Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-27

class legislation and has not believed
it wise to trust any class to divide the
benefits which they may receive with
the people of the country. The great
tariff fight which had been taking
place in this nation for many years
was waged not so much over rates and
schedules as over this principle. Every
advance which has been made in the
direction of charging the number of
the beneficiaries of legislation and es-
tablishing and restoring the popular
rule, has been taken in opposition to
the Republican party. The income tax,
the most equitable tax ever laid upon
a people. met its determined opposi-
ton, and 1t hailed with delight the
finding of the court that it was I'M
constitutional in the Wilson tariff act
of 1894; and in all the years that have
since elapsed il has persistently fought
it's enactment into law. But in spite
of that opposition the Constitution has
been amended and the present income
tax law which takes a part of the bur-
dens of taxation from the consumers
of the country and places it upon those
who out of their abundance are easily
able to bear it, has found it's place
among the Democratic policies which
have been placed upon our statute
books. Some of its provisions may be
open to criticism but it is a new ma
chine and like. all new machinery 1t
needs to be set up and run a while to
find what parts need replacement or
oyerhauling.
Criticism has been leveled against
the law because it seeks to collect
some part of the income tax at the
source. The purpose of this provision
was a wise one because 1t sought to
prevent owners of American securities
who reside abroad from escaping the
payment of the tax.
I'VE shall collect from individuals
and corporations by reason of that
tax for the first ten months of its ex-
istence at least eighty millions of dol
lars, and in the next full year more
than a hundred millions. and it will
be paid by those who will be obliged
to resort to no sacrifice to meet it. 1t
will take the place of the taxes which
have been wrung from the wages of
the working people of the country. for
in the raising of revenue by customs
uutiSS OuI tcA 10 WS tiic Soh
sumers of the country alone have been
taxed, and the workingman, the head
of a family of several children whose
mouths are to be fed and backs
clothed, has under this system of tax
alton, paid many times that of his
wealthy neighbor with perhaps only
himself and wife to supply with the
necessaries of life.
"The Democratic party for years has
advocated the election of United States
senators by direct vote of the people,
but in this position they have met the
determined opposition of the Republic
can party, until aroused public senti-
ment had grown so strong that 1t was
useless to longer oppose; and so today
in every State in the Union all the
people will have a part in the election
of United States Senators, and the
power of the machine in legislative
halls and the bribery and illegal use
of money by which seats have been
obtained are forever gone.
at was in the long battle over the
reduction of the high tariff duties that
the Republican party made its most
determined stand, because it had built
up a party system maintained by
those who were willing to contribute
from the huge profits received through
such taxation in order to continue
their benefactor in power. The lobby
investigation conducted by the last
session of Congress furnished ample
evidence of this alliance, if any evil
dence were needed and some of the
IF ho dpt1ht1ecs
were startled to learn that an asso-
citation of manufacturers, carefully or
ganized and managed operated in this
State. and by the expenditure of a
large sum of money. large for Maine
congressional district at least, prevent
ed the election of a Democratic con-
gresham in the second Maine district
no longer ago than 1906, but the splen-
did fighting qualities. the indomitable
courage and the acknowledged ability
of that defeated candidate made him
rise superior to all opposition, and in
1910 one who has since so fully repair
ed your confidence was elected to rep
resent that district in Congress, and
again in 1912, after full opportunity
had been afforded 20 learn of his fidel-
ity to Its interests and to the pledges
which he had made that district re-
elected him; and now he has made
himself so secure in the confidence of
his people and shown himself to pe so
watchful of their interests that one of
the most difficult propositions con-
fronting our opponents is TO find a
man who is bold enough to run against
him.
In the strict performance of the
pledges which it had made to the
people. the Democratic party under
took the splendid work of revision of
the tariff, not in the interests of the
beneficiaries of that tariff, but in the
interests of the whole people of the
whole country. AS in the past, vast
hordes of those who felt that they
alone knew how tariff should be
made which applied to their particular
industries, f1oeked to Washington to
give their disinterested advice and as
sist by their patriotic counsels They
were treated courteously, given an OPP
portunity to express their views, and
many of them rendered valuable as
sistance, but none came clothed with
the power to demand. and If the old
habit manifested itself, those who dis
played it soon found that there was a
new order of things which was willing