The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-08-23
The Kitchin Cabinet

Correspondence)-The democratic
majority in control of the ways and
means committee finds itself up
tree with respect to taxation of
profits, and We have just had the
disgusting spectacle of these gentle
men, constitutionally charged with
the duty of raising revenue, running
to Secretary McAdoo to learn what
to do This is due to two reasons.
First, they find themselves quite In
capable of drafting the legislation,
and, second, they fear to assume re-
sponsibility, but prefer to let
McAdoo do it, and shoulder the
blame on him if the country shows
resentment. This is the brand of
craftsmanship which has the unpar-
alleled effrontery to request the
country for continuance in control
of congress on the ground that it is
| best fitted to aid the President dur
ing the war. 1t is doubtful if in the
whole history of Federal taxation
| this country has had such band of
incompetents paving over its rev.
enues as it possesses today when we
are confronted with the most acute
situation in the annals of the U. S.
| A. The stuff which America has
had dished out to it in the way of
| taxation during the past five years
has produced mental dizziness and
nausea which would send many a
good man to his bunk if the storm
were not on, and the ship in danger
The band, captained by Carolina
Kitchin, is even more ruthless than
Mr.. McAdoo would dare to be, for
he, at least, has had considerable as
ISOLATION with business conditions
and he is not an absolute vandal In
his dealings with American indus
trial structure.
There are on the ways and means
committee several gentlemen who
understand how to coax eggs from
the goose without Sitting her weas-
and. There is Fordney, of Michi-
gan, for instance, senior minority
member, whose experience in the
lumber business, and in tariff legfs-
lation, the outcome of years of pa
tient investigation, admirably quail
fies him as a wise revenue legisla-
tor; ]. Hampton Moore, of Penn
sylvania, whose knowledge of the
steel industry is encyclopedia; Will
liam r. Green, of Iowa, and Charles
H. Sloan, of Nebraska, who know
the farming industry from the fur
row to the county fair; Nick Long
worth, whose acquaintance with
Ohio industry ranges from the Me-
rino sheep to the National cash reg
ister; George Fairchild, of New
York, whose knowledge of American
business is so prodigious, and legis-
lative deliberations so sane, that
McAdoo himself was moved to urge
his unopposed candidacy in the next
congress; Martin, of Louisiana, who
can't be foored on the sugar ques-
ton; Sterling of the great manufac-
turing state of Illinois; and Tread
way, of Massachusetts, the state
which boots and clothes perhaps 50
percent of our soldiery. Compare
that array of talent with the demo-
cratic majority who cannot get be-
yond the raw cotton stage of in
dustry, headed by Kitchin who con-
fessed that he voted for the last
revenue bill with his eyes shut.
Is the advice of the minority
sought? Not at all At time when
the strength and talent of the ma
ton sould be Communicated for war,
they are prescribed and jeered at
as representatives of big business:
but what would we do if big bus
mess were not on the job? Any
legislation proposed by them is ig-
nored or pigeonholed because they
are republicans and therefore should
he relegated to the chorus in the
legislative burlesque which is taking
place. But if there is any sanity
left in the country there will be
change of control after the Novem-
Der elections, and we will win this
war without bursting our own
hearts in the effort, or being meta
morphosed into a socialistic mon
strosity incapable of being identf-
fed by the boys on their return from
the fields of war.
This is a free country and if the
administration or any one else does
not like the prominence Col. Roose-