The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-08
WAR TAXES NOT
 BEING LOWERED
 BY REPUBLICANS
COP. Senators Have Hard Time Trying to Live Up
 To Their Promises.
HIGHER TARIFF DOES
 NOT OFFER SOLUTION
Revenue Lost By Tax Re duction Must Be Made
 Up Elsewhere.

uiAS J1OlI NA LASO OC 4FlduS
 Up Elsewhere.
 Washington. D. C., Sept 8. - The
 Republican leaders in the House of
 Representatives are still floundering
 in their endeavor to make some sort
 of showing before the country in
 their promised reduction of war
 taxes, particularly those affecting the
 high cost of living. It is true the
 House has passed a few bills raising
 the tariff on tungsten ore, pearl but
 tons, surgical instruments, chemical
 glass and the like, but even suppCs-
 ing they will reduce the high cost of
 living, the chances of the Senate con-
 sidering them ADr many weeks, or
 months, is considered slight.
 Democratic Representatives are
 frankly amused a the plight of their
 polr5ca1 opponents. particularly those
 of the "OId Guard" or reactionary
 type, such as Floor Leader Frank w
 Mondeu of Wyoming. and Joseph w.
 Fordney of Michigan, chairman of
 the committee on ways and means.
 These leaders announced after the
 Congressional elections of last No
 yember that they would repeal the
 ouerous war taxes as soon as the
 President gave them the opportunity
 by calling them in extra session.
 This was a "folIow-up' of the Re publican prediction pledges.
 The entertainment that is being
 enjoyed by -he House Democrats is
 enhanced because of the perpetual Republican assertions that they, and they only. possess any administrative ability or knowledge of how to sue
 CeSsfuIly run the nation economically and benefCially. The fact that the worlds greatest war had just been concluded. and that the clearing away
 of the debt was bound to take time. meant nothing to them, at least so far as their appeals to the public were concerned.
 The President called the extra ses- sion for the middle of May and the Republican House chieftains are still 1 groping in the dark for light when they are not marking time. With war expenditures of billions that must be met they discovered that if war taxes were repealed a cores bonding amount of revenue must be obtained elsewhere. They turned to- ward the custom houses but found what every one knew-that Europe was importing. not exporting, and that no matter what the tariff charges the governments war bills could not be met that way
 ''The Republicans seem absolutely i lost" commented one Democratic member of the committee on ways i and means" and, what is worse for | the country, do not seem to be any nearer a solution of any of their diff faculties than when they first realized what tremendous obstacles they had promised to surmOunt. Their eau cuses are barren of ideas or results, | and their addresses on the floor Of | the House are purely political and ! largely attacks on the President Ut seems somewhat lncon- l gruous that even a congressman who | was burned in effigy by his consI- | tuents because of his obstructive war | record. should attack the President ! for. making a tour to fulfill his | promise to the people to explain the ! Peace Treaty and League of Nations i to them. At this time, when It Is | protested by Republicans that the President should stay here and pre- | suunabfy wait for the Republican ma l iorities to enact some of his recom- i nendations. there are a least 75 Re | publican members of the House ab- | sent from Washington, so many that | securing a quorum is becoming more 1 and more difficult. And these criu- ! cisms are from the party that, having i accomplished nothing, voted itself i five weeks vacation and was only de- | tered by the personal intervention of l the President and the importance of l the program he outlined.'
 i Another instance of Republican | dilatorv methods that is being point ! ed out bv the Democrats is the failure | to provide for the soldiers. despite the ] promises. made before and since cleo ] ton. Republican Floor Leader Mon | dell cannot push his Kidnapped sol | diers' farm bill ahead, and in re- l cent party caucus only received four votes in support of it, it is asserted. | After considering every plan pre- | sented the Republicans decided to ''pass the buck and to defer any ac- ! ton until the American Legion had | held its meeting in November. It is ! figured, apparently, that the war
 riors may be able to supply the per | tinent ideas that are lacking in the | brains of the Republican leaders who 1 have assumed the duty of formulat- 1 ing the big legislation that this Con- gress is supposed to pass