Evening star., 1932-03-21
Under Two Flags.


The Democrats OF the House who
have strayed from their party leaders to
enroll under the banner Of La Guardia,
! the Progressive Republican from New
York, must determine how far they are
going. In O panic over the so-called
sales tax" which has been included in
the tax bill by the hard-working Ways
| and Means Committee after it had fully
canvassed the situation, a considerable
number of the Democratic members oil
the House have revolted against their
own party leaders. Following first Mr.
La Guardia and then another Repub-
lican, Mr. Swing, from California, the
Democrats, supported by some Repu5-
licans, have inserted in the tax bill war
time income tax rates in an attack on
the manufacturers sales tax. They
have been told by acting Chairman
Crisp Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee that this effort to levy the taxes on
wealth is ineffective; that it cannot
produce the revenue required by the
Federal Government to balance its
budget
But the revolving Democrats insist
that they, with the Progressive Repub-
licanS, will further amend the tax bill
SO as to bring in the required revenue.
They deny that patriotism is confined
alone to the Democratic leadership Of
the House. About that they may be
right, but when it comes to common
sense the revolving Democrats seem to
have lost nearly every vestige they ever
had. When the House Ways and Means
Committee brought in the tax bill, built
around the manufacturers sales tax, it
was reported as q non-partisan measure,
having the support of the Republicans
as well as the Democrats. The Treasury
deficit, which has made the increased
taxes necessary. arose during the Repub-
lican administration. The Democrats
with considerable reason could place that
on the Republican doorstep. The Ways
and Means Democrats had wisely de-
termined that the great necessity today,
for the sake of the entire country, was
to bring about balanced Government
budget. Increased taxes were the prime
need for such program, and these in
creased taxes, supported, indeed by the
Republicans themselves, could be laid
also upon the Republican doorstep.
The tax bill, with its manufacturers
tax, was the most equitable to all in
dustry and business that the commit
tee was able to devise Generally speak
ing, it received the approval of the
country, although any revenue-raising
bill is not popular, unless it be a meas
ure reducing the tax burden. But in
dividual members Of the House, listen
ing to the cry Of the demagogue, have
lost sight of the dire necessity in which
the country finds itself financially. They
have hoped to drag money from sources
which, when tapped in years of pros
perity, are capable of producing a huge
golden stream, but when tapped in
years of adversely have little to yield.
The problem OF the individual Demo-
cratic members OF the House, however,
has its political angle, as well as its
economic phase. Where Is the Demo-
cratic party to stand In the eyes of the
country, when this row Is over, II it be
proved that the Democrats of the House
are without cohesion, unwilling and
unable to follow their chosen leaders
and ready again to side with the
progressives, who, at heart, have no
use whatever for the Democrats? The
Democrats in the past have played the
game of the progressive groups in Sen
ate and House, and have found on cleo
ton day the reward of their folly.
The Democratic organization of the
House, functioning under the leader
ship Of Speaker Garner and Repre-
sentative Rainey Of Illinois, has earned
the approval of the country for the
businesslike manner in which 1t has
put through the relief legislation pro-
gram during the present session. 1t
threatened to give the lie to the Re
publican charge that the Democrats
are tempersmentally unable to function
in a businesslike manner when placed
in control of government. But now
individual Democrats threaten to undo
all this.
Representative Crisp of Georgia, who
has the burden of leadership in the
tax bill fight, has shown himself not
only one Of the wisest, but also one Of
the most courageous members of the
House. He deserves a better fate than
desertion by his fellow Democrats The
revolving Democrats will have to de-
termine whether they are to serve un-
der the flag OF the progressives. So
called, or under their own party banner.
They must choose between Mr.. La
Guardia and Speaker Garner, Repre-
sentative Rainey and Representative
Crisp.