The daily union., 1846-06-29

the masses, commonly considered hx,,,,,. Il
others that are In use by classes NM - A.
bear taxation, as well as many articles ths, a.
eessaTy to the prosecution Of such bus,nsss -, w
| lactures as are beyond the reach Of Cor.,sn - .l
ttIon requiring not even the protection which NJ
enue tariff affords them; that upon such sr,,cl,,
duty can be levied which will insure sufRclept r,
| que for all the purposes Of government, Wtthon, .
sorting to system which will throw the burden, |
our war expenses upon those who are least pren.,,
| 10 bear them.
IL Is imPOhiicj because we have heretofore onpo,.
IT. because our whole party repudlated Il In lsII
and now, when there are so many other mean, -
| through which the desired end can be r,,,k II
without resorng to this tax, who can doubt "A.
the people will rePudiate II again They will n,
\ eT sustain measure which throws the bunI.ns
government from the shoulders Of those Who ~
best able, and Of right should bear them unon thcl
who fight your battles, and are least able 10 h..
| hem.
| IL IS ur0ng up principle. To illustrate this /, NJ
ne necessary TO state what believe are oommonl
considered fundamental principles with our par 4
Igenerally-yIz: that all the expenditures OF a, !,
government and all The taxes, whether direct or rr
direct, necessary To defray those expenditures an.
| burden TO that extent upon the people; aud th,l
hose burdens should by our legislation be mad, =,
| TALL upon those ThO are best able TO bear thcm-oI
IA other words, upon all classes in proportion ID
their property or capacity TO pay those taxes No,
SIR, let me state what all know TO be facts Th.d
all the working men-pArtIculahy those who 5I
most work-ln the free States use more te, =,
coffee than any other Glass; and that a vast malonry
of the laborers of other States use none Lei n,
further state that the working men generally sr-
those who have tho least capacity-so far as pTon,,
~ is concemed-to Withstand the burdens OF ts,,.
ton.
| Now, sir what will be the practical operation ol
his mode Of raising revenue TO sustain the expep
ses of our present war A glance must satisfy apy
reasonable man that the largest amount by far Of
This tax will fall upon the working men Of the non.
slaveholdng portion Of this Union. And they he
| ing the most numerous class, and consuming a,
they do more Of those articles than those who hay,
the major part Of all tbs wealth. is il net clear hs
this three or four millions of dollars per annum
which 10 proposed TO be raised upon the two artt
cles Of tea and coffee, will be drawn in a gre,,
measure from tho pockets Of those who canno, B,
thus taxed without violating every principle Of iu.
uce! II will he taxing that very class who, Wills
east able bear it, now in your tented field hghL
ing your battles; that very class who always har,
and always will do the greatest amount Of servo,
in the field whenever those services are needed
And do you call just right, and generous to fore,
them, by our legislation here, to drag from TIE sma
pittance they receive for their services in the fed
such a tax upon perhaps the only source Of con.
fort which their wives and children have in the al.
sence Of kind and patriotic husband II you do
permit me To say that | am a stranger to that hnl
Of generosity. II this would not be shifting III.
| burdens OF our government from the strong TO the
oeak-from the rich to the psOr-from the non. .6yAi
| ing TO the fighting portion Of our countrymen M
admit my want Of capacity to solve the most simp.
problem. Let il not be forgotten, too, that Wills
Il transfers the greatest amount of this tax from III,
property TO the non-propery holder, il reach,,
further, and puts 1t on the nonproperty holder Of
Inar rttla FNf ITa,. f. -IIl
that the aborers Of one section Of this Union do no,
generally speaking consume tea and coffee.
| word, Mr.. Editor on your remarks in thu
mornings "Unon" under the head which is founl
over this article, that "it was perhaps to be ex
pected that such opposition should be made by gen
temen who oppose the war, and by those who up
hold the present tariff" Do You not know, Sir
that the opposition to taxing tea and coffee come
from that part Of the democratic party which ha
thus far stood firm without shrinking, as others hav
done, from single issue made in the contest whicE
brought our party and the present administration int
| power And do you not also know that the democu
| cy oftho West-a section of the Union from which
am proud to hail-are as anxious and will 90 as 70
to correct the evils OF the present unjust unequal
and unconstitutional tariff, any other purt Of ou
| party in this Union' That we have sustained tn
administration in every position taken and adhere
to- that we have never faltered in furnishing me
and money to sustain the present war; and that W
are now ready to sustain the government in th
prosecution of it, should direct faraion becom
necessary? And |, for one, would much prefer direc
taxation to an indirect system, such as is nov
proposed on tea and coffee, and which does vioenc
to every principle of justice and equity. Known
| all this-as you certainly do-was it not, to sa
the least Of it, an ungenerous fling to class Us wit
the ''peace-party,"-the opponents of the ware
and "upholders Of the present tariff" But let a
that pass. am no "grumbletonian." l only de
sire to assure you, and those who are disposed
force us into submission to ths measure of in
quity, that shall in probability vote against an
bill having proposition in il to tax tea and coffee
No fear of being remembered - nor dread of icon
ventlons," can drive me into an open violation o
great fundamental principles. F.
| June 25, 1876.