The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-10-23
THE FINANCIAL QUESTION
Discussed by Judge Tharrnan.

Y .-.... - rl.-. SO tHa''
! Discussed by Judge Tharnan.
L. >-u #
Judge THURMAN, of Ohio, in speech
/ at Pittsburgh, last Saturday night, ably
discussed the financial questions of the
day.. The following extract from the
speech will be read with interest and
profit: .>A2H>,a "..aA
"You are at this moment the most
deeply indebted people on the face OF
the globe. Seven years ago, Great
Britain was the most deeply indebted
fcouptry. Now you owe more than She
dees. Great Britain has population
of thirty-six millions of people within
the limits of the British Isles, In India
and her colonies she has 100000, 900
more, making 236, ,000, 900 of people who
are subjects of the British Crown. We
have but 81 900, 900 of people, 205, ,000, 900
less than Great Britain, aud yet We owe
more money than she DOGS. Again, let
us see. Great Britain draws from the
pockets of her people 1854 100000 each
year in the shape of taxes. In this
country the General Government alone
drew from the pockets of the American
people, the last fiscal year, five hundred
aud sixty-Odd millions of dollars-mOre
than 500, coo. 900 more than is called
from the British people.
Again, let us look at it. The wealth
of the United States, that is, the value
of the real and personal property, is
Estimated at Sl4,0 ,000, 100000. The value
Nf tn no1 nf
Great Britain, within the limits of the
British Isles alone, is S36,000,0 900, 900,
nearly three times as much as the value
of the property of the United States,
and yet we owe more than she does, and
ne pay 10 the General Government,
faione, more than 5000, 100000 a year
more that the British people pay. -.
again, let us look at it in another
way. The rate of taxation in Great
Bdtain is ninety cents on the one hun
dred dollars. In the United States the
rate of taxation Of property by the.
General Government alone is three
dollars aud ninety-three cents on the
one hundred dollars; more than four
times as much as the taxes of Great
Britain. But, says some one, how can
that be! Where do you get that in
formationi tell him l get it from the
official records of the Government, from
the official report of the Special Com
missioner of the Revenue, made to
Congress, and Published by Congress it
self. But, says some one, surely there
is some mistake about that. l pay no
three dollars and ninety-three cents on
tn , one hundred dollars to the General
Government. Yes, my friend, You do.
You don't pay it, perhaps, directly; you
may never, perhaps, see the tax-gatherer
of the General Government, yet yOu do
pay tribute to the General Government
on almost all you eat, all you drink, all
You wear, all you own, and all yOu earn.
Let me illustrate how this thing is
done. l suppose there is not a very
young Copperhead in this audiencs who
would not like to own six shirts.
Laughter If there is any young man
ambitious of owning these six shirts,
let him slip over and ask merchant
what lie will take for eighteen yards Of
muslin to make them. The merchant
will say, four dollars. Why, says the
customer, seven years ago you sold me
the same amount of goods for two dol
lars; how is it that you now ask me
four dollars Now, if the merchant is a
sensible man, and understands the mat
ter, and is disposed to tell the truth,
what does he sayi He says, it is true
that seven years ago l sold yen these
goods for two dollars; now | ask you
four dollars; but you mnst recollect that
since l sold the goods for two dollars,
the United States has laid tax of
three cents per pound upon every pound
of cotton produced in the country. The
cotton-producer pays the tax, and
sticks il on the price of cotton
when he sells it to the manu-
facturers. Then comes Uncle Sam
to the manufacturers, and says, my dear
Mr.. Shoddy, did you many a good
turn during the war; paid you full
price for shoes that didn't last two
days march, and for pantaloons that
burst in the knee the first time the boys
knecled in tha ranks to fire. Now,
Messieurs Manufacturers, want you to
do.a little for me. Therefore ] have
laid tax on every yard of shirting you
manufacture of that cotton. Well, Mr..
Manufacturer pays the tax, and claps it
on the price when he sells it to the mer-
chant. Then comes Uncle Sam again
and says, my dear Merchant, we are n
little hard up; therefore we have laid a
tax OH all your business. The merchant
pays the tax and adds it TO the price.
So by the time you come to buy the
shirts you find all three of these taxes
on the price. So that, after all, it is the
man who puts the shirts on his back
that pays the whole of these taxes.
"Why, my friends, you have not a
thing upon you-not coat or q pair of
boots or shOes-you have not thing
that you are wearing that you have not
paid from three to five taxes to the
General Government. and you who wear
them are the men who pay the taxes.
Why, when have made this argument
before, thers was one man ignorant
enough to say the poor man-tlie labor
ing man-who never sees atax-gather-
er, never pays taxes. 1t would be q !
great deal nearer the truth to say that
labor pays all the taxes. That is the
truth. How is iti Just look at it, The
only way in which you can add one
single cent to the wealth of the country
is by labor. There is no other way to
add to the wealth of the country. A
man may have the finest genius in the
world, and invent the best machine
ever seen in the world, but until labor
comes in to build the machine, nothing
is gained by the invention.
1Take the rich bond-holder, aud |
don't allude to this class to make an in
yidious distinction, but merely for il
lustration. Take the rich capitalist,
who tolls not, neither does he spin, and
yet is as fine as Solomon, in all his
glory. He does not add as much to the
wealth of the country in year-if he
produces nothing, but simply lives up.
on the interest of his money-as the
Ishoemakers apprentice, who makes
fifty cent pair of shoes for child. lap
plause.] Now it is just precisely be-
cause you can't create wealth except by
lahnr--cau not nav taxes Mithnnt haY-