Evening star., 1949-12-22
Democrats Risk Election
On Tox-Spend Policy
Budget Request for ~ Billions Due to
Be Put Before Congress
The Political Mill
Bv Gould Lincoln


Is there another election in the tax-spend
policy which won four presidential races and
seven congressional elections for the Demo-
Gratis? Apparently the Democratic high COM
mand is willing to take a chance on it
for 1t is now reported that President Tru-
mans budget requests of Congress, when 1t
meets in January will be somewhere between
$4,000 100000 and $44 1000 100000. And
while the President is believed to be thinking
about reducing some Of the more irksome
wartime excise taxes, he is also thinking about
other taxes to take their place as revenue
producers.
The congressional victories Of the Demo-
crats-in which the tax and spend policies
played their part-began in 1884. Only
once since then did the Democrats lose
the Congressional elections-in 1946. At that
time organized labor was lukewarm to Presi-
dent Truman, contending he had not worked
hard enough to boost wages. The income
taxes were being taken from 100000 men
and women who since that time have been
exempted from these taxes-by the Republic
can tax reduction bill, put through by the
80th Congress. Also, the people were angry
over the continuance of wartime controls
and price fixing, which made it difficult
to get meat.
Greatest Tax Collector.
This tax-spend- nd-elect-policy did not
materialize until after the first administra-
ton Of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
had gotten well underway. Mr.. Roosevelt won
his first presidential election in 1882 on
platform which called for governmental econ
omy and balanced budget-both of which
he personally demanded during that CAM
paign.
President Truman is the greatest peace
time tax collector the country has seem
and he is also the greatest peacetime
spender. The tough part of this situation
lies in the fact that the spending Is now
far ahead of the tax receipts and the coun-
try's national debt is becoming greater and
greater every day. This is happening, too.
at a time Of great employment, great pro-
duction and great proflts-when, if ever. tho
country might expect balanced budget and
not vastly increased debt. Two factors are
contributing to this serious situation. First,
the need for national preparedness against
Communist Russia. Second, excessive Gov.
ernment employment and expenditures for
more and more services, promised by Mr..
Truman during his 1948 election campaign.
Mr.. Truman has q bear by the tail. He
cannot relax too greatly expenditures for
national preparedness. He cannot give over
the program to help put Western Europe on
its feet and to help it to become militarily
strong. Nor can he tell the various groups
to whom he has appealed he is sidetracking
compulsory health insurance. high farm
price supports, either through the present
Anderson law or the Brannan plan, in
creased social security, and vast new Federal
expenditures for water power and irrigation
in the West. So the budget will be $1,000
0Oo, 900 or $4,000 100000 larger, when it Is
submitted, than the proposal of Senator
Byrd of Virginia, Democrat. to hold it at
$4,000, 100000.
Voters May Turn Sour.
The danger to the Democrats lies in any
crack, even a slight one, in the economy
of the country. The voters might turn sour
overnight if they got an idea; that the Gov.
ernment's going into the red will reduce
rather than increase their security" Al
ready, too, a lot Of money is taken from tho
pay envelopes of the workers for personal
income taxes and fer the social security tax
and the latter is to be increased in the
coming year.
II the health program of the Truman ad.
ministration could be put through. however.
and If the Brannan plan also was enacted
into law. and many Of the big building pro-
grams, then vast new army Of Government
paid workers would be added to the millions
already on the rolls. Let that happen-and
Vice President Barkley's prediction Of con-
tinued one-party control in this country
would become sure thing.
In the meantime, Mr.. Truman, the tax
collector, must continue to take his chances.