The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-25

anu UIOduer elluindtlOuS tuau u1u tus republican nominee or the secretary oi the treasury. In the administration mad efforts to forestall democracy's de sire to effect greater reductions thar those recommended by the administra tion the treasury department juggled figures and deceived the public.
 The administration said that thu treasury department would only stand for a reduction of $390, 100000. The democratic democratic party gave then a reduction of $470,000, ,000.
 The administration said that the ta1 on candies checks, notes, automobile parts, amusement places, drafts, and soft drinks should remain. The demo cratic party said those taxes must go
 The administration said that if we would increase taxes on 3,560, 1885 in come taxpayers and reduce the taxes on 5,400, it would release money fol productive enterprises and increase the prosperity of all. The democratic party answered that indubitable facts ,refuted such an argument. -..
 Not Reasoning
 It was not reasoning they sought nor facts they desired, but more special privileges to the favored few they craved.
 Thu 1922, out of $2,S79, 100000 as. sets listed for estate taxes, there was not found enough tax-free securities to GOV CT funeral expenses. For the year 1921 the total net income returns from busi. ness amounted to $2,366, ,31S, 900 and only $47,000,O00 of, this amount was returned by individuals whose incomes were in excess of $70,000 annually The democratic plan for reducing all taxes, but reducing them equitably on the theory of ability to pay, will result in releasing more money for investments in productive enterprises than. would have the Mellon plan.
 The republican nominee in reluctant ly signing the measure declared for its immediate reform. What does he mean by reform? Does he propose to change the law by transferring the burdens car ried by 5,400 whose backs are broad to the three and one-half millions whose backs are bowed? Does he propose to make up the reduction on the 5,400' fa- vored few by resurrecting the many nuisance taxes on the unfavored many !? Is that his challenge? Then we ac- cept it. r
 With the promises of the 1920 cam paign to reduce the cost of living re- sounding in our ears, the country be- held in the passage of the Fordney- McCumber tariff law the most fragrant repudiation of campaign pledges in all the history of political parties. It was law that reeked with special favors. Every line in it added to the living costs of the American consumer. When the iniquitous Schedule K of the Payne Aldrich law was enacted, carrying an 11-cent duty a pound on raw wool, the whole country was aroused and drove the Taft administration from power. The defeat was decisive. Utah and Vermont were the sole republican sur vivors.
 Ignored Facts
 But this same reactionary group, un- der the inspiration of representatives of these twin states, ignored the facts of recent history and fastened upon the American people a tariff rate on raw wool of 31 cents a pound. Tariff rates on countless other things were propor- tionately increased. Nothing escaped their deadly aim: In the framing of the law the time-honored republican theory of equalizing the difference in cost at home and abroad was not con sidered. The only question asked. How much protection do you want? The so- called representatives of the people sur rendered completely to the reprsnta- tvs of the predatory interests and play ed with their masters the game of "tit for ta," to the betrayal of the Amer ican consumer and the replenishment of the republican exchequer.
 Not only did it add $4, 4,OOO, ,O00, ,O0O ad- ditional burden upon the American masses but it revealed the nations hy- pocrisy toward war-torn Europe. We maintain highly organizcl and efficient ly managed humanitarian organizations to raise and distribute to the worlds oppressed. We sometimes invade the national treasury, graciously to give to the needy of foreign lands. America has never been unmindful of any cry of distress that came to her from any part of the world. That is the spirit of the American heart. ct this reactionary group that has brought ruin to the country and discredit to their party em- ployed every means to check Europe's rehabilitation and shackle her trade. Demanding payments on the one hand, they prevented them on the other; It was policy that enriched the affiuent and impoverished the needy. It closed the markets to our farmers and lifted the prices of their purchases. It tight. ened the grip of favored few and damp ened the 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-McCumber tariff law.
 As indefensible as are these two off, springs of governmental formation. they are not comparable to the administra- tion's ship subsidy proposal. Protected in the winter of 1892, following the chilling frosts of that November cleo tion, it planned with the aid of an army of lame ducks, repudiated at home and sought to-6,ns-, ETAOIN fondled at Washington to make "a ouiclr getaway" They sought to lay unon the American taxpayer an additional burden of $850,000,000 to subsidize the shipping trust. Your democratic rem resentatives in Congress, aided by the patriotic progressives, withstood their mad onslaughts-for three months held them at'bay, and through a highly or ganized filibuster prevented the pas- sage of the measure.
 In all the speeches delivered in tbe Cleveland convention, or in the plat. form there adopted, not a word was written nor a whisper uttered of the administrations ship-subsidy proposal If that proposal had become law the immediate appropriations to carry it into effect would have denied any reduction. of taxes this year, or in the immediate years to come. The Hard, ing Coolidge administration was will. ing to give millions to the shipping trust, but not one cent to the Ameri. can soldier.
 The platform of the republican
 party and the speech of the tenn.
 nnraru rhairnnnn, nR AL III.