Evening star., 1924-06-24

gesture or special privilege to wink
10 make this administration under
stand and do.
l..It is against this brutal thing that
we will wage relentless war in this
campaign. We will not pitch our
camps nor stack our arms until the
American masses and honest business
are freed from its strangle hold They
may direct their poisonous gases at
us, but no camoufiage can be con-
lection to the Pharisee. They can
describe US as they may-hurling an
athemas will be futile-for these
guarded posts of favoritsm will be
taken, these fortresses of special priv
ilege and unjust power must fall.
especial Privilege for Few
in the guarded orchards of this ad-
ministration the golden apples OF
special privilege have been gathered
dian of every special interest. The
mother never guarded her tende.
young more Zealously than has this
administration watched over the
needs of its petted and pampered
puppets
Not only in this administration
but in the enactment of laws these
interests come first The admins
tration's late and lamented tax pro-
posal was grown in the Mellon
patches of special privilege. Its pro-
pagation was a work of Republican
art.
For a while it was thought to be
A very beautiful, large, colorful and
Juicy thing. 1t attracted unusual at
tention. The invited guests, a Sc
iected few in number. smacked their
lips in anticipation of the feast But
when it was examined and its parts
dissected its rottenneSs was revealed
No setting was ever more adroitly
NJ
alton first made its debut. 1t was
billed for passage at the psyche
logical moment. The people were
stopped under heavy load of taxa
ton. For three long years they had
felt their country slipping through
the results of a riotous and debauched
administration. They had seen the
natural resources of this government
dissipated. its charted courses aban-
doned, its leaders corrupted. They
saw policy of passivity adding dis
credit abroad and bankruptcy at
home.
Hits Mellon Plan.
Their hearts were heavy and their
spirits low. Any ray of hope that
might bring the slightest relief was
welcomed. When the Secretary of
the Treasury offered his plan and the
President indorsed it the American
people did not stop to study nor tarry
TO think. But reason follows hys-
terra, and right ultimately triumphs.
What is this melon that Mellon
sought to cut? 1t would have given
1900 of the 35S5,9S5 income taxpayers
In America 81 per cent of the total
reduction.
Under its benign provisions an in
reduction of s1,SS1,s32, while an in
come of $4,000 would have received
only S6.75 reduction. Through its un-
restricted earned-income provisions it
would have opened an avenue of es-
cape TO every tax-dodging capitalist
in America.
Says Cauke Is Just.
Written in the cold lines Of that
proposal was the inspiration of it's
author that the less eXacted from
the highly favored few and the more
demanded from the less favored many,
the greater the good to the common
country. The champions Of the proposal
from the crumbs that fall from the
tables of the rich; that if you legis-
late solely to make the well-to-do
prosperous their prosperity will seep
through upon those below. The Re-
publican party is the ancient enemy
of the income tax. 1t is contrary to
reactionary Republican doctrine and
inimical to Republican practices. The
income tax was never intended to
touch poverty. 1t exacts no settle
ments from bankrupt courts. fore
closes no mortgages and forces no
sales 1t is collected only where
prosperity smiles and earnings abound.
AS a means of raising revenue it is one
of our party'S priceless legacieS, and as
such it shall be neither weakened nor
destroyed.
when the President and his Secre-
tary of the Treasury, with all the
hosts Of selfish interests, charged on
the battle front of the American Con-
gress in behalf of the Mellon plan,
Democracy and Progressive Republi-
canism stood firm. 1t was the same
ancient contest, and for the same old
cause Under the leadership Of Sim
mons in the Senate and Garner in the
House we triumphed, not because we
were numerically strong, but because
we were assuredly right. Through
the Democratic law every taxpayer in
America will get 25 per cent reduc-
ton this year.
Charges Figures Juggled.
Every person who pays an income
the future than in the past And this
Democratic legislation, against which
all the agencies of this administra-
tion have inveighed, will give a
greater reduction in taxes than would
have the Mellon plan to every person
whose annual income amounts to less
than $4,000 annually.
out of the total of 3,585,9S5 income
taxpayers in America 3.5S0,5S5 will
receive a greater reduction in the
Democratic plan than they would
have received under the Mellon plan.
In the reduction of taxes the
Democratic party sought greater re-
ductfons and broader eliminations
than did the Republican nominee or
the Secretary of the Treasury. In
the administrations mad efforts to
forestall Democracy's desire to effect
greater reductions than those recon-
mended by the administration the
Treasury Department juggled figures
and deceived the public.
Questions G. o. p. Purpose.
The administration said that the
Treasury Department would only
stand for a reduction Of S390.000, 900.
The Democratic party gave them a
reduction of s470.000,000.
The administration said that the
tax on candies, checks. notes, auto
mobile parts, amusement places
drafts and soft drinks should remain.
The Democratic party said those taxes
must go.
-The administration said that II we
would increase taxes on 3,5S0,5S5 in
come taxpayers and reduce the taxes
on 5.400 it would release money for
productive enterprises and increase
the prosperity of all The Democratic
party answered that indubitable facts
refuted such an argument.
TT was not reasoning they sought
nor facts they desired. but more spe-
cial privileges to the favored few
they craved.
Sees More Lose Money.
I'm 1922, out of S2,S79,000.0 900 assets
listed for estate taxes, there were not
found enough tax-free securities to
cover funeral expenses. For the year
1921 the total net income returns from
business amounted to $2,366,3 900
and only $47,0o0,00 of this amount
was returned by individuals whose in
comes were in excess of $4,000 annu-
ally. The Democratic plan for re-