The Washington times., 1924-06-21
CITES
VARIANT
POINTS
Method and opposes Of Gov
eminent Expenditures Also
Cause Disagreement
By WILLIAM HARD.

NEW YORK, June Z1--As the
Democratic convention meets next
Tuesday, it becomes clear that in
America today there are four
quite distinct colors in the political
sky.
First there is the serene blue
Of the Republicans.
Then there is the idealistic
green Of the Democrats.
Then there is the angry saffron
Of the La Toilette candidacy.
Finally, and beyond the saffron,
there is the still angrier magenta
of the elements which sought to
express their views in the conven-
ton at st. Paul last Tuesday and
Wednesday.
Four States of Mind.
Solemn seers in politics say that
there should be only two parties.
When. however, country insists
upon exhibiting four different sorts
Of state Of mind, it becomes diff.
cult to put them into two parties,
and It even becomes difficult to pur
them into three.
That in this country's political
spectrum there today are four
colOrs is proposition which may
be disputed, but which can also be
defended. and which. in fact, every
day is increasingly defending itself.
Let US consider, for instance. the
fundamental practical point in all
government.
That point is taxes and expendi-
lures. 1t Is methods Of raising
revenue, and It IL purposes In the
spending Of the renue raised.
On that point the existence Of
four colors Is clear. They merge
into one another. but they neverthe-
less exist and can be separately per.
ceived and counted.
g. o. p. Attitude.
First, in the Republican conven.
ton at Cleveland, there was no
doubt that there was large sympa.
thy for the Mellon taxation reduc-
ton plan. There was a broad
streak Of feeling in the convention
to the effect that the top taxes on
the richest taxpayers had not yet
been sufficiently reduced. There
was strong drift toward an &C.
ceptance of the proposition that a
further reduction Of the top taxes
would help business and would pro.
mote prosperity, and would, therU-
fore. in the end be OF benefit to all
classes.
In the Democratic convention, be.
ginning next Tuesday, there will be
very little sympathy for the Mellon
taxation reduction plan. The Demo.
Gratis will take credit to themselves
for preventing the adoption of GER
tain parts of that plan in Congress.
They will claim that they are to
be congratulated and applauded and
admired for keeping the top surtax
UP to 40 per cent and for prevent.
Ing Mr.. Mellon from reducing 1t to
IS.
Yet the Democrats, as takers Of
the rich, are by no means entirely
satisfactory to the outright La Fol-
lette followers.
The Democrats IN Congress have
acquiesced in the abolition Of the
excess profits tax. That was q
wartime tax in it's origin. Unlike
the income tax, 1t did not ante-date
the war. The Democrats establish
ed It during the war. Then, after
the war, they let 1t go.
Good All tho Time.
The La Toilette followers, how.
ever, think it is a beautiful tax for
any and all times. They want to
hang on to it. They want to make
1t permanent. In It's origin It was
a tax to prevent or to punish the
accumulation Of wartime profits in
excess" of the profits gained by
a company in the preceding time Of
peace.
The La Toilette followers now
continue to call their idea an eek
cess profits" tax, but what they
really mean is large profits" tax.
II corporation makes profits
above a certain rate, they would
lay a special tax on all its net
income above that rate and level.
In the Cleveland Republican con-
vention the Wisconsin La Toilette
delegation contrived and proposed
the following platform plank:
I'VE favor taxes upon excess
PEOLAlb W pondhz0 pEO1lLeerlng,
This plank was floated oMt Of
the Republican convention on the
same gale of general rejection
which blew all the other La Fol
lette platform planks out Of the
windows.
1t would have had perhaps a
gentler reception If the convention
had been Democratic convention,
but its ultimate fate, II the Demo.
Gratis in Congress can be regarded
as true representatives of their
party, would have been the same.
Three Ideas on Revenue.
Thus in the matter of revenue
1t Is certainly possible to discern
at least three colors among us.
The Republicans start with the
idea of promoting prosperity and
tend, therefore, toward tightening
the taxes on the very rich in order
to get the money of the very rich
not into the public treasury but
into business.
The Democrats, while not un.
ssesssesss9sseS