The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-04-13
WHO PAYS THE TAXES.
r. e m arks of Hons. ID. w.

of Illinois. ~
In the House of Representatives. at
Washington, on the 21st ult., bill to
increase the internal revenue, being under
consideration, Mr. Voorhees,, of Indiana,
said:
Let US attest our attention for mo-
ment by locking into the legislation that
exists at this time upon the subject of
cotton and its manufacture. Provision is
made in this section for a drawback of
two cents per pound; and that system has
existed and been followed in all our reve-
nue. laws since the present party came into
power. The object of it is this: the
manufactured article that is sold in this
country pays tax to the Government,
but the manufacturer obtains drawback
to exactly the amount of that tax by
charging up the price to the, consumer.
You tax the manufacturer in the first
place three per cent, but he sends the
goods to the agricultural portion of the
tax, and it comes back into his pocket
And in that way he pays no tax at all.
And again., the little that is exported to
foreign countries for sale is made free of
tax in this way: When he has paid NOM
inally the three per cent, and the goods
reach the Custom house for expectation,
the Government refunds the tax and pays
the money back to him, Thus he is pro
tected wherever he may sell in securing
the return of the tax. f.
Sir, defy any advocate of the manu-
featuring interest in this House to show
me that the manuf lcturer, from shoe pegs
to broad cloth pays one cent of revenue
into the public treasury that stays there.
[ have looked into this legislation so care
fully that ON prepared to assert that no
besieged city was ever SO fortified against
the possibility of attrck as is the manu-
featuring interest of this country against
being compelled to pay into the public
treasury one dollar of its wealth. Every
dollar comes from the laboring, the agri-
cultural, and the consuming portion of
the country.
/ want to know if the West has any
friends upon the floor of this House. We
pay every dollar that is to be levied by
this tax bill. - t......,
Z. 1t is true, upon the question of this
drawback that we are not directly inter-
ested; bat it is also true that we will have
to pay into the treasury the amount which
the Government refund to these manufac
turers 1t is just so much taken out of
the Treasury which we will have to re-
plade.. The manufacturing interest is
protected in the trade at home by the ad
ditional import duty you have laid on
foreign articles to the extent and more of
the internal tax which you impose, and
then, when the manufacturer sends his
goods abroad, he is protected against the
possibility of paying any tax by the Gov
erument refunding in the shape of draw
back all the taxes he has paid on the arti
Gle to be exported.
Now this House might as we'll come to
the conclusion that nobody is deceived by
this kind of legislation. Gentlemen may
as we'll lay aside the delusion they have
sought to impose upon the country, that
they are taxing these manufacturers.
Here you are imposing tax of two
cents pound upon raw cotton. Who
pays the tax? Not the manufacturer.
The consumers pays on what is sold in
this country. On that which is to GO
abroad nobody pays for, as Government
refunds it.
I repeat the assertion, and I challenge
contradiction, that IN this hour of the ma
tion's trial and sorsst necessity, the man
ufacturing interest of the country pays
not dollar into the public treasury that
stays there. And yet airs of patriotism
are put on here by men representing that
interest. I visited New England last
summer, and with pride and pleasure did
behold her beautiful valleys, her bright
hills, her clear waters, the kind and hos
pitable people with whom l associated;
but when l heard the swelling huns of
her manufactures, and saw those which
only short time ago worked bat few
hands, now working her thousands, and
rolling up her countless wealth, 1 felt
that it was an unhealthy prosperity. The
labor, the sinew, the bone and the muscle
of the men who till the soil, taxed to an
lillegitimate extent to foster and support
that great system of local wealth,
/ Mr.. Chairman, 1 rejoice in the pros
perity Of the country, and the whole coun.
try. I love this country and every par
/ of it, but l have no sectional animosities
to crafty l do not intend to stand idly
by and see one portion of the couatry
! robbed and oppressed Tor the benefit o.
another. l will never vote for new
revenue bill that embraces that principle
/ Il is robbery; it is wrong. IF the manu-
facturers of this country can not compete
with the manufacturers of foreign coun.
tries, let them give up the business, anc
llet us buy goods where we can buy then
I the cheapest. That is an honest and non.
4 other is honest. r." N~
Mr.. j. c. Allen, Of Illinois, said:
= I am in favor, since this system of taxa
ltion has been resorted to for the purpos,
of raising revenue to support the Gov
ernment, of making it operate equally
upon all classes of men in every State al
! possible; and while gentlemen on the
Eother side insist that the products of Hi
tnois shall be taxed three fold their rea
value. | insist that the products in The
Hands Of New England manufacturer,
shall bear their proportion of the burden.
Of taxation. That they have not hereto
fore done so, that they will do SO rndei
this proposition, is too clear for any maj
to doubt. The manufacturers of New
England are growing rich, they boast 0