Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-21
The Now Robber Tariff

L OR the Democratic party the paramount
issue in the coming congressional cleo
tions AID in the presidential campaign OF
IVA is. and must continue to be. the tariff.
With folly equivalent to political madness.
the Republicans have deliberately saddled
burden OF indirect taxation upon tho
American people, the most oppressive and
ineXcusable OF any they have been required
t. sustain during any previous period In the
nations history 1t creates n monopoly for
exploiting interests that enables them to
reach their greedy hands into the pockets
Of the people and force therefrom toll
Of from $50 to $40 for every man. woman
and child of the 110,OOO,O00 people that
make up our population, over and above
what they pay under the existing tariff.
Within ten days ut the outside tho Pres-
dent will have affixed his signature to the
odious measure and one day thereafter the
authorized robbery will be in full force and
effect The Democrats have but to press
the issue that Republican folly has placed
in their hands to arouse storm Of indig-
nation throughout the country that will
wrest control Of the next House from the
Republicans and drive them completely
from power In the government in 1924
Little did the voters of the country dream
when they voted the Republicans into power
In 1920 that they contemplated an auda-
cious scheme OF exploitation OF the masses
to enrich the interests which financed that
campaign. They were made to believe that
the tariff would be revised primarily with
tho view OF adjusting inequalities resulting
from nfter-the-war conditions OF trade dis
arrangement To them il was inconcev-
able that tho party would surrender the
welfare of the country TO the greed of
selfish interests and enact Il law which,
"a ta1
turn OF only $500, 200, 900. gives to these in
terests such II monopoly OF American mar
kets that they will be ablo to eGtort add-
tional profits for themselves approximating
from S3,00o000,0O0 TO $4,000, 900, 900 an
nualiy.
Two years ago II any one had even family
intimated that the path back TO normally"
lay through higher taxes and increased
prices his sanity would have been very Sc
riously questioned Yet that is exactly what
will occur under the operation OF the new
robber tariff. The tax on sugar. a universal
necessity. has been raised from l.25 / cent
On Cuban rawl Il pound TO go cents
pound. with 1.7G cents on the Cuban
product. This tax will yield to the Treas
ury revenue amounting to SS7, OO0, 900 an
nually, at an additional cost to the con
sumcr OF S5S7, 100000, with Il profit OF
S+31 100000 10 domestic manufacturers
Wool, which was free under the Underwood
tariff, is taxed > cents pound costing
the consumer of wooden manufactures
SG55.000,000 additional. and yielding TO
domestic manufacturers a profit OF s62a-
100000. Womens and childrcn's dress
goods, which now pay 80 per cent, will nav
under the new tariff from 81 cents a pound
and 90 per cent 10 40 cents a pound and
30 per cent This means an additional TAX
on the consumer of $62l,000,OO0 and a
clear gift TO domestic manufacturers of
1 $4,000, 900 And so on all down the
line The people are gougcd on everything
they use. They are left wholly al the
mercy OF constituencies profteers. and they
viii soon be made To realize the extent TO
which they have been betrayed hv n bur
denS0me increase in the cost OF living uttlo
short OF inflated war prices. II is for
Democratic leadership 10 take advantage
OF tho opportunity and press home TO the
people the full significance OF the outrage
Republican trcachcry has pcrpctratcd upon
them.