The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-10-08
What the "New Freedom" has
Cost.

/
States is an indirect tax upon the people
Its purpose, according to the Democratic
theory, should only be to produce reve
nue. to run the government. According
to the Republican theory the tariff shoule
not only produce revenue, but shoule
! also operate as pro lection to American
manufacturers and laborers. If there
we're no tariff the government woulc
have to raise all of it's revenue by inter.
nal taxes imposed upon tobacco, liquor
| in various forms and similar things and
bv direct tax. In the seven months
prior to July l, 1914, the Democratic
tariff bill was in operation. 1t produced
revenue to the government of $l56,
$40. $50. For the corresponding months
of 1918. when the Republican tariff
policy was in operation, the revenue ac-
cruing to the government from this
source was $3.50, 000,69 In seven
months because of it's tariff reductions
the loss to the government was $23, 800, :
548.
During this same period, covering the
seven months prior to July l, 1914, under
a Democratic tariff, the excess value of
exports over imports was $50. 1888, 789.
During a corresponding period in 1913,
under Republican tariff. the excess
value of exports over imports was $308,
624. 1852, difference of PAS, 235, 673. Just
what does this mean? 1t means that
under Republican tariff the revenue of
the government was larger by over $685.
900, 900 than it was under Democratic
tariff and that the balance of trade with
foreign nations in our favor was over
S3O8, 900, 900 for seven months, while
under the Democratic tariff for the same
corresponding period the balance of
trade in our favor had shrunk to little
over $50, 600, 900. We lost then $23, OO0,-
600 revenue to the government, which
this country must now proceed to meet
by the payment of war tax in time OF
peace. and our manufacturers and labor
ers have lost S24S, 235, 673, money which
would have been paid out in wages here
at home or for raw material produced
here in the United States which went to
other countries.
What we have lost because of the
Democratic theory as to the tariff is
shown in another way. In the seven
months prior to July l, 1913, under a
Republican tariff, our exports of gold
amounted to ST., 1888, 5S5. In the CORE
spending months of 1914, under Demo
cratic tariff, our gold exports amounted
to Sly, 643. $50, loss to US IN gold OF
sac, 255, 374 in seven months. In the
same periods the gold imports under
Republican tariff were $35, 600, 900, while
for the 1914 period, under Democratic
tariff, the gold imports were about $34,
600, 900, falling off of 81, 900, 0O0- Sc
the net loss to US in gold, because of the
in seven months The war had nothing
| whatever to do with this. There was nc
| sign OF war in Europe up TO July l, 1914,
t when these comparisons were made. Ii
[ was not until 30 days later that the war
cloud darkened the European sky. Trade
, was following its ordinary channels.
These figures, taken from the report
of the department Of commerce and
!, labor just issued are authentic. They
| explain why war tax is no " necessary
| 1t is not because of the war. 1t is due
entirely to the failure of the Democratic
theory to work out as President Wilson
said it would work out. Our loss II
| revenue, which we must now make W
by paying war taxes when this country
! is not at war, added to what we have
paid other countries for manufactured o
agricultural products which otherwise
our people would have been paid for
amounts to S27l, 500, 221. This is what
, the s'New Freedom" has been doing tt
US. The war came in the nick of time
! to give the Democratic party an excuse
for raising money in some way to make
up for its deficit in the treasury, but i
hasn't helped our manufacturers, labor
ers and farmers to get back the $27l. 500,
900 which they have already lost. Ane
the Democratic tariff didn't reduce the
cost of living but it has made it harder
for everyone to get living. Portland
Press