The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-04-13
Washington Letter

efficiency is the keynote, the alpha ant
omega OF the Wilson Administration
Every days debate in Congress brings
this fact into clearer light. Every days.
conduct OF the white House serves to
emphasize it. Every official report on
Governmental activities or federal sta.
tistics effectively demonstrates ii"
This is the summing up Of tne Iunda-
mental characteristics Of the Demo
cratic Administration by a prominent
Senator whose long years Of honorable
service entitle his opinions TO respect.
There is no branch OF the Govern
ment in which the Democrats have
not seriously blundered, no instru-
mentality OF Government which has
not been gravely injured in its useful
ness TO the people by Democratic Ad
ministratlon. What is true now is true
OF every Democratic Administration
ever entrusted with the control Of the
Government, and the worst OF it is that
the Democrats cannot and will not
learn. President Wilson is simply an
extreme type of his party. People arc
amazed al the obstinate stupidity, or
the stupid ChsuoacY, with which he
has reluS d 10 correct MS mistakes and
remedy his blunders, but he is merely
carrying out the time honored prln-
ciples OF the D mOctaIc pal,y "
What this Senator says proves Iue
wherever the activities and the record
Of this administration are examined.
II is notably true o! th= Nations f.
nances.
THE TARIFF BLUNDER: The
Democratic party having, when III con
troll of the House during the lat Ad-
ministratiou, effected the abolition Of
the Tariff Board, it proceeded in this
Administration to pass the Underwood
bill. That measure has proved mon-
umental failure. 1t has produced a
tremendous deficit, gravely injured
certain American industries and failed
absolutely to reduce the cost of living
Instead Of revising the law and seeking
TO correct their elror, he Democrats
are now engaged IL a persistent, al
though futile, effort to convince the
public that the failure Of the bill is due
10 the European war and a consr qutnt
decrease OF lmp1ro, The folly oi this
contention was pointed out in the
House Siturda, oy R preventative
Humphrey, N.D shoGrd mat imports
iu January vi ms year amounted to
Sl84, 100000. III January 1918, the
last January OF the Payne bill. tncy
amounted to Sl63,000,O00. But in
January, 1918, ne Government col.
ected duties amounting TO $27, ,000,.
900; while in January Of this year the
Government collected only SIS, 900,
900. Imports for February Of this
year showed an increase over February,
1918, Of $40, 900, 900, bu. A decrease
oi revenue OF $8,U00,O00. Aud the
treasury defcl, gives prVmlS, of amount
ing 10 500, 900, 900 ihis year. Could
any intelligent child fail TO draw from
these simple figures the conclusion
that the rates Of the Underwood bill
are too low2 In Mr.. Humphreys es.
timation, no one but Democrat could
fail to make the proper deduction, fail
to read the the lesson taught by these
figures, complied, too,by Democratic
officials Mr.. Humphrey has made a
comparative calculation which shows
that under the Payne law the Govern
ment would have collected during the
last eleven months Sl05 0UO, 900,
more revenue from customs duties
than ii mas under ne Underwood bill.
With that additional revenue, which
has been a Democratic present to
European manufacturers-as is shown
by the fact that prices to American
consumers have been in no way de
creased--It would not be Necessary to
impose IN direct Ak, vat =
Democrats nave Dc II mp ,,ing InI
which tney purpose 10 increase. In
stead Of admitting their serious mistake
and trying to correct ii, the Democrats
are determined to impose still further