Evening journal., 1915-01-25

The American Economist ana inc
Philadelphia Inquirer contain a formal
statement made by Colonel Henry a.
dupont. senior United States Senator
from Delaware. relative to the disas-
trous effect of the Underwood tarih
law upon the Democratic party IN tins
State and elsewhere last NoVembef
The senator says the tariff will be the
big issue raised by the Republican party
in 1916 and that it will remove the
Democratic party completely from
power The statement is as follows;
"We elected our candidate for Con-
grcss. Thomas W. Miller, by plurality
Of 2.2ll. the present member OF The
House having been chosen by plural
ity Of 5.74l Although this result, IN
a minor degree, may be ascribed to
general dissatisfaction with President
Wilson's administration, especially to
his Mexican policy and to his insistence
IN regard to the imposition of tolls on
American shipping passing through the
Panama Canal. there Is not the slight
est question that the potential factor IN
producing this change OF sentiment n
the State of Delaware was due to the
passage of the Underwood Tariff bin
OF 1918. which resulted in throwing out
of employment thousands OF workmen
and. causing great want and distress
throughout the industrial population OF
the state
"In formulating this bill the Demo
cratic party ignored and rejected the
INFORMATION collected with so much care
and labor bv the partisan tariff
board created by the Payne-Aldrich tar
IN act, and which. in my Judgment, was
one OF the most important features OF
that legislation. Had the tariff board
bcen allowed 70 conclude its labors. all
DISPUTED questions of fact in regard tc
costs of production would have been de
tcrmincd, and the friends of protector
would have been in position to correct
intelligcntly and satisfactorily any de
fccis in the legislation which they en-
acted. In the preparation Of the exist
ing tariff law the Democrats proceeded
along their old party lines, advancing
as far as they dared TO go in the dree
tion of free trade, cutting down th
duties on all manufactured article
,yhn.h compete with those made in on
own co6ntrN and by way Of giving on
industries an additional slap. increasn
or imposing duties on the raw matcrial
which thcv Use. More than this, the
their own platform euunciatcd at Baiti
moro. This platform rallied for tari
for re, c,cnuc mlt one OF the most salien
features Of the Underwood bill was tn
larne reduction. followed by the elmin
alton, at the end of two years, OF tll
duty on sugar. which amounted unde
prcvious tariffs to between S50000,OO
and SGOO0On00 annually. although
...,t fr, nf 4
rar thereby ensuing could have little q
no effect upon the average cost OF liNln.
"This astonishing elimination Of on
Of the largest items of revenue wa
evidently made for the purpose OF tur
nishing a reason for the imposition, II
time of peace, of an income tax whicl
was levied on only one-half of l pc
cent. OF the whole population of tn
country. the idea being that the crate
ful appreciation of the 80 IL pc
cent who escaped the tax would gail
many votes and strengthen the Demo
cratic party. An income tax in time o
war or other great calamity has al
ways been recognized as a most i'm
nortant and necessary resource whe
he government is called upon to meo
Extraordinary and unlocked for eN
Dcnses: but. without discussin
he undemocraitc nature Of
lax which falls upon such a ver
small proportion of the populi
ton. or its distinctly sectioni
character-the six New Englan
States. and the five States of Ne
York Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohi'
and Illinois (eleven in alb paying a.
per cent. of the whole tax. and I'll
thirty seven remaining only 22.7-a
income tax in time Of peace is open
criticism because of its inquisitori;
character. and OF the many difficultiC
involved in the preparation of il
CNhighly complicated reports. as well {
on account of its interference wit
the rights of the States to raise re-
Cnue by imposing a tax upon the il
comes of their own citizens.
"The Democrats. with characterist
inability to meet the requirements
he situation. grossly underestimate
he revenue TO be derived from Il
Underwood bill. and to offset a defic
in the treasury they were cOmpell'
later to impose a great amount of a.
ditional direct taxation. largely ne
rcssary in any event. even if there HI