Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1919-10-17
'*YOU CAN'T FOOL ALL THE
PEOPLE,

snator Penrose, Republican "boss
Of the present Congress, has announced
That ut is not likely' there will be
nv revision of the tariff or lowering
Of the present tax schedules until at
tor the next presidential election, or,
in other words, until new Congress
sonvcnes in March, 1921.
Phis surprisingly frank statement
from the recognized Republican leader
can only be accepted as confession OF
the mobility of the Republican majori-
ty in both houses Of Congress to deal
with the intricate economic problems
growing out of the war. This confes-
sion is in striking contrast with the
promises of the Republicans just prior
to the last congressional election that
if restored to power in the Legislative
halls in Washing ton they would prove
their fitness as reconstructionists.
Senator Penrose offers the. existing
political and industrial chaos hs an ex-
cusc for his announced ado nothing
policy. In his statement he refers only
to the tariff and revenue questions.
Ho might just as well have admitted
the whole truth-known to all men in
touch with the situation on Capitol
Hill-that the controlling majority in
Congress has no solution for any of the
economic difficulties now confronting
the country.
President Wilson proposed program
Of reconstruction for the Republlcans
at the opening Of the present special
session, which session the republicans
olamored for so they "might get to
work. The president, whose vision
had foreseen the unrest that would be
ungendcred if relief measures were not
forthcoming, pointed out specifically
what should DO done.
Not so foolish as to suggest that the
entire tariff structure be made over, as
Senator Penrose virtually proposed in
May, the president confined his impost
recommendations to essentials, such as
the dyestuffs and chemical industries
built up during the war. He urged a
weapon Of retaliation in our tariff
laws, Gin case otner governments
should enact legislation unequal in its
bearing on our products as compared
with the products of other countries. -
He asked that early consideration be
given to tax revision, pointing out that
many of the minor taxes made neces-
sary by the pressing necessities of war
time, particularly the excuses upon var
ious manufacturers and the taxes upon
retail sales, could now be repealed. The
lattor include the so-called luxury
taxes upon wearing apparel, etc. Al
though experience has shown that in
the main these taxes on retail sales
have proved more annoying than profit
able, the republicans have done nothing
10 eliminate them, Notwithstanding
that the democrats were only prevented
from erasing these bothersome taxes
from the statute books by a republican
senator filibuster in the closing days
Of the last Congress.
Even the most sanguine republicans
have little hope that the present SEES
sion will witness any solution of the
railroad question. The president fou,
months ago called on the controlling
republican majority in Congress t.
draft the necessary legislation. Moth
ing has been done that promises con
crete action before the special session
ends and the regular session begins il
December. And so it is with the presi
dents proposals regarding labor ant
the other questions that the republicans
in the campaign Of a year ago promised
to quickly dispose Of.
Truly, Senator Penrose's statement
il a confession both Of avoidance ant
incapacity. The Pennsylvania Estates
man, with peculiar effrontery, now
seeks to hold out the hope to the coun-
try that if republican president and
cnothcr republican Congress were elect
ed next year, all the existing vexin,
problems will be solved. We commend
Senator Pcnrose and his associates tho
immortal words of Abraham Lincoln:
"You may fool some Of the people
some of the time, but you CAM fool all
of the people all of the time. ''-Bulle-
tin.
str,,, 1:n l4 H. .1.1