Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-08-15
Tax ora Fca, Coffee and Sugar
--Specch OF Hon. Mr. Cox, OF

Fpetfh VI hVh' mEs SON, Ot
Ohio.
When the bill to tax tea, coffee and
sugar was before the House of Represen-
tatiyes, at Washington. the Hon. Mr..
Cox, Of the Columbus district, in this
State made the following remarks:
Mr.. Cox--l move to amend by striking
out the following clause:
"lca 10 cents q pound, and coffee Of
all kinds cents per pound.
Mr.. Chairman, | was fully prepared at
the last session of Congress, when all our
measures Of adjustment failed, and
when we had the prospect before us of
dissolyng Union, to find as the result of
our action or non action then, not only
large armies enrolled, but perpetual
taxes posed--taxes which would be
felt in the dwelling Of the most humble.
was prepared to find introduced at this
session Of Congress bill to tax the
necessai les of life-cofiee, tea, sugar, &c.
Here we have it. | will not give my
vote for it, unless the gentlemen froIn
Pennsylvania (Mr. Stevens) comes up
and answers the demands Of the crisis,
by taking of the onerous tribute levied
on the agricultural portion Of the country
for the benefit Of Pennsylvania inter
ests.
denounced the bill OF last session,
and was almost alone in denoncing it, as
a fiscal tyranny, which taxed almost all
impliinents used from locomotive down
to a neeile--almost every thing made of
iron which entered into common use. /
den unced it as tyranny which would,
in time, ALLEVIATE even in the Western
country from some portions of this Con-
federacy. ] said that the same bad in
fluence which had continued somewhat
to ALLEVIATE the Southern portion Of the
country from the North would, in time,
work similar bad effects even on the
Western country. We passed a bill
last Congress which the civilized world,
in view of the crisis now pending called
upon us to modify or repeal But, in
stead OF fhaving equal taxation-ata taxation
/ which might have produced more reve-
nue--we find the same blighting interests
/ here, clinging on what it has got already
in Pennsylvania and New England, and
asked that taxes shall be pushed into the
cottage OF the poor and industrious classes
nay, as the very men who are now
fighting the battles of the county.
Sir, am opposed to this node Of tax.
ing tea and coffee, by imposing specific
duty of fifteen cents per pound on the one
and OF five cents per pound on the other.
/ The price Of tea now is from twenty cents
to one dollar per pound. Most of the
teas now imported are worth, perhaps, az
the smallest figure, thirty cents per pound.
But IL matters not what the price is. By
this tariff the poor man has got to pay
the same lax as the rich man-the man
who drinks cheap tea pays the same tax
as the man who drinks expensive tea.
So it is with coffee on which a specific
duty of five cents per pound is proposed.
believe We could raise more revenue by
cutting down the duty to two and half
cents per pound. Why ? Because this
tax is proposed to be levied on all kinds
Of coffee from Rio to Mocha, from coffee
of fifteen cents per pound to coffee of thir-
ty cents per pound; and the consequence
will be, that there viii not be so large a
consumption and importation, with the
duty at five cents as there would be with
less duty. We know that the large portion
of poor people, especially Germans, use
the Rio coffee. They will stop it alto
cether at five cents per pound duty
They will use a substitute 1t would be
wise for us to adopt the proposition made
/ by the other gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA Mr.. Covode, and reduce this duty,
if the bill is to pass. If its passage is
! foregone conclusion, then We ought so to
modify it as to bring a greater amount of
revenue. / will not vote to levy any tax
alton on tea, or coffee or sugar..till L see
some proposition made here to cut down
the infamous rates imposed by the Nor
rill Tariff Bill, on such things as chisels
cutlery, &c, and. l may add, wood
screws, about which gentleman heard so
much last session, the benefits of which
are given to one company in Rhode
/ Island, which has, by having the only
patent, the monopoly of their manufac-
ture, and which paid out money in Eng
land to stop the importation Of those ar
ticles here, SO that it might enjoy the
monopoly. So long as these things eX-
! ist, the great West, the agricultural por-
ton OF the populatin, will not march up
here and pay cheerfully the large taxes.
! The motion of Mr.. 9 OK was Of course
! votad dawn