The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-07-26

Are Costly much the same re-
action to smart ma
neuvers and much the same conse-
quence when a politician makes a
bonehead play. Those who make the
mistakes pay the penalties and just
now one hears an abundance of dis
cussion in Washington as to whether
Mr.. Roosevelt has made political
mistake that may cost him dearly later
| on.
It will be recalled how in 1923 Sen
ator William e. Borah Of Idaho ex-
acted a pledge from candidate Herbert
Hoover that If Mr.. Hoover were elect
ed he would Immediately call special
session of congress to deal with the
agricultural tariff. Mr.. Hoover car
ried out his promise and In so doing
brought about his eventual downfall.
He asked congress for specific thing,
namely, revision of the tariff affecting
agricultural imports so that American
agriculture could live. But congress,
as congress does so many times, re-
fused to stay in bounds. 1t got out
of hand so badly that when the
Hawley- Smoot tariff bill finally was
enacted into law 1t turned out to be
a boomerang of the worst kind. 1t
overwhelmed Mr.. Hoover and all Of
those who attempted to justify 1t.
Now to bring the parallel to date,
Mr.. Roosevelt has asked congress for
a three point tax program. 1t is an
other one of those specific things. No
sooner had his special message landed
at the Capitol than house and senate
members began going around to see
how it could be expanded. Each men,
Der had his own ideas and each men,
Der began insisting and continues to
insist on having those ideas included
in the Roosevelt tax bill. From this
tax program will result, a good many
observers believe, bareback on the
President and his aspirations for re-
election next year.
The efforts to expand the tax bill
and good many Of them are going
to be uccessful-represent only the
beginning. The thing is like snow
ball and snowballs have way of get
ting too large to manage. Sometimes
they roll down upon the boy who start
ed to make them. When the President
first tossed his tax message into what
was presumed to be the last stage Of
the session. he explained that the pur-
pose of the new taxes was ultimately
to balance the budget and at the same
time to lay foundation for redistri-
button of wealth. After the first furry
in which the administration Spokesman
at the Capitol tried to rush through a
bill, examination disclosed that the
schedules he had proposed accom-
plished neither balanced budget nor
the objective of redistributed wealth.
The potential yield of the income tax
on the greater incomes failed in any
way to produce wealth redistribution.
Nor did the proposed tax on inheri-
tances and gifts yield great return
because in none of the instances are
there large sources of revenue to tap.
When the President offered his tax
bill he suggested informally that the
probable yield would be about $341,-
100000 annually. Congressional ex-
animation of the schedules developed
a conviction among leaders at the Cap
itol that the yield would not be in
excess of $1OO,0O0,O00 annually. Then,
along came Secretary Morgenthau who
expressed various and sundry ideas
about taxation but made no recon-
mendations whatsoever. That, accord
ing to the trained political observers
here, was another mistake. It left the
door wide open and naturally there
was Forthcoming a perfect deluge Of
the tax ideas born among individual
members after the Presidents message
was delivered.
While It is too early yet to predict
the final form of the tax legislation,
1t appears on the
incomes to basis of present cir
Be Hit Hard cumstances that the
new bill will tax
the incomes Of a great many hun
dreds of thousands of persons at a
heavier rate than they now are paying.
They will get the full force and effect
Of these tax rates next March Is when
the first installment of taxes on in
comes Of 1895 is due.
Thereby hang the possible political
consequences of the Presidents tax
message. People never like to pay
taxes, and to pay taxes now, with Geo.
nomic conditions what they are, Is
much more distasteful than In pros
porous days. So, the political OBJ
servers In their discussion around
Washington now contend that Mr..
Roosevelt will have much to answer
for If the Republicans and New Deal
opposition have the ability to utilize
the material made available to them.
Previously, in these columns, have
referred to the possible strategy OF
the President in seeking reelection
through an appeal to the masses. This
course has been freely charged by
those who contend that the $4,000, OOO,-
600 public works-rellef fund which he
I l.