Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1914-07-09

-. 'Iui..'-Iy tenuencles anu evII e1-
sets OF tne, Republican tariff policy.
When Mr.. Wilson became President, with
Il Democratic Senate and House, he
promptly called he Congress in extra Dr.
binary session and delivered a message
of great power urging Congress to pro-
coed at once to enact new tariff schNd-
ules in accordance with the pledge made
by the Democratic party.
Congress responded to this call of he
President. Representatives of special in
terests, long sheltered by eXorbitant tar
ifs, swarmed at Washington and sought
in every way to defeat or at least delay
new legislation. l was then, and still
am member of the Finance Commit
tee, which had charge of this legislation
IN the Senate Being in the thick of that
fight, l am familiar with it, 1t would be
interesting to lay the history of that
struggle before the people of the state,
but cannot, of course, in this necessari-
~ condensed statement, do more than
barely refer to the results attained We
did not seek to run amuck and embar-
rass any legitimately conducted industry;
on the contrary, We sought to be reason D..
ABLY ABLY conservative 1 We had at least
three principal purposes in view in franz
ing the new law. First, we sought to re-
duce rates to point that would make
monopoly far more difficult, if not prac-
tically impossible; secondly, to cut rates
to point where fair competition would
relieve the consuming public from a large
measure OF the unjust burdens suffered
by them under the eXorbitant rates then
prevailing; and, thirdly, to bring tariff
taxation as nearly to a revenue Be- sis as
could be done without suddenly too much
disturbing established business condi-
lions. We believe that while the bin
is necessarily more or less imperfect, as
all such measures must be, ii has in the
main well accomplished the ends we had
IN view in passing it. Selfish interests,
OF course, Viciously assail this legisla ton
but feel confident that it has the an,
proval of the great body of The peopie
ana am certain that it should commend
itselt to the impartial judgment of right
thinking men.
In this tariff or revenue law, and as
tax law, This species of taxation has
peen very generally adopted by the more
advanced nations of the world and thS
american people have been den ending Il
lot lot MANY years: The Democratic party
The Wilson German bill passed 20 years
ago, during the Cleveland administra.
ton, provided for an income tax; but
the supreme Court Of the United States
unconstitutional. Since Mr.. Cleveland.
time the Democratic party has not, un.
~ now, been clothed with power to leg.
islate. During these 20 years the Rcpub
then another, refused to enact an incom,
tax law, At the first opportunity it hal
had the Democratic party under IN,
leadership OF President Wilson has en-
SSS STS an moons income tax Law and we thinl
the danger Of adverse judicial interfer
| ence. l cannot but believe that this law
! which requires men of ample fortunes L
contrlbute to the support of the govern
ment on graduated scale according Z
their incomes, will commend itself t
| general approval. 1t is a just measur
| or taxation, and ] cannot doubt that TN
great majority of the American peopl
rejoice at Its enactment"