Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-10-18
WAGET RID OF K1TCHIN.
{Reprinted by permission of the
New York Sun.)

3NS0 VA n sum-
The last man in Congress who
ever ought to have been chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee
Of the house of representatives is
Claude Kitchin. In time of peace to
place at the head of that committee
SO deeply and powerfully involved
in the industrial lot of the Ameri-
can people, a man of such limited
intelligence. of such economic igno-
rance, was Iolly and mischief
A man who doesn't know any
more about the elementary princi-
pies of taxation, for example, than
to pile such heavy burdens upon
thousands Of poor prospectors for
oil that they could no longer go out
and search and bore for oil wells.
A man so destitute OF business
sense that he would compel corpo-
rations, big and little, to distribute
all their earnings, when no business
can be safe unless, to take care of
future needs and hazards, it sets
aside and holds a reasonable pro-
portion of its profits instead OF
sQuandering them:
A man SO blinded by his unli-
censed prejudices that. sinister to-
ward all prosperity, he cannot see
the difference between extraordin-
airy profits snatched out of abnorm-
al war business and ordinary prof
its plodded out of normal business.
A man SO mentally topsy turvy
that in his revenue measure last
year he heavily penalized workers
for earning their livings, when he
imposed upon salaries a special tax,
calling it war profits tax, which
not even the leisurely person hav-
ing inherited a fortune in stocks
and bonds was asked to pay.
In time of war to keep such
man at the head OF the ways and
means committee is both a wrong
and peril. When he was violent
~ opposing the entry of the Unit
ed States into the war to save, be-
fore 1t was too late, its honor and
its life as we'll. Kitchin proclaimed
that If we had war it would be
cold blooded war, engineered for
profit by American plutocracy.
When we entered the war kitch-
in swore that he would assess its
costs on that part of the country
north Of Mason and Dixon's line.
e. he hoc oh 70
go up to now, Kitchin has made
good his threat. What his economic
perversity has fallen short of doing
his malignant sectionalism has done
with vengeance.
II Kitchin made fool taxes mere
ly because he did not know any
better, he deliberately drove those
taxes, like poisoned spikes, into the
vitals of the industry. the trade,
the earnings, the savings. the bread
and butter of the interests and the
people north of Mason and Dixon's
line.
Kitchin's economic Authorizations
and superstition were bad enough
1t was worse, hideously worse, that
his passions and hatreds, distilled
along with his stupidities and fol-
lies into the nations revenue policy
should have made the industrial
fields north of Mason and Dixon's
line tax objects of pillage.
Thus Kitchin, the economic igno-
ramus, but the sectional avenger,
has, with his mania for destruction
always north of Mason and Dix
on's line-come to be the most dan
gerous man in congress, the most
dangerous man in the United States
Kitchin is danger to the very gov
eminent of President Wilson be-
cause his frenzied policy must Grip
pie resources which should be per-
manently available for the support
of the government. Kitchin is q
+. danger to our valorous army in
.Francebecause he must weaken the
national power to back 1t up with
+ munitions and food and clothing
Kitchin is a danger to the future
of the nation. in peace no less than
in war, because he must paralyzt
Its very arteries.
Wherefore 1t becomes the cardi.
nal duty OF American voters to gel
rid Of Kitchin.
Kitchin comes from Scotland
Neck, N. G. But you do not neet
to live In Scotland Neck, N. c., t.
vote against Kitchin. You do no
need to live In North Carolina Il
vote against Kitchin. Any man Of
any woman that has a ballot in an.
district OF the United States car
vote against Kitchin. All that Am
erican voters have to DO to vot'
against Kitchin Is to vote for re
publican nominees for the house o
representatives. wherever they ma.
be. This Is the way to get rid O