Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-10-28
More Democratic opinion.

SCnldn Democratic organs OF the COun-
try should prove enlightening as we'll
as informing for local readers of all
political extraction:
Can't Congress Plan Helpful Instead
Of Irritating Taxes?
II is quite natural that having failed
to take a common-sense view Of the
revenue problem the President and
Congress should disagree on the
method OF meeting the deficit caused
partly by the European war scare. but
more by faulty Democratic tariff legis-
lat on. Ii is also natural that Con
gress. being a many headed body, with
none of it's heads apparently compe-
tent 10 grasp the principles of scien-
tile taxation, should be as much di
yided within itself as it is at variance
with the President.
Congress is not a unit upon the ques-
ton of taxing whiskey, but it is quite
set on the absurd and illogical plan TO
put tax on railroad freight bills. The
increase in the income tax is wisely
opposed by the President, but still dal-
lied with by Congress The stamp tax
on checks. theater and baseball tick
cts, Pullman fares, etc, is noislly de-
Dated. Automobiles are looked upon
with hostility as the property of the
very rich, TO be taxed heavily, and the
limitations of the Congressional mind
are striHngly illustrated by the seri-
Gus proposal TO tax petrol in order to
strike at the STANDARD Oil Co.
But on none of these propositions
G "a Of
gress able 10 agree, and apparently
none on which they show signs of
agreement appeals to President Wilson.
But nothing harmonious with it in
principle will meet the needs of the
existing situation.
1t was a tariff law enacted to raise
revenue. 1t has brought a deficit.
II was a tariff law enacted to reduce
the high cost of living. The cost OF
living has gone higher daily since it
went into effect.
it was a law enacted TO aid Amer
lean business. Its first effect was to
open American markets to foreign in.
yasion, without opening a single for
eign market to our trade.
1t was a law enacted to promote
prosperity. 1t brought adversely
closed factories, and increased the
number of the unemployed.
These are all facts written large
in the history of the daily life and
business of our people since the Tn.
derwood tariff went into effect. They
are universally recognized except. ap
parently at the White House and in
the House of Representatives.
The opportunity is now at hand tc
correct, at least in part, the blunders
of the Administrations tariff law and
to allay somewhat the disappointment
caused by that futile measure.
This opportunity, however, can not
be seized if the Democrats at Wash.
ington cling blindly to the fetish of
free trade, or even to the half-hearted
version of free trade they enacted into
law
Patching up the law with petty
eXpedients for the correction of its
fundamental faults only makes those
faults more evident To plaster the
business community over with added
income taxes, stamp taxes, taxes on
the expenses of travelling men. taxes
on auto trucks and drays, taxes on
fuel taxes on freight bills, which will
be shifted TO the consumer-such a
policy of irritating and unscientifc
taxation will be an imposition on the
public and the death knell of the party
responsible.
Yet this is precisely the policy
which blind adherence to the existing
Democratic tariff compels.
in commenting upon this proposed
revenue Legislation Mr. Hearst wrote
recently:
why can not the Democratic party
abandon its theories which have
proved false, it's policies which have
proved fatal?
why can it not cease forever tax
ing our producers, forever restricting.
restraining and retarding our produc-
ton?
why can it not embark upon a new
and enlightened policy Of intel!igently
encouraging our production, of ade-
quately transporting our production
and of constantly charging and re-
tanning the markets for our production
at home and abroad?
I'm this way lie progress and pros
perity for the party. for the govern
ment and for the nation
Has the Democratic party the clear
vision necessary TO discern the path.
and the intelligence necessary to
tread it? or must it be still welded
70 its idols, even though the idol be
MolOcb. certain I'm the end to utterly
destroy It's worshippersl