The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-12-31

THE REPUBLICANS AT THEIR SAME OLD TRICKS.
The Republican party appears now to want to fight out the is
sues of the presidential campaign next year on the tarif-they are
going to try their same old tricks of fooling the people into believ-
ing that the tariff is a protection to the working man and the
business man as well, that it is a panacea for all things in govern
mental policy.
the fact that the tariff law enacted by the Democrats is not bringing
in money enough to run the government and, as they put it, "n
times of peace the Democrats ART compelled to pass special rev.
enue bills to meet the needs of the government. There is Just
enough truth in this position to fool the unthinking. A tariff tax
is collected only on goods brought into this country from some
other country upon imports. and it is a statistical fact that SO per
cent of the imports into the United States is from the European
countries that are now at war, and, as a natural consequence of the
war, fully 50 per cent of our imports have been cut off, hence the
revenue derived from imports has been proportionately decreased.
Even the Republicans, with all their Machvelean ingenuity with the
tariff, could not collect a tax on goods that were not landed at our
customhouses, 1t therefore follows, that, regardless of how high the
tax rate on imports might have been, the same condition would
have followed had there been no legislation by this administration
in regard to raising revenue. A tariff tax can no more be collected
on goods that are not imported than a direct tax levy can be COL
|lected on property that does not exist and it is a base order of pa
triotsn, if such a phrase is admissible, to take advantage of the
embarrassment that unavoidably confronts the Nation for party
purposes.
The Republicans feed the workingman on the doctrine that a
protective tariff makes more work for them and that !: is paid BY
the foreigner or the man who imports the goods. This is correct
only in the sense that the local merchant pays the freight on the
goods he offers for sale but it MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN
THAT HE ADDS THE AMOUNT OF THE FREIGHT TO
THE COST OF THE GOODS and in the end the purchaser paws
the freight. AS with freight charges 81 with the tax lew called
the tariff.
The doctrine of the Republicans. followed to its logical conclu-
sion is, that the higher taxes are--the higher the tariff tax is-the
better for the country. In other words, the wealth and general
prosperity of the country will be increased by increasing the tax
placed upon goods to be sold to all the people. 1t is absolutely
a falacious and groundless doctrine. The only reason that people
have been hoodwinked by it SO long is because they have suffered
themselves to believe that the tariff was a "protection"-a protection
against what? Certainly the varied resources of this Countrywide
most greatly favored of any country under the sun-the brains and
ingenuity of our people and the stability of our finances need no
protection" against the commerce or brains Of any people. We
are not crying infants. We are no weaklings.
The country will not fail to remember that the present revenue
r,b;rb ,uara fran,aJ t, H. -.
comes and that the wealth of the Nation comes more nearly TODAY
bearing its share of the burdens of government than ever before.
The charge is also made that the expenditures by the Wilson
administration are more than ever before in the history of the gov
eminent. While this is true, the fact that a very great deal OF the
money appropriated by the present administration went to complete
matters already under way by the Republicans, is we'll known to
those who have taken the trouble to investigate; for example, the
completion of the Panama canal called for many millions. 1t is
also worthy of note that the general cost of everything has increased;
it costs every household more by fifteen or twenty per cent to meet
annual expenditures than it did when the Democrats came into
power iii costs individuals and families more to meet expenses
SO also does it cost the government more.
The country is prosperous. But for the European war. there
would be such an era of prosperity as the world never saw. The
Reserve Banking Law passed during this administration, the Repub-
icans themselves say makes panics almost an impossibiity,
gives the banking interest of the country a stability that protects
the high and the low, the rich and the less fortunate. There IS con
hdence everywhere in the President. He has won the undying
gratitude OF the Nation for maintaining peace in the trying months
that have just passed, A less poised and a less able maj would
have had this country now giving of its blood because of
complications of the war across the waters. But President Wilson
has hid himself in the interest of tine whole country. He has sought
loftiest patriotism in all of his dealings regarding war matters.
The country as a whole is with the President and we believe
will unquaihediy endorse him at the polls next November unless a
few kickers and disgruntled members ofhis own party bring disaster.