The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-07-19
from inc Cincinnati cmnmsrsia
How the Tariff .s,ha the Poor
Man,

| Man.
The worst OF HE many bad features of
our present high protective tariff is not
the nigh duties, oppressive and arbitrary
rs they arc. but II is the fact liza, ihry
are lcvic. on the people iras, able To pay
them. Whoa lax on duty j. imposed
on an article al luxury. n. j,w.hv. mr.
dent spirits. ur pictures. il n,iy hr irr,n
ch. 10 Il iarl" extent. Voluntary or OPP
tiohai iaN. since "" may escape it, pay
ment 10y dom" wi'hun, the nrlrir. tnt
whsn The tax or duty is levied upon ar
ticlcs OF necessary use and universal
consumption. il becomes compulsory.
and must be paid hy all. rich ar poor.
alike. Now. aS nimr-renth~ OF The ci,i-
Gems OF Ills Republic are NJ; rich. hut
men either ia very mode. cate rirrum-
stances. or else absolutely " ilhoni .,ccu-
mnlated means. il follows dat nine
tenths of the taxes on consumption must
be paid by this great class.
Now that the discussion and decision
of the tariff question is RENTED To the
Congressional Districts, it is fair that
the people should know what the honor
able gentlemen. VINO want tn make tariff
anu tax laws Tor II IA Congress. think
OF the prese.s. ~ Iem OF raising the
ni'cd St..es revenue. The present
Congress having. by its action. abolish
ca the Income Tax. and repealed the
entire duties on tea and coffee. has LETT
the people in the predicamcnt of pa ,-ing
two-thiruS of the enormous reyemuc to
be annually raised by taxes on the nee
essaries OF life, and those taxes raised in
i proportion greatly exceeding three
four'l> off Of that class OF the people
not possessed of property. We are by
10 means arguing that the wealthy class
should pay all the taxes. We siup-
~ state the propositions that by he
present system of leyying them the
wealthy class more nearly escapes the
burdens of taxation than any othe.. A
tax on incomes. with proper exemptions.
Is necessarily the t;iircst OF all taxes. If
honestly and G Efficiently collected \ tax,
on expenditure, on the otl4er hand. is
the untairest, because it must he paid hy
the masses, not ont OF their surplu~
means. but out Of their earnings. needed
for daily subsistence. As al! our tarii.
taxes are taxes upon expenditure. ami
are compulsory just in proportion AS
they are imposed on the nece>saricS OIL
life, they are unjust ana oppressive. So
long as The accumulated wealth OF The
country is exempt from taxation.
IL is no answer to this statement 10
say that realized property is already
fully taxed BY the States. and that the
General Government should. therefore.
leave il uEtaxed. Not only is personal
property not taxed ut all in some o. the :
states. but real estate is notoriouslv not
taxed at half its true value. And ii the
'rcneras Government must raise three
hundred or three hundred and iitv mil 4
lions year. why exempt MI property
from amy share whatever ol The burden 4
i there ANY less reason why prorcrt, .
'hou!d contribute TO the support Of fLrI
; tiion Han labor! WHY shoaid the
Nation. any more than The Stale. cXri;pi
Wealth from tie burdens OF taxaiion !:
y oula il not be more Impartial. Is SAYS
lie lras'. IT, raise Il part OF hi, gTea;
rvriuc 'iv taAes. in some form. upon
accumulated wealth. another and vrr\
ar"c portion upon luyurirs or supc,i IN 1
ties tiike spirits and tpbarco). aHd iic T
east remaining portion by duiics upon
necessities:
Let Us now sec what we arrive n:
~ beginning. rs our present TAX system
l""., at The other end. Ofthc w o hun \
lrcd aud two millions of lariti' revenue
ctnaily collected in tic fiscal year 1911.
hero were paid on
'pirits. wine. ale. beer. &c. s9OoOyOOO. {
Ca. coffee cocoa md cLiccry 1900 coo
'Obacco and cigars. 5.COO.COp
'iik, and it, manufactures and i
fancy goods. 1900 1000
)iher articles OF luxury, 100000
Total S575gn. 600 4
Here j. little more thin One-iourth I;
E the Whole revenue collected on what |
olitical economists would generally q
crm superfiuiiics. or commodities which .
an be done without. This would leave !
hrec -iourths of the whole sum of taxes I
harged and collected on nccessarics /,
ihich no man can dispcnce with. least e
I all the poor man with large family C
D be supported. n
But if we take the standard of ncccs- i
ties aud luxuries adopted by the learn G
d body of Legislators who made the I
IT which goes into operation in Au- o
1T ness Ee must take out tea and s
i''ce rom The table of supcrnuitics and c
lace them IN the lists of ncccs sarics. AS l
icy have placed them on the free list, 3
course they can rot consider them +
'xurcs. This would leave only $685. /:
10000 OF revenue raised from an the "a
lxuries, against G3,5OO.OOO collected il
ON the neccssarics of life, or proper {,
on of less than twenty per cent. OF the /
'rmcr to eighty per cent. of the latter. II