Americus Times Recorder

REPUBLICANS PUT
BLAME ON FARMERS.
Republican propagandists are
now attempting to explain and remove
the farmer's dissatisfaction
by telling him that his troubles are
due to excessive taxation levied on
him by State, county and township.
These local taxes, the Republican
propagandists insinuate,
are voted by the farmer himself
and the responsibility is therefore
chiefly his own.
Taxation in Minnesota, where
the Republicans suffered a ruthless
repudiation a few weeks ago,
is taken as a text for one of these
Republican "alibis." It is pointed
out that in the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1922, the cost of government
in Minnesota was $17.06 per
capita, or nearly twice as much as
it was in 1918. This increase in
taxes, it is hinted, is to be charged
to the people of Minnesota and
not to the National administration.
All this effort to shift the blame
from the Republican administration
and the Republican Congress to the
shoulders of the citizens of Minnesota
is not likely to mollify the
voters of that state or any other
but it is of interest as showing that
the leaders of the national administration
foresee the difficulty the
profiteers' tariff is so sure to make
for them in the next presidential
campaign and also as a proof of the
arguments they are preparing for
their defense.
Democrats call attention to the
fact that Minnesota has been under
Republican control for many
years. Its legislatures have been
overwhelmingly Republican. Its
governors for more than a decade
have been Republicans. All its
various departments have been in
charge of Republican officials. Its
entire delegation in Congress—
Senators and Representatives—has
been Republican. Both in its local
affairs and in its participation
in the Federal Government Minnesota
has been represented by
Republicans, and they have voted
for the local and Federal taxes
that now are proving such a heavy
burden to its people.
The Fordney-McCumber profiteers
tariff has added about $36
per capita to the cost of living for
the people of Minnesota and every
other State in the Union. This is
more than twice the cost per capita
of government in Minnesota. It
means an addition of $180 to the
annual expenses of every family
over and above all other taxes, Federal,
State and municipal. An average
reduction of 50 per cent in
the present duties on the necessities
of the American household—
food, clothing, furniture, medicines
materials and equipment would
decrease the taxes now paid by the
people of Minnesota by $18 per
capita, which is a little more than
the per capita cost of government
in that State.