The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1921-08-25
BY WALTER w. LIGGETT

xANNVSAAAV0s
. BY WALTER w. LIGGETT
WASHINGTON, D. C-Tarif and
taxation are the rocks on which the
Republican party is very likely to
split. Despite desperate efforts of
party "whips" to hold their followers
in line behind the administrators
program, more and more Republicans,
who heretofore have been in perfectly
good standing, are kicking over the
traces with vociferous protests.
Several weeks ago I paid particular
attention to the many iniquities in
the Fordney tariff bill and stated that
many of it's "jokers," which were in
serted at the dictation of great mon
opolies, would prove very injurious to
the smaller business interests of the
country. My prediction has been
abundantly justified. The senate ways
and means committee is besieged by
eastern manufacturers, exporting and
importing houses, Cuban sugar pro-
ducers and dozens of other elements,
all demanding the elimination of the
discriminatory clauses with which the
Fordney bill is crammed.
The "American valuation" plan also
is coming in for scathing criticism
and it is probable that the G. o. P.
bosses in the senate will have to re-
write the entire bill if they want to
avoid the fate that overlook the Re-
publican party in 1910. In that year
the Payne-Aldrich tariff passed the
senate with only one dissenting Re-
publican vote that of La Toilette.
There did not appear to be cloud on
the political horizon.
But in less than six months it's evil
effects began to be felt by the coun-
try. The Republicans first lost con-
troll Of the house and in two years
more Taft went down to defeat, the
worst whipped man in the history of
the country. The Fordney bill is even
more vicious than the Payne-Aldrich
measure and some shrewd political
forecasters already see storms ahead.
Certainly Representatives Sinclair
of North Dakota and Keller of Mime
sofa may congratulate themselves for
having the courage and the wisdom
to oppose this measure. A good many
other congressman are very likely to
regret the subserviency to the party
whips that kept them from voting
their honest convictions.
TAXATION CAUSES RUMPUS
Secretary Melons suggestions that
the house ways and means committee
shift the burden Of taxation from the
wealthy war profteers to the poor
consumers is causing an even bigger
rumpus than the tariff. - T..
i. Mellon urged the repeal of the ex-
cess profits tax, reduction Of the sur
tax rates on larger incomes, elimina-
ton Of the $4,000 exemption on
smaller incomes, taxes on automobiles
and Scent postage, It is reliably re-
ported that Fordney, Longworth and
a few other reactionary members of
the ways and means committee were
agreed on this program and planned
to report such a bill without allowing
any public hearings. But Frear of
Wisconsin made a. vigorous protest
and enough Republicans joined with
the Democrats to defeat this outra-
geous proposal. George Young of
North Dakota was one Of the Repub-
Leans who supported Frear and he
deserves credit for his stand.
Only four days were allowed for
hearings, but such protest has been
made in the press that all progressive
Republicans see ruin ahead for their
party if this program is followed and
many reactionaries are hesitant about
its ACCESSIBILITY. Fordney and Long
worth probably are foolish enough to
persevere in their folly, but it is be-
ginning to look as if this. program
may cause q serious split in Republi-
can ranks. ..#: ~ .>-.sv.. ~
BLIND BOSSES ARE WARNED
Representative Oscar E. Keller Of
st. Paul, who is rapidly coming to the
front as a leader Of the progressive
group in congress, courageously took
the lead in warning the bosses of the
Republican party that such a course
would be repudiated by the people.
Keller even went a step further and
attacked the administration for "its
blind obedience to Wall street in q
stupid, selfish and shortsighted pol
icy that is retarding prosperity and
creating profound distrust and dis
content among the people," :.
Keller paid especial attention to the
question of taxation. "This is the
most important matter that confronts
the people Of the United States" he
said. Federal taxes now aggregate
four billion dollars year. One-third
Of the net income Of corporate BUSH
ness is put into state and federal