The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-07-21
Mr.. Fordney az Floor Leader In a
Big Fiaht

AS rduhtuS nepuollcau memOer or
the ways and means committee of the
house, Rep. Fordney led the fight
against the huge revenue raising meas.
ure that the Democrats have formu.
lated and rushed through He did not.
of course, succeed in defeating the bill,
but he obtained number OF changes
and notifications against the strong
opposition of the Democratic leaders
responsible for it. and to this extent
was unexpectedly successful.
His chief tactical gain, however, was
the complete success of his strategy in
putting the leaders of the opposition in
a hole, where they had to resort to an
arbitrary ruling by Speaker Clark to
extract themselves and prevent a record
vote. Mr.. Fordney. when the struggle
was nearing an end. moved that it be
recommitted with instructions to
"amend it 80 as to raise an equitab 9
portion of the required revenue from a
protective tariff sufficient to protect ad :.
equately American Industry and Amer
ican labor. and to be 80 adjusted as to
prevent undue exactions by monopolies
or trusts, paying particular attention to
the conditions inevitable at the close of
the present European war, with view
to insuring the industrial independence
OF the United States"
Democratic Leader Kitchin made a
point of order against the motion and
was sustained by Speaker Clark But
Mr.. Fordney had brought into the fight
the historic policy of the Republican
party--protection for our industries
and the Democratic one of tariff for
revenue only. In view of the enormous
deficit in the treasury the administra.
tion has to face, Mr.. Fordney did not
pretend that the entire revenue required
could justly be raised by higher duties
and cutting down the free list; he
moved only Ito raise an equitable por.
tion of the required evenue"-required,
as the Democratic leaders tried to
maintain, by the necessities of pre-.
paredness, but also by the long standing
deficit caused by the Underwood act,
by the $4,000 600. rivers and harbors
pork bill, by $4,000 900 in wages to
government employees, by 5000, 900
for experimenting with government
owned nitrate plant, by $11 900, 900 for
government owned munitions fac.
tory, and similar extravagances and
chimerical schemes. The Democratic
leaders evidently did not desire to risk
vote on the principle of equity ad-
vanced by the Republican leader, or to
vote against their time honored prin-
ciple of tariff for revenue, otherwise
they would not haye resorted to tech.
nical point of order to sidetrack it. Mr..
Fordney was handsomely supported in
his tactics by the Michigan Republican
congressman, who voted solidly with
him.
The Saginaw representative made a
strong fight also for the lowering of the
normal income tax basis. 1t is now
$3, 900, and the new bill retains it at
that figure, although the percentage
taken is raised 100 per cent In this he
has the support of high Democratic
authority, no less than the New York
World, chief organ of the administra
ti)n, which, in an editorial entitled.
Patriotism That Pays" declared:
The income tax levied at the close of
the Civil war carried an exemption of
only 5000. It was paid as patriotic
duty by generation which had met all
the personal sacrifices OF a great con
fiict and did not hesitate to assume the
financial burdens as we'll. If prepara-
tioa means peace and security for Amer
leans now living, as most people bt =
lieve that it does, there are excellent
reasons why the necessary expense
should be widely distributed. Nothing
of that kind is provided for by the
present bill, which cannot possibly
reach more than 500, 0G0 people What
is needed is an exemption of not more
than 81, 600 or 81 SOP where dependent
children are involved, which would
increase the number paying to many
millions Under such an arrangement
national defense would not rest upon
a class but upon the whole body OF the
people. There is no popular misunder.
standing of the fact that in time of war
the services of every able-bodied citi-
zen are at the disposal of the country.
1t should be made equally plain in time
of peace that financial responsibility
even in small way for measures re.
garded as the best insurance against
war has universal application. Patriot
ism that pays is just as impressive as
patriotism that fights.
The bill is frankly intended to make
business corporations and individuals
of large earning power and wealth pay
the expenses of the government, and as
they are mainly resident of the East
and central West, the South and farther
West will largely escape the burden.
Thus the bill is sectionally as well as