The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-07-21

HAPPENINGS
Reuenue Bill Cause Of Much
Discussion

respondence) The debate in the
house of representatives recently over
the administration revenue bill COW
ers much of the field of discussion
during the present campaign. The
democrats offered measure for the
imposition of numerous direct taxes
upon the American people and the
republicans combatted it upon the
principle that the best source of fed
eral revenue is the tax upon the inn
portation of foreign goods-which
tax must be paid by the foreigner and
thus affords protection to the Ameri-
can prouucer. The revenue measure
puts before the country the funda-
mental difference between the repub-
lican and democratic parties, and,
therefore, it emphasizes the import
ance of revenue policies as live issues
in politics. BY insisting upon the i'm
position of direct rather than indirect
taxes. the democrats have forced the
tariff as a political issue.
At the outset of the debate, Con-
gressman Bennett, of New York,
made a telling point against the me
thods of the democratic party when
he criticized the adoption of rule
which prevented the effective offer
ing of amendments by republicans.
Adoption of the rule meant that the
controlling influences in the demo
cratic party would dictate the details
of the measure, even though minor
ity of the democrats and the republi-
cans really believed some other pro-
visions might be wiser. Since the
democratic majority in congress is
dominated by the membership from
the solid south, it was evident that
the South proposed to pass tax law
under which the North would pay the
great bulk of the taxes This section
al discrimination incident to demo-
cratic methods was not commented
upon by Mr. Bennett, who contented
himself with calling attention to the
fact that adoption of the rule is in
direct violation of the reforms which
the progressives have been demand
| ing and the effect must be to preclude
the progressives from voting the
| democratic ticket.
Representative Campbell, of Kan
sas. who led the opening debate on
| the merits of the bill, declared that
| although there have been some in-
creases in appropriations due to pre-
paredness, those increases do not
Justify the enormous tax burdens
which the democrats propose to i'm
pose upon the American people. Con
1ensing his argument into a few
words, he said There has never
been time of peace in the history OF
our country that we have not produc-
ed sufficient revenue to pay all our
expenses, when the government i'm
posed import duties high enough to
On the other hand, there has never
been a time when our customs duties
have beerr SO low as to give freedom
Of trade, i'll which the revenues have
not been insufficient to defray the ex
Denses of the government" Mr.
Campbell gave statistics to prove hi
assertion and quoted Jefferson ant
Jackson in support of protective tar
ifs, which were good democratic pol
icies until the party, under the lead
ership of Calhoun, became an expon
ent of free trade. o
One of the humorous. and, from
democratic standpoint, unfortunat
features of the debate was refer
ence to the Inauguration of the us
of horsemeat for human food during
the hard times that followed the en-
actment of the Underwood law. Rep
resentative Quin, democrat, of Missis
sippi, undertook to defend the use o
horsemeat and said, Is not horse
meat good meat?" To this represent
ative Hill, of Connecticut, replied: .
am not willing to vote for polio
that Will compel American citizens t
eat horsemeat. l would give ever
workman porterhouse steak If ha
my way. The gentleman from Mis-
sissippi can offer horsemeat to tn
workingnen of his state if he want
to-