Evening star., 1924-06-24

resurrecting the many nuisance taxes
on the unfavored many? Is that his
challenge? Then we accept it.
Raises Tariff Issue.
with the promises of the 1920
campaign to reduce the cost OF living
resounding in our ears, the country
beheld in the passage of the Ford
ney-McCumber tariff law the most
fiagrant reputation of campaign
, pledges in all the history of political
parties. 1t was a law that reeked
with special favors. Every line in 1t
added to the living costs of the Amer
lean consumer. When the iniquitous
schedule X of the Payne -Aldrich law
was enacted, carrying an 11-cent duty
pound on raw wool, the whole
country was aroused and drove the
Taft administration from power. The
mont were the sole Republican sur
vivors. But this same reactonary
group. under the inspiration of repre-
sentatives of these twin states, lg-
fastened upon the American people Il
tariff rate on raw wool of 81 cents
pound Tariff rates on countless
other things were proportionately IN
creased. Nothing escaped their dead
ly aim. In the framing OF the law
of equalizing the difference in cost
at home and abroad was not consid-
cred. THE only question asked, How
much protection do you want? The
so-called representatives of the peo-
pie surrendered completely to the rep
resentativeS of the predatory inter-
ests and played with their masters
the game of tit for tat to the be-
| trayal of the American consumer and
the repleniShment of the Republican
eXchequer.
Says Hypocrisy Shown.
Not only did it add s4,o0o.00o, 900
additional burden upon the American
masses, but it revealed the nations
| hypocrisy toward war-torn Europe.
We maintain highly organized and
| efficiently managed humanitarian or
ganiza tions to raise and distribute to
invade the National Treasury gra-'
ciously to give to the needy OF foreign
lands America has never been un-
mindful of any cry of distress that
came to her from any part OF the
world. That is the spirit OF the
group that has brought ruin to the
country and discredit to their party
employed every means to check Eu-
ropes rehabilitation and shackle her
trade. Demanding payments on the
one hand, they prevented them on the
other. 1t was a policy that enriched
the af1uent and impoverished the
needy. 1t closed the markets to our
farmers and lifted the prices Of their
purchases. 1t frightened the grip of
hopes of the struggling many.
| The doctrine of equal rights TO
none and special favors to some was
never more firmly embedded than in
the Fordney tariff law.
LAS indefensible as are these two
offsprings of governmental forma-
ton, they are not comparable to the
administrations ship subsidy pro-
posal Projected in the winter Of
1892, following the chilling frosts of
with the aid Of an army of lame
ducks, repudiated at home and fondled
at Washington. to make "a quick get
away They sought to lay upon the
American taxpayer an additional bur-
den of ss50.0o0,00O to subsidize the
representatives in Congress, aided by
the patriotic progressives, withstood
their mad onslaughts, for three
months held them at bay. and through
vented the passage of the measure.
Says G. o. p. Ignored Subsidy.
I'm all the speeches delivered in
the Cleveland convention or in the
platform there adopted not word
was written nor a whisper uttered of
the administrations ship subsidy pro-
| posaL If that proposal had become a
|
carry it into effect would have denied
| any reduction of taxes this year or
in the immediate years to come. The
Harding Coolidge administration was
willing to give millions to the ship
ping trust, but not one cent to the
American soldier.
The platform of the Republican
party and the speech of the tenn
porary chairman Of the Republican
convention proclaim the budget law
disarmament conference, the reduc-
tion of the number of government
employees, the decreases in the amount
of annual appropriations and the ma
| tional debt as Republican achieve
ments. 1t is regrettable that we can
not accord it this wild acclaim.
'1The budget law was urged at the
| instance of Democratic President,
and received the vote Of every Demo-
cratic representative. 1t was vetoed
by the Democratic President only be-
cause an unconstitutional provision
was included. 1t was then passed by
Republican Congress and signed by
a Republican President in the proper
and constitutional language sug-
gested by the Dem ocratic President in
his veto message.
Lauds Borah's Part.
The disarmament conference was
held, not because of Republican ad-
1
pu ublican administration. 1t was first
suggested by a Democrat and urged
by Democrats. The fight was renewed
by Borah, Republican, yes, but one
ciated with the bankrupt Republican
partnership in the coming campaign
one whose opposition to the reaction
ary control of his party has ever been
constant and aggressive Under his
leadership and over the most unre-
tion the sentiment was crysta1liZed,
the law enforced and the disarma-
ment conference called.
"It is true that during the more
than three years this administration
has controlled the government the
number Of civil employees in the gov
ernment service and the annual ap-
preparations have been reduced. Those
reductions came, however. not be-
cause of any Republican reforms.
They were the natural reductions
that flow from a readjustment of abb
normal conditions occasioned by the
war. If we did not have bigger
things to discuss, greater achieve
I'poses to announce, we might claim
that in eighteen months of Demo
cratic administration Immediately
following the war not only did we re-
duce appropriations in larger amounts
than ever did the Republican party,
but we reduced the national debt by
more than two and one-half billions
of dollars and the number of civil en-
ployes by 100000.
Cites Expenditure Records.
"Amid all this deceptive cry OF
economy let it be remembered that
this Republican party during its less
than four years of control has ex-
pended $9,592,000.000 more than did
the Democratic administration during
the whole five years Immediately pre-
lceding the war.
The American people have taken
the measure of this administration
1t may have been able to free itself