Evening star., 1925-07-19
SOLID SOUTH SEEKS
SHARE IN TAX GLORY.
Democrats, Shorn of Reward
for Fight on Mellon Plan,
Still Hopeful.
BY ROBERT Il. SMALL.

DAYTON, Tenn, July 18.-In the
comings and goipgs here at Dayton
one may get a crosS-section of poll
tics as well as of religion, and just at
the moment it would seem that the
Democrats of the South are puZZling
themselves as to the manner in which
they can get some national credit out
of the forthcoming legislation to re-
duce the burden of taxation upon the
people.
The Democrats remember that in
the Spring of 1924 they virtually wrote
the bill which at that time resulted in
the greatest tax cut since the World
War. The Democrats flung them
selves into the breach for the small
taxpayer. They cut the rates on the
small incomes far below the figures
suggested by the Treasury experts
and contained in the Mellon plan.
The Democrats took up the cudgels
for the downtrodden and refused to
make big cuts in the higher brackets
for the benefit of the multimillionaires.
The Democrats teamed up with the
progressives and the La Toilette bloc
TO put across a poor mans tax bill.
They had every right to expect the
gratitude of the people They had
smitten the administration hip and
thigh-the administration which would
+ have favored the rich against the
middle classes.
And what reward did the Democrats
get for their labors at the polls of
that fateful 1924? Coolidge. the back
er of Mellon; Coolidge, who has plead
ed for big reduction in the surtaXes
of the rich in preference to a too
heavy cut for the little fellows" was
returned to the White House by a be-
wildering majority. The Republican
majority in the House of Representa-
tives was enlarged and so was the
technical Republican majority in the
Senate. All of the credit the Demo
Gratis thought they were storing up
Tor themselves by their valiant battle
, for lower taxes vanished in the thin
air of forgetfulness.
Consequently the Democrats are
looking forward to the coming tax
fight in Congress with mingled feel
ingS. to say the least. Shall they
fight to make what they consider a
good" bill, or shall they let the 'ad-
ministration and Mr.. Mellon put
through any sort of reduction scheme
which the grand old party may de-
sire?
There apparently is no question
but that the Democrats by once more
lining up with certain sections of the
enemy" can force their tax views
upon the administration and write
them upon the statute books. But
some of the Democratic leaders in
Congress are beginning to ask, What
IS the uSe?" They say that if the
Democrats work to put over a good
tax bill' the administration will get
the credit, because the people of the
country have almost ceased to think
that Congress can do anything that
is good and wise.
Pay Penalty of Being Out"
The people think only in the terms
of the administration in power at the
White House. This is the advantage
of being an lin" and the penalty of
being an tout." President Coolidge
unquestionably got the credit in the
minds of the people for all that was
beneficial in the tax reduction of 1924.
1t was his administration, they
argued. that made the cut possible.
They did not care if the Democrats
had worked hard to bring the benefits
directly to the people.
The Democrats are confronted in
the tax question by a fact and not a
theory. Unfortunately for them, it
was "a Democratic administration
which conducted the war and which
had to place the heavy taxes. The
ipre-war rates on incomes were so
small as to be almost negligible.
Then at the enQ OF the war the
Democrats went out of power. The
Federal expenditures rapidly de
clined as the ship of state headed
once more toward "normalcy." The
Republicans have found themselves in
the happy position of being the ones
able to hold out to the country the
claim that they, and they alone, have
been responsible for tax reductions.
They have inferred that if the Demo
Gratis had remained in power taxes
probably never would have come
down.
Democrats Still Hope.
1t is but natural that the Republi-
cans should take every advantage of
their extremely fortunate strategic
position on tax matters, and as taxes
are to be of paramount consideration
in the congressional campaign of next
year it is small wonder the Demo
Gratis find themselves in something of
q dilemma. Some of them figure that
as next year is purely a congress
sional year, so far as national cleo
tions are concerned, They may fare
better in their claims for considera-
ton on the tax issues than was possi-
BILE in a presidential election such as
that of 1924.
The situation is fraught with both
difficulty and possibilities and the
Strategy of the Democrats in the COM
ing session may mean much TO the
future of their party.