The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-04-30
DEMOCRATIC CHICKENS
ARE NOW COMING
HOME TO ROOST
CUSTOM RECEIPTS MILLIONS
or DOLLARS BELOW THE
AMOUNT NEEDED
One Hundred Million Deficit Results
from nasty, IIl-auWseu Legislation
Parry Leaders GuesS 1nS.eAu o.
Carefully Consider new Laws
keOpIe root the BILL.

Washington, d. c., April g, l9l5.-
"A DIunder SIgnaIIzed the legislative
career OF the present administrator.
Inc Democratic taritt bill, hrst in
the articles OF Democratic faith, and
the one achievement on winch natur-
any they would be expected 10 ex-
pend tnelr most exhaustive study ana
care, was so clumslIy executed that
II IdIled 10 accomplish the results in
tenueu. Inc IaIIure was due to crude,
nasty, unSclentlnc. secret legislative
IneLnOdS.
Designed to furnish sufficient rev.
enue 10 nnance the United States
treasury, 1t mas proven absolutely in
adequate tor that purpose.
In writing the tram Dill the Demo-
cratS dlmly 1oresaw a possible re-
uuclon IN customs receipts, although
tney old not know now much ana
ulu not ascertain the facts. 30 the
income tax provision was Incorporat-
ca. IN the nope that it would make up
Tor any mlScaIculauonS in the tarIn
Olll' although the democrats did MOI
know and dld not ascertain the 1acts.
but what happened when these pro-
VISIONS went mo effect?
Customs receipts were millions OF
dollars below the amount needed from
mat source, and at the same time
collections from the income tax fell
many millions below the amount
needed from that source. The newt
able result was to leave the treasury
without sufficient money for its needs.
The failure was caused by careless
ness. Had there been conscientious.
open consideration of the revenue
Dill, sufficient to enable members OF
Congress to study and understand it,
the reduction in revenue could have
been properly safeguarded. But in
stead OF getting accurate information
and adequate estimates, the Demo-
Gratis guessed at it. And they guessed
wrong.
The results of this first mistake
should have been a warning. But
the startling fact remains that the
Democrats committed the same kind
OF an error again. Forced by their
heedlessness to provide more revenue,
they passed war tax" in time OF
peace. Based on a guess instead of
an estimate. the war tax did not pro-
duce money enough. For months the
receipts of the treasury have been
daily falling short of expenditures at
rate reaching at times more than a
million dollars a day. According to
othcial estimates the deficit will prob
ably amount to one hundred million
dollars by July LIST. the end of the
fiscal year.
No chain is stronger than its weak
est link. The fatal weakness that has
characterized the work of this ad-
ministration from its inception two
years ago has been its eagerness to
propose laws, carlessness in drafting
them, haste in committee action, and
stubborn refusal to permit intelh-
gent amendment in either house OF
senate after the party brand had been
affixed by the all-powerful caucus.
Every American citizen has had to
help pay for these costly experiments
There will be still more to pay until
the errors have been corrected by
thoughtful, intelligent legislation.
Later articles will follow, illustrat,
ing still further the slovenly habits Of
legislation that have characterized
the Democratic administration.