Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-04-17
FRIDAY, APRIL II, 1914.
GOING TO CERTAIN DEFEAT.

IAN Unwelcome Parallel" can be
drawn between conditions this spring
and exactly 20 years ago, in 1894, when
President Cleveland was president.
Then, as now, democratic admins
tration had been brought into power
through the just discomfort of the people
the perpetuation of ideas of govern
ment and finance that long since should
have been amended or abandoned al
together. Then, as now, the desires of
the people in this respect were so eager
and insistent as to inspire Congress
with restlessness in the passing of new
laws.
Then, as now, a tariff bill was passed,
known in history as the Wilson tariff,
which cut the government revenues away
below the point at which an adequate
amount of money for the expenses of
the government was provided; and then,
as now, it was sought to make up this
deficiency by means of income tax.
Then, as now, the income tax law was
tionalty.
We think it very probable that the
supreme court will upset the income tax
on this ground, just as it upset the
former law in May, 1895, on the ground
that it called for an improperly APP
portioned tax.
But whether we are right in this view
or not, the unwelcome parallel be ween
1914 and 1894 is obtrudng itself with
ominous cearness.
The tariff bill that has just been
passed is proving inefficient as a raiser
of government revenue just as the
former one did.
Last year the deficiency in the gov
eminent revenues for the first seven
months of the fiscal year was SIG, 8O3,
S31.57. In the first seven months OF
the present fiscal year the deficit is
$51, sos, 1851.
This is bad enough, but it is now uni
versally admitted that the new income
tax law will also fail to raise the amount
of money that it was expected to raise,
even if its constitutionaity is upheld by
the supreme court; and we must con-
slider the great probability that the
collection of the tax under the law will
be stopped by an injunction until the
court pronounces upon the legality OF
the statute. This was the course
adopted on the former occasion wher
the constitutionalty of the income ia,
was assaled, and we should suppose
that the same course will be followed
now.
We have the success of Presiden
Wilson's administration very deeply a
heart. We believe the best interests o.
the country call for this and call fol
it with no uncertain voice.
1t is with sinking of the heart there
fore that we recall the result of thu
Congressional elections in 1894, wher
business urbances-traceabe almos
entirely to deficiency in the government
revenue-swept the democratic Con
gress out of existence and left Presi
dent Cleveland in the White House
bitterly disappointed and utterly power
less man.
We repeat that all this dire result
was solely due to a deficient govern
ment revenue. 1t was a deficit in tn
treasury, instead of balance, whicl
led to doubt as to the ability of tn
treasury to redeem its notes in gold.
We hope sincerely that the grewsom
parallel will not be followed to its bite
end; and President Wilson's admins
tration has it entirely in its power t
avert this fatality if it will be courageou
enough to ament the tariff law, ant
amend it at once, that all chances of
failure of government revenue will b
avoided. Washington Herald.