Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-19
THE TARIFF HELPS A FEW.

$ THE TARIFF HELPS A FEW.
Richard Linthicum, writing from
. Washington, states that 1T has been
alleged that one valid reason why the
: House put the tariff bill ahead of the
tax revision bill when the business
3 interests were clamoring for a revi-
sion of the bprdensome taxations was
10 satisfy the interests which put
up the money for the Republican cam
paign, and which has. made the tariff
cne of the bills due and collectible.'
The true accounts of the Republican
party for the recent campaign have
never been made public; and of course
they never will be. 1t is sufficient to
say that kind old grandaddies in the
! shapes of interests needing protec-
. ton have seen to it that no just and
/. valid claim against the Grand Old
Party" has gone unpaid. No musi-
cal comedy angel was ever SO so
licitous for the health of the star as
these Republican party angels have
been for the welfare of the tariff.
II is true that this placing of the
tariff before the revision of taxation
works hardship on many persons.
some of whom, even, are in the Re-
publican ranks; for it must not be
forgot that the rank and file of Re
publicans never profit financially by
the victory of their party. They
merely are the "hewers of wood and
the cracking of the bosss lash. Rep
resentative James Wilson Collier of
! Mississippi. in a speech in the House
of Representatives a few days ago.
made clear this fact that Republic
can tariff is for the benefit of~<he fa-
vored few only. Said Mr.. Collier, in
part:
: The Republicans believe that a
> tariff tax is a subsidy, a benefit, a
!. bounty. to be bestowed upon some
tavorite; q privilege to be conferred
upon some beneficiary. The Demo-
Gratis believe that tariff tax is an
expense, a burden. a price that all the
people have to pay, not to increase the
profits of private enterprise, but to
= raise revenues to meet the expenses of
the government. The Republicans
believe IN a system of taxation where
the people may tax each other. SO
that certain classes may be the
beneficiaries of that tax. The Demo-
Gratis believe that the government alone
should tax the people and that the
government alone should be the bene-
6ciaIy of that tax.
believing that no dollar should be
collected by taxation for any purpose
other than the legitimate expenses of
the Federal government, all that con-
!. Germs the Trainer of a Democratic
:. .duction here and abroad. but, first.
( how much revenue is needed. and,
second, how can this revenue be raised
by levying a tariff tax in such a way
: and on such articles as will bring in
j. the greatest amount of revenue, at
:. the same time so fixing the rate that
!. it will fall heaviest on luxuries and
non-essentials and prove least bur-
- densome to the people"
> 1t is not necessary to enumerate the
= "favorites" which are to receive the
r bounties from the present adnlinistra-
{ ton; nor need one number the bene-
e ficiaries. They rendered services, fl
nancial and otherwise. But meanwhile.
2 what ha5 been done, and is to be done
: for "the hewers of wood and drawers
!. of water" who meekly voted as di-
rected, under the promise that good
Z times were to continue indefinitely
Between three and four milhon
persons are out of work. Many are
: actually starving. In Wilmington
Z alone it has been estimated that APP
+ proxin7ately $4,000 are carrying the
bannel { want.
. Surely by now the public should
= know that campaign orators only
lie when they promise that certain
political party can produce Midas
]. wealth oyegnight for all the people.
= The tariff benefits those few who own
. certain monopolies. The men who
= labor in the monopolies do not
= necessarily profit by it A crowded
= labor market may send wages
I down, while monopoIy's prod
]. uct continues TO sell at the same high