Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-01-09

BIZ CLfDE B. TAvEENns

BY CLYDE H. TAvESNnR
Washington. Jan sth.-The is one
way, and one way only, for III Demo
s<ats to remain in power; by giving the
people after election what they promised
before election. The people don't want
excuses; they want deeds" |
This is Speaker Champ CIark,s idea
of what the Democratic party must do
to make good and to be retained in
power.
IF there is anything believe in
strongly" said Mr.. Clark, ut is that
promises made to win an election |
should be religiously carried out after
the election is won.
Men should say what they mean
and mean what they say; and they
should speak the plain language of the
plain people 80 that all may understand.
The voters of the land havea right
to be treated honestly, candidly, fairly
and courageously. They are entitled
to that square deal of which we hear so
much and see SO little.
.'Robert j.. Walkers report on the
tariff remains to this day the greatest
paper on that subject. In it he laid
down this general principal: seThe
highest rates should be on luxuries; the
lowest or none at all on the necessaries
of life." That should be the basis Of
our revision of the tariff to which we
are solemnly committed
THE rates should be arranged so as
to produce the maximum of sreyenus.
while taking from the ultimate con-
sumers the minimum of money in the
shape of tariff taxes That statement
may appear parodoxical, but what it
proposes is perfectly feasible. There
is maximum producing
tariff rate on each particular item which
can be ascertained, and which should be
ascertained. The moment the rate on
any article goes above the maximum
revenue-producing rate the revenue
begins to fall off, and the more the rate
Is increased the more the revenue
dwindles until it. disappears entirely.
and the rate becomes prohihitiye.
Such is the case with blankets nine
feet long worth not. over foity cents
per pound, an article of prime necessitv
on which the compound specific and
advalorem amounts to tariff tax Of
between 1856 and 1872 liz per cent.
Without going into wearisome details,
it is safe to say that three-fourths of
all the tariff rates of the Payne=Aldrich
-Smoot tariff bill are above the maxi
mum revenue producing rates and
should be reduced at least to q COM
! petitive point
1.-The truth is the words a com.
j petitive tariff are more easily under
sto, than the words tariff for revenue
only "A competitive tariff is one
4 which would give Americans the
American market so long as they sell
at fair prices but would let in foreign
products if Americans undertake to
: gourge Americans. competitive
tariff" would in practice be "a tariff
| for revenue" The revenue can be
increased more frequently by reducing
rates than by increasing them.
1.-The present tariff, if thoroughly
: overhauled, could be made to produce
q great deal more revenue and at thu
same time not cost the taxpayers one
fourth of what they n9w pay. for under
the present SYSTEM where one dollar
goes into the federal treasury four Q,
J, five dollars go into the pockets of the
tariff barens.
The rates in new bill or new bills
should be fully as low as the rates ir
the bills which we passed during this
: congress, and In some cases lower,
''All the talk about the Democrats
wanting to injure business Is absolutel,
preposterous.
what we want to do is to give
every man an equal opportunity in the
race of life, and not pamper few al
the expense of many. That plan would
foster every legitimate industry in the
land and injure none. That is one way
in which congress can aid in reducing
1 the exceedingly high cost of living
! which is really the most pressing,
! yexatious, and important problem witt
which we have to deal. What the
people demand is cheaper food, cheaper
clothing, cheaper necessaries of life
generally, and any cuts in tariff rates
. which do not accomplish that are moi
Il worth the trouble and labor Of making
The revision ought to be made care
fully, scientifically, and in harmony
with Democratic promises.