The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-07-18
FAILURE OF INCOME TAX


DEMOCRATS are shocked over
the failure of the income tax to yield
more than one-half the amount count
ed upon from this source. The result
is not only distressing to the admins
tration, but is apt to prove disastrous
to the party. History repeats itself.
The present condition of sluggish
business matches in general outline
the conditio of hard times in the
prior Democratic administration. The
parallel will be drawn yet closer,
should the Democrats, as now appears
probable, have to go into Wall Street
with bond issue "to raise the wind"
AS the revenues drop the necessity for
resorting to bond issue looms darker
and darker upon business horizon.
This recourse would be unfortunate in
its effects upon business advertising as
it would the state of slackened indus
try throughout the country. 1t is alb
surd for President Wilson to charge
that business depression is manufac-
tured His accusation is refuted in
the depression manifest in every bust
ness and manufacturing city in the
country.
The condition as it is, even without
the extreme measure of bond issue,
is a pertinent index to the futility of
the administration in supplanting a
revenue producing measure with a
deficit-producing measure; the substl-
tuition of practicable and workable
tariff by a so-called competitive tariff
that placed the industries of the coun-
try at the mercy of the foreign pro-
Queer.
There is no disposition to make
capital out of the misfortunes of
political rule that reflects to the dis
advantage of the country in general.
Republicans would as heartily deplore
the straits of the Democrats, should
these become extreme, as any other
element of the population. Neverthe-
less the fact would stand out, and
does stand out, that the United States
is fundamentally dependent upon
protective tariff, and one that is pro-
tective enough to produce sufficient
revenues for the needs of govern
ment, while, at the same time, fur
nishing a fair return upon the invest
ments of the American manufacturer.
The condition is aggravated by the
failure of the Democrats to practice
the economy that, as a party, they
preach. They were intoxicated by
their success and went to the extreme
in lavish use of the public funds.
The Democrats are hoping for some
thing to trun up. This is their usual
recourse-fatuous hope. The failure
of the income tax is no surprise to the
business men of the nation. They
knew that the Democrats estimates
of the reurns under this measure
were much inflated. But, as the party
in power preferred political rather
than business advisemnt in framing
the tariff and as it contemptuously
swpt aside the Taft plan for business
revision of the tariff, item at time,
the Democrats have only themselves
to thank for the hole in which they
have gotten. They have simply re-
peated the demonstration with which
the country is all too familiar, Of the
inability of the Democratic party to
conduct the affairs of the national
government. Had the Democrats risen
to their opportunity they would have
enacted an inheritance tax instead of
an income tax; which would have been
a tax simple to levy, easy to collect.
economical to administer and one that
is entirely just and logical. They
would have been able to produce all
needed revenues and thereby possibly
have perpeuated themselves in power.
They, however, set aside counsels of
this kind and enacted a cumbersome,
costly and unsatisfactory incom etaX
law with the result of now being in
such plight that, had the tariff upon
sugar been wholly set aside as was
strenuously demanded by the anti
sugar congressman, the country would
be upon the verge of bankruptcy.
While the Democrats wait for some
thing to turn up, matters do not i'm
prove, and the people are awakening
to the full realization of the cost to
them of Democratic inability to adj
minister the affairs of the country
sllcceSSfullV