Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-05-11

gentleman that there may and should
be great reduction OF taxos; that
the income Of the Government should
be largely reduced. / insisted on it
during the last Congress that the re.
ductiof1 should have been 500, ,00O,-
600 instead OF $50, 100000, at which
the Committee OF Ways and Means
aimed, and l believe that with JUDI
cious legislation, to be devised by
the Committee Of Ways and Means.
we can repeal from seventy FIVE TO
eighty million dollars of taxes during
the next session and still go on pay.
ing the debt.
Let me assure the gentleman from
New York that am "in dead earn
est" for the abolition of the internal
revenue system at the earliest day
compatible with the maintenance Of
the faith and credit of the Govern.
ment. l am tor freeing the Ameri-
can people from the system Of su-
pervision, inquisition, and espionage
50 disagreeable to them. 1t was made
necessary by the contingencies Of the
war, and should be abolished as soon
as possible.
Mr.. FINKELNBURG. I desire to
ask the gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA [Mr. Kelley] . question, for the
purpose Of understanding the posi-
ton he occupies on the question OF
taxation. Would he take of the in
ternal taxes upon such articles as to-
bacco and whisky before commenc-
ing TO reduce the customs duties upon
such articles Of necessity a. coal. salt,
and woollen goods and other articles:
Mr.. Cox. That Is the question /
wanted to get At. Will the gentle
wan answer that?
Mr.. KELLEY. I will answer that
question very fairly and very fully if
not cnt short by the gentleman from
New York, in whose time l am speak
ing. would not repeal those taxes
before commencing to revise many OF
the provisions of the tariff. On salt
| have already declared myself - be-
lieving that a reduction OF fifty per
cent. Of the duty would be judicious.
On the question of coal am thor
oughly satisfied that the existence OF
that duty does not add one farthing
TO the cost OF . ton OF coal to any
American consumer. It brings to
our Treasury nearly half million OF
dollars per annum, and if We were to
repeal it, that halt million dollars
would 60 to provincial and English
coal producers to the de.riment of
the American taxpayers. I am salts
fed of that. sir, from a careful exam
ination and analysis of the prices of
coal in the city OF Boston for years
before the reciprocity treaty, for the
ten years or more that the reciproci-
ty treaty existed, and for the years
that have succeeded the repeal Of the
reciprocity treaty. Such An exami-
nation of facts taken from the Boston
Shipping List will settle in the mind
of any candid man the fact that to re-
peal this duty Is to take from our
Treasury half million dollars IN gold
per annum, and to bestow it upon
the people OF Nova Scotia as bribe
toeShem to remain English subjects
and tree from our system of internal
taxes. That is the whole OF the coal
question.
Mr.. Cox. must resume the floor.
Mr.. KELLEY. / thank the gentle
man for his indulgence. would be
glad to 60 on for An hour answering
any question tina. revenue retormers
or free-traders might put to me
While grieving that / cannot be fur
ther catechised, again thank the
gentleman from New York for his
courtesy.