West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-09-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Emergency Tax Measures TO DO
Enacted on Account OF the Europesn
Wsr-The Democratic Victory In
Maine Has Brought Fear TO the
Hearts OF the RepublIeans-west
Virginia Leads All Other States In
Production Of Natural Gss
From GEoRaE w. SrMMrRs.

innocent and the guilty suffer alike in
war. The innocent bystander is the iel-
low who is usually shot during a riot.
Far reaching are the effects of conflicts
between nations, and one of the effects of
the foreign war is that the tax system OF
the United States requires temporary
amendment. The revenues of the United
States are derived largely in the shape Of
taxes levied on goods imported from
abroad. But the war i'm Europe has
paralYzed the trade OF the countries in
volved in the war, as well as of many
other nations, and our importations have
decreased, because of our ability to pur-
chase goods abroad and the inability To
have them delivered, il purchased, until
there is not sufficient revenue from that
source to meet the requirements of an
economical administration. The result
Is that money must be raised i'm some
other way. And for this reason Congress
Is now wrestling with an emergency tax
law, commonly called the war tax. 1t is
true this country is not involved i'm war,
owing to the wisdom and patience OF the
President and his counselors, but we are
suffering the effects OF the war i'm Europe.
Our revenue has been cut off by that war
and in order to administer the affairs of
the government it has become necessary
to levy additional taxes, to be removed,
as has been done in the past, when the
emergency for WHICH they were created
has passed. West Virginia is pretty
we'll protected in the measure for most
OF the tax will be raised by increasing the
burden on Intoxicating liquors, which
will not cost the West Virginia people
anything. Automobile users will have
to bear part of the burden for a tax il
to be placed on gasoline, but in the main
the West Virginians will scarcely notice
the tax which it is proposed to raise for
emergency purposes.
Republicans in the Senate have been
working literally night and day to bring
some new issue TO the front. The result
In Maine, where a Democratic governor
was elected, and legislature Democratic
on joint ballot with Democratic gain of
20 per cent over the vote of two years
ago, has disheartened the Republicans
and driven them to bring out some new
issue. The increased Democratic vote In
Maine indicates approval of the Demo
cratic tariff, currency law and administra-
ton measures generally. On these issues
the Republicans fear terrible disaster at
the polls in November and by fihbustering
| against the river and harbor bill and
attacking it as "pork" they:hope to raise
| a new issue. As matter of fact, the
greater part of the river and harbor bill
merely carries out the policies of former
Republican Congresses, and every project
in the bill has had the approval of the
army engineers and the War Department.
The Democrats are not afraid OF the new
issue, which the Republicans would force
on them, and are willing to stand upon
their record in the present Congress and
under the present administration. And
they have confidence that the rest OF the
nation will approve that record even as
Maine did.
The result in Maine has brought new
fear to the hearts OF the Republicans,
who have been asserting that there is no
longer Progressive party. The results
in Maine show that while the Progressive
vote did fall off considerably, a large
| part OF 1T went to the Democratic party.
1t is usually true that when a new party
is formed by a split from an old one.
those who split seldom return to the
| original party. 1t was true in the split
In the Democratic party in 1896, when
the Gold Democrats" started party
and put up ticket of their own. Many
of those who left the old Democratic
party at that time are to be found now
among the leaders of the Republican
party. And the results i'm Maine show
that the Progressive party is following
the same course. Progressives who left
the Republican party, If they desert the
Progressive party at all, do not generally
return to the party they left in 1912.
They are following the precedent and
coming over TO the DEMOCRATIC party
rather than go back to the Republican
party, whose principles, still unchanged,
drove them from il two years ago. II is
this new fear that has alarmed the Re-
publicans of West Virginia, who have
been hoping and asserting that the Pro-
gressives OF that State are returning 10
the old party; that they never really
split from it any way; and there was no
Progressive party and all that sort of
thing. But, remembering how they
gained members Of their party from the
"Gold Democrats" when they split from
the party OF Democracy, and seeing the
tendency in Maine for the Progressives
10 join the Democratic party rather than
return 70 the old Standpat party, the
Republicans are becoming greatly alarmed
over the outlook
West Virginia stands far ahead of any
other state in the production of natural
gas, according to figures made public by
the United States Geological Survey. In
fact, West Virginia produces almost as
much natural gas as all the other States
combined, and yields more than twice AZ
much as Pennsylvania, its nearest com
petitOr. West Virginia, however, does
not consume its own gas az we'll ~ other
States, bat sends it out 10 enrich the
industrial companies Of other States.
Pennsylvania is the greatest consumer Of
natural gas, with Ohio second I'm spite
Of the fact the natural gas has been re-
garded a. a temporary fuel. the produc-
ton in 1913 was the greatest i'm the