Iron County register., 1921-09-15
Paying the Bill.
tMissouri State Journal.)

Every citizen, concerned in restor-
ing the country's taxation basis to
standards of fairness and equality,
should read the statement of Con-
gressman Claude Kitchen, addressed
to the acting leader of the minority Of
the House, just prior to the passage
of the revenue law. With the precis-
ion of chilled Steel, the North Carolina
Democrat unmasks the Republican
program designed to lift the burdens
from the rich and powerful and in
crease the taxes of the poor man, the
man of moderate income and the
small corporations. The statement
of Mr.. Kitchin should be preserved by
every Democratic friend, who desir es
to remind his Republican neighbors
of the utter collapse of the Repub-
lican plan to reduce the taxes of the
average man.
What did this Republican bill pro-
vide for, in the way of tax reductions?
First, to repeal the excess profits tax,
and substitute therefor tax of I211a
per cent on the incomes of all cor
porations- an increase of 10 per cent,
the existing tax. According to the
latest available figures, there are
3l7 ,559 corporations in the United
States; 1,026 of these corporations
have been paying two-thirds of the
total excess profits tax. AS Mr..
Kitchin points out, these big pro-
fiteering corporations will thereby be
relieved of at least $500, 100000 in
taxes. and this amount will have to
be made up by the increased corpora
tion income tax from the 316,56O
small corporations. How is this for
tax reduction?
Governor Cox charged during the
campaign OF 1920 tina the Republicans
were ra ising a campaign fund Of $16,-
100000. Don't yon suppose that the
managers OF these corporations re-
ferred to could ford to pay sixteen
millions to secure legislation that
would save them five hundred mil-
lion? Let that sink in, Mr.. and Mrs.
Voter.
Then they repeal the surtaxes rang
ing from 80 to 65 per cent. These
surtaxes are only levied upon the
great incomes. Those affected by
| this production" number about eigh-
teen thousand in the entire United
States, while the same taxes as here
tofore are to be collected from the
others, numbering approximately o.
10000. True the exemption for the
tax payer with wife or. dependents
is increased $500, but the total reduc-
tion in income taxes because Of. this
small increase in exemptions, taken
in the aggregate throughout the Unit
ed States, will not amount to as much
as the surtax lifted from the income
of John d. Rockefeller. Let that, too,
sink in, Mr.. and Mrs. Voter.
Republican craftsmanship is true to
form in this legislation. 1t is the
party of the rich. Hypocritically
pretending to be the friend Of Ameri-
can labor. it has fostered through all
the years of its history, the growth OF
oppressive instrumentalities, used by
abig businessn to crush the life out of
labor pharasaically claiming to be
the party Of the average man, it al
ways has catered to the demands of
the selfish few. The American peo-
pie have been in dupes more than
| once. Republican campaigns are al
ways won on cheap, petty issues,
fought out on~narrow lines, with col
lateral appeals TO sectional, racial and
class prejudices. They never stand
In campaigns for the measures they
enact when In power an0 for all-suf.
flcient reasons, they dare notl
/ Mr.. Kitchin appealed to Democrats
to refuse to join with the Republicans
in supporting any part Of this unjust
tax measure, designed and intended
4 to discharge the campaign obligations
OF the Republican party, and make
the poor man foot the bill. His ap'
i peal was successful. The party stood
virtually united against 1t in all 1T
4 details.
4 The campaign Of 1922 will be vastl.
| different from that Of 1920 In al
essential particulars. The lies the.
4 told OF Democratic chieftains AM
I Democratic measures cannot safely b
! repeated f for the poverty Of Reppb
IIican administration has demonstrat
Ed their faIsity. They cannot agai
!, delnde the people ia.o thiaking tha
i the Republican party has any fai
conception Of equity IN taxetion, 9
any notion Of lifting the burdens {
J the poor. They have been weighe