The New York herald., 1922-07-02

more than the price of their soda water
And again, Not more than the price o1
their cigars or their admission to movie
shows
Very well. on that particular item.
but each of these remarks has been made
on reference to another and still another
and a different item. III Congress
would grant me the right to tax every
man, woman and child In America the
price of one drink OF soda water. five
cents. out of the more than 100000. 900
people who reside in the United States,
they would convert into my pocket an
ultimats tax of s5,0o0.000. and when
the Senator defends this bill by saying
we ara only going 10 give 1t to these
special interests because II amounts to
a soda water drink. or the price of a
movie ticket, and therefore Is infinites-
NAL. 1t is not inflnitesmal when you put
II into the aggregate and by law con-
vert IL into the bank account Of some
man or special interest.
THAT is why this bill Is indefensible
That is why this bill Is infamous. be-
cause 1t Is exercising the Governments
power to take from these American peo-
pie their hard earned pennies and dimes
and dollars and reward special interests,
and this rate on wheat shows It,
not provide protection for American
labor. 1t is not protection to protect the
American business man or industry
against destructive competition. 1t Is
not to protect the American farmer from
danger to his own market 1t Is tax
levied for the purpose of putting up the
price the consumer must pay In order
that certain special interests may make
more money out of the American people.
''It is quite evident. from Senator Nc
cumber's remark to-day that he has been
fighting the battle for the interests Of
the farmers of his State. that he pro-
poses to put this tax on the American
people. tax of 80 cents a bushel on
wheat, for the benefit of the farmers of
.is own and adjoining States.
Tax Out of Mouths of Poor.
MY viewpoint is that this tax on
wheat will put burden on the Ameri-
,an people of somewhere between $780,
and 800, Zoo, 900, not in the way
of tax on wheat. because the con-
sumner rarely buys wheat itself. but he
buys 1t when 1t is manufactured into
flour When we raise the price of wheat
10 the miller. he adds 1t to his cost
and hands 1t down. multiplied some
times more than once, to the consum-
ng people.
When we come to bread 1t falls on
all alike. rich and poor. because 1t is
the staff of life. Wheat is a human
food raised primarily to feed the human
race. 1t Is the principal material from
which the bread of the people of the
world is made and tax on wheat Is
1 tax on bread.
The tax may to small extent fall
On the table of the rich, but 1t is coll
ected at the mouths of the poor. Sell
fishness is the same the world over.
The men who raise wheat are as
rule honest. hard working, successful
farmers, but that does not make them
any less special interest than would
oe the multi-millionaires Of America
who may be engaged In the production
of iron. steel or some other natural
product. When a combined effort IA
made by one class or one set of men
to change the natural flow of prices
Tor the sole purpose of putting dollars
INTO their own pockets they become spe.
Dial interests. no matter from what
State they come.
This bill has already been repudiated
by the Republican press Of America, who