
living would be as high as ours But,
on the other hand, We know that in
many countries that do not maintain
high protective tariff. although the cost
Of living has increased to some extent,
the actual cost of living to each indi-
vidual consumer is far less and has in
creased in a less proportion than II has
to the people Of the United States"
No Immediate Effect.
Mr.. Underwood did not promise that
the Democratic tariff would effect an
immediate reduction in the cost Of liv-
ing. On this point he said
IT want to say that although we have
reduced this tariff in the interest of he |
consumer, it would be unfair. to say that
the effect of that reduction is going to |
be immediate. We cannot promise that |
to the people. There are many reasons |
for this, but there is one which is suf-
ficient. Under all the laws OF trade |
supply and demand must regulate prices. |
The retail merchants of the country |
have fixed their prices today. Many of /
the goods on their shelves were bought |
under conditions fixed by Republican
legislation. They will not reduce the
prices of those goods on their shelves
until they are compelled to do so.
THE Democratic party stands for a
tariff for-revenue-only, with the empha-
sis upon the word only said Mr.. Un-
derwood. I'VE do not propose 10 tax
one man for the benefit OF the other
man. except for the necessary revenue
that We must raise to administer this
government economically.
Must Tax the Wealthy.
The committee is met with a threat
ened deficit in revenue OF about $780,
OK. 900. which it is compelled to meet by
extraordinary methods OF taxation used
heretofore only in time Of war As a
revenue measure the committee at the
very outseU confessed this bill to be a
failure. 1t would seem as IL a party
pledged to a revenue tariff would strive
to make the revenue feature conspicuous
What does the Republican party mean
by that? They can mean but one
thing: that they intend for the future
TO stand where they have stood In the
past and to tax consumption in this
and let the great wealth of the
United States go untaxed. You say
gentlemen Of the Republican party, that
we levied this income tax because we
Gould not raise the revenue at the GUS +
,oms. All, my friends, you are so blind /
hat you cannot see the trend OF the /
times. You are so reactionary that r
you cannot realize that this great coun- a
ry OF ours is now moving on Why h
Mr.. Chairman. we could have found this f
100, 900 at the customs house IL We 0
lad so desired, but the time has come n
n this country when the great untaxed
wealth of America must and shall bear II
Is fair share Of the burdens
We remove the taxes at the custom
louise purposely to levy a tax on wealth. 1
wish my friends on the other side to j
understand this distinctly. When you q
evy your tax on consumption, the man u
4 moderate means pays as much taxes c.
n the clothes he wears and the food 9
e consumes as the multi-millionaire t'
nd up to this time, except when the ex- u
gencies Of war. as you say, required n
therwise, you have exempted the great d
wealth Of this country, notwithstanding 81
he fact that we build fleet and main U
ain an army to protect that wealth Ie
gainst foreign foes or domestic troubles =
ct Republican committee, facing the !,
our Of change in the fiscal system of u
ur country, still proclaim themselves on !"
he record, welded to their idols, and I'M %
filing to tax the money Of the rich" p'
Representative Gardner Speaks. W
Representative Gardner, a Republican, n,
Massachusetts, declared that his party =,
ad been swept out of power because of 80
s arrogance in resisting reasonable re- y, y,
,rms. He insisted that the party, long NJ
l control Of the government had failed =,
, move with the age. It had fallen I'M ~
er the domination of 'oligarchies" that -,
roved unresponsive to the will of the 81
ank and file. Mr. Gardner said that ~
with the Republican lead W
rship had contributed to the downfall 10
the party. The Massachusetts men, en-
er struck a pessimistic note as to the ci
lture OF his party. He warned his COL he
agues that certain changes in govern on
ent were demanded by the people, and
lat they must be granted. In,
I'VE are no boding tremblers who Or
rink from change" he said. Change in