Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-08
MELLON PLAN W DEMOCRATIC
PLAN


treasury. devised a plan for reduction
OF taxes. Though member OF the
Republican administration he acted
In the capacity Of the country's GUS
todian of the country's finances and
not as. a partisan. The endorsement
his plan has received from Democrat
ic sources appears to warrant the as
sumption that Secretay Mellon, act
ing In his official capacity. tried to
represent the interests OF the entire
country irrespective Of partisanship.
Now Representative Garner has in
troduced a bill which processes to
represent the Democrats. He COM
plains that Democrats were not con-
suited by the secretary OF the treas
ury. who instead appears to have
consulted the facts.
- The country Is now to have tax
measure bearing the Democratic Ia
bel. even II 1t does not have weighty
Democratic endorsement. The voters
have the two bills, or abstracts OF
them. to consider. After they have
considered they probably will form
their opinions. not altogether from
what thev comprehend OF the bills.
but will he influenced by the opinions
Of those In whose judgment they
place their confidence.
Mr.. Mellon has had experience. long
n tn too
We have no doubt he Is trying to put
into effect plan which he sincerely
believes will work out for the best
interests Of the country which he at
present represents In the distinguish
ed position he holds. The doing OF
this must appeal to him as the
GROWING effort OF his life. On the
other hand Mr. Garner does not &C.
cupy like position. The very fact
that he Is striving to establish a plan
with the title Democratic excites
some suspicion that, however well
meaning Mr.. Garner may be. however
much interested. generally speaking,
he may be In the welfare of his coun-
try. he is manifesting signs Of being
under the influence OF parisanship,
OF making material for next years
political campaign.
Otherwise he scarcely would have
Involved his proposition with revision
OF the tariff. He must know that
any such attempt could not be put
through this congress and the relief
in taxation could not be secured.
And when he complains of injustice
in tho tariff he does net explain that
no effort has been made by him
or any other interested parties to COR
rect such injustice. II injustice there
be. in the way provided in the tariff
law for readjustment. He ovcrlooks
the provisions already established for
correcting that which may need cor
rection.
This matter Of tariff having been
sible these Democratic leaders now
engaged In Knocking" the Mellon bill
may be as far wrong as they were
when they knocked the Fordney- Nc
Cumber tariff. They told us 1t would
destroy business. that we could not
sell abroad and all that. Under the
Democratic tariff in 1920 this country
was importing foodstuffs to the value
of a billion and a half dollars, and
over five and a quarter billion value
of all imports, IS percent of which
paid no duty. Did this condition OF
things give US low pricesr 1t did not.
Did the importers make fat profits
and want those conditions continued?
OF course. Were the Democratic
leaders true prophets in those days?
They were not. Aren't they just as
likely to be mistaken about this mat
ter of regulating taxes? It Is fair to
assume SO In the absence Of any evil
depce to the contrary.