The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-08-24
+ i ! 4. 4. + + + + + / 4. + 1.
+ NEW YORK LETTER 4
+ 4
j. 1. 4. 1. !. i. Il !. !. 4. 4. i. i. i.

Face Saving LegisIation--It is gen
orally an occasion of surprise that the
party in power should devote so much
time and energy to what is merely face
saving legislation Such a measure Ia
the Philippine bill Just passed This
measure had for its real purpose the
pledging Of the United States to retire
completely from the Philippines with
in Ave years. Even the potent influence
of President Wilson was insufficient
to have this provision, and without II
the bill is almost meaningless. II
makes certain change in the Philippine
government, but they are unimportant
The preamble is bad. because It is
false. II is designed to raise in the
minds of Filipinos hopes of independ-
ence which there is no immediate pros
pect OF gratifying. The embodiment of
this preamble in the legislation is
worse than useless. The New York
Tribune pronounces it "Enacting a
Lie" Senator Borah demanded why
the Democrats wanted to pass this bill
az all in its emasculated form, but he
got on satisfactory answer Mr.. Borah
had voted for the bill when 1t con-
tanned the Clarke amendment, fixing
the five year period, but he voted
against the bill when that amendment
had been stricken out and, further
more, he surprised the Senate by an
nouncing that he had become con-
WINGED that the great majority of the
American people were against the
scuttle policy in the Philippines The
real reason why the bill was passed
in its emasculated form was "to save
the face of the President" He had
decreed that the bill must pass and
he and his friends in Congress believed
that IL Congress passed something
called a Philippine bill the people
would be too unintelligent to observe
that what he had actually demanded
had been rejected, and would construe
Wilson victory. Another "face-saving"
measure which probably will be put
through is the -McAdoo Ship
ping bill. 1t won't be the real Will
SON McAdoo bill. which Congress could
not be induced to pass. but a compare
| lively innocuous substitute which can
do nothing worse than involve the
waste of O,OOO OO0 # the public funds
and which won't involve the United
States in the European war. as would
have the original wilson McAdoo mea-
sure. Here again, the only object in
passing the emasculated Shipping bill
Is ito save the face of the President"
Special Taxes Democratic tcsti-
mony thG. the Underwood tarih bill
fails by upwards of $200,00O.OO0 to
raise its share of the revenue needed
to carry on the government is furnish
ed by the Senate Finance committee
which has, after strenuous labors, re-
ported a supplementary revenue bill
imposing special taxes designed to
raise $205,000,OO0 revenue. Probably
many Democrats would be reluctant
to admit that this means taking out of
the pockets of Americans over 500 ,000,-
900 which, under a different tariff
could just as well be taken out of the
profits of foreigners; although there is
much evidence to support that conten-
ton, clearly established instances
where the wholesale price of the for
eign manufacturer has been advanced
exactly the amount of the reduction in
the tariff, so that the American con-
sumner gained nothing from the reduc-
ton of the duty. But no Democrat can
deny that these special taxes are made
necessary by the failure of the Under
wood bill to provide sufficient revenue.
The special taxes are bound to be oner-
GUS in many cases. For instance, ev-
cry theater or place of amusement
which seats $50 must pay a tax of $25;
which seats 500, tax of $50, and so
on up. All bowling alleys and billiard
parlors must pay a special tax of Sc
for each alley and each table. Every
mortgage and certificate of indebted
ness must pay stamp tax of so
cents for every $500 of amount A
form of duty is imposed by special
taxes on all goods entering and COM
ing out of custom-houses and bonded
warehouses. Steamship and Pullman
tickets bear special taxes, and many
other things, all in addition to doubling
the income taN and imposing heavy
taxes on inheritances. The House tax
on war munitions was rejected when
II was found 1t would hit cotton, and
there was substituted an additional
tax on the profits of corporations
which, II is expected, will be collected
almost entirely in the Northern states.
The Shipping Blll-The Senate has