Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-04-08

il has said and attempted to do, its
good faith would be made the theme OF
universal mockery, and its desire to
| commit suicide would be palpable, II
il were now TO draw back from the
task to which it is committed. This
the whole country fully realizes; 50
that not even the Boston Home Mar
ket club can pretend that there is any
chance OF saving the protective du-
ties from a general cutting down.
As a second certainty, we think it
may safely be set down that nothing
violently radical will be attempted.
Here, again, it is not only party pledg-
es and the explicit statements of Pres
ident Wilson that we have 10 go upon.
Both those advance indications are,
for the matter Of that, of conservative
action, but a cautious policy also lies
in the whole situation. Congress n
not to be asked to write an entire
tariff bill de novO. No Finance min
lister will cone before it with a slate
sponged clean, and proceed to write
upon it Il series Of customs taxes just
as il they we're heard of for the first
time. 1t is a going concern that has
to be dealt with, and it stands to rea-
son that the things done to it must
not make OF il a stopping concern.
The reviSers will have to work upon
the material put in their hands; and
we may be sure that they will not for
get that prime Limitation, or proceed
as If they intended to burn down all
the custom houses overnight. TO a
business President Wilson pledged
himself in his speech of acceptance,
and the same note vas audible in his
Inaugural. We have no doubt that a
part of the calmness and slight dis
turbance Of business with which the
country is awaiting the enactment OF
a new tariff is due to the settled be-
lief that nothing revolutionary is to
be feared.
The tariff bill, when it is finally
made public, will profess to be, and
we have no doubt will be, an act to re-
move oppressive taxation. It's aim
will be to bring certain necessities Of
life more asily within reach Of people
of moderate means, and especially OF
the poor. There are doubtless some
expectations of this kind that are ex-
aggerated and cannot be met. A Ger.
tain disappointment will follow. NO
reasonable man ever contended that
the high tariff was responsible, except
in part, for the higher cost of living;
and changes in it cannot stem the
economic currents which have been
running so strongly in one direction
all over the world. Also must we be
honest in making it clear that to take
away oppressive taxation is not to do !
away with the necessity of laying
taxes. Gladstone once brought in a
bill which some of his party had de-
scribed as one to relieve the peop'e !
of taxes. 1t did. in fact, propose to
repeal certain burdensome imposts. |
But the chancellor of the eXcheouer
knew thai the money had to be found
somewhere else, and he was therefore
candid enough to say: "This is a bill
to increase taxes" Much the same
thing will have TO be said by Mr.. IN
derWood. He may rightly contend that |
he he is seeking to take off the pres.
sure of taxation from those least able !
to bear it, but he may as we'll frankly !
admit that, in consequence, some will
nave to pay more taxes than they do |
now. So true is it that deahh and !
taxes remain the two certain things in
life!