, 1875-01-16
might we'll make without at ali woakening tht

might we'll make without at all weakening tic
public service.
But wl,nt is proposed ? Tho President.
assuming, perhaps, that Congress will not re-
trencl, nntl will not rcducc expenditures. s'it,-
gcsts that, In addition to tllo restoration Of the
tax on ten mud coffee, Tho 10 per cent retl,1c-
tim made in tho thrift duties In ts7a sha1 la
restored. Tho ligll-sariff men insist upon tho
widest aud most cxtrnyagant expenditures
they want n magnificent Goycrnmcnt,' that
will apply tho taxation scrow 10 the utmost
limit of endurance. They do not wnnt tho
purely rovcuno tax on ten and coffco restored,
mud cau only bo induced to vote for 1t by lav-
ing tho thrill OIL nll Tho essentials of lifo and
Of industrial production increased 10 per
cent. They hayc calculated we'll upon
Tho effects Of tho bill, Ia Md 10
per cent 10 the gold cost Of n.an-
ufnctures III the United States is NIL
enormous net of confiscation. Tlle value OF
Tho cotton, woo!eu, iron, steel, leather,
GLASS, cllilin, wooden, rapor manufacturers,
md oil thu y0rious other manufactures coin
binctl with these, is annually not less than
four thousand millions Of dollars, Of which it
is snfe to estimate TINT onc-fourtll il always
on l,an.1. 10 MID 10 per cent in gold to tue
tariff On nil these articles is to add from /. to
II per cent to Tho currency value Of these
goods now on hand and in store. Srch MI
net is TO levy tnx Of from one hundred 10
one hundred and fifty millions Of dollars nllo1s
tl,c consumers Of tl,e goods. the farmers and
planters aud the general lnboy Of the country,
not one cent Of which will ~ into Tic Treas
ury. If this tax wero 1mid into the Treasury,
therublic cexigcucics might exten'1nte its levy;
hut. rs it il not TO llavo Tint direction, lnt il
to be paid over to the holders OF these goods,
there is no term by which it cnn DO 20
fittingly described ns coniiscation or rol'-
berry. For Congress, in tiMo of
profound pence, upon the prctenss Of
raising ten or twclvo millions Of dollars
more revenue few years hence, to thus loyy
tax Of n hundred and fifty millions Of dol
lars upon the productive industry Of the CONN.,
try, would be MI act of nnpruciplctl and tn
iustifiallo confscation, without tho I,nlliRton
Of public need or tho prctczt Of being laid
| for the public benefit, md il rendered moro
| unjstitial,lo because Ievied for the exclusive
| profit Of tho men who hold largo stocks OF
manufactured goods on hand.
| But this proposed Increase Of ~ per cent
gold would add nothing to the revenues for a
| Ioue tin,o to come, for tile reason that ns
SOM as it bccn.ne certain tic bill would pass,
| Importers won1I snako largo orders before it
wcn: into effect, aud after TINT there would
bc very light impcrtatious rntil tho stocks or
hnnl were worked off, sold, and consumed.
Tho enhanced price of nll store goods
and manufactures would 10 oplress
the people that they would purchase
aud consume fewer goc,ls, bceauso they
could not pcy for them OH eccou,.
Of tlearncss. Hence there wuuld be t.llinf
| oil in t1cmnul both for domestic mud imported
goods e,,d therefore lcge Of revenue n1uf O.
work for artisans null lAhorerB. but thers
would bo Oil increase Of smuggling. Of trauds
n{lulterntions, aud other methods Of - beat
ing" tho Government ot1t Of roycn,lo. vi
cannot believe tint my Western member o
Congress will support this scheme Of tn
Eastern spectators to rob the Western peo
Pile. Tho peollo will most assurclly not up
prove of my addition to tho existing excess
iyely high tariff when that addition is no
| made purely in tho interest Of increased reyc
nuc, but for tho mere sake Of adding to IL,
price Of manufactured goods in tho hands q
spcc,lletors, dealers, and manufacturers
Against this proposed increase for their bent
lit, this net Of condscation, tho country vi
protest and those by whose votes it is in
posed will meet the fato of those who cor
spirel two years ago to plumber tho Ireasur
by the back-pay legislation.