The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-02-25
Congressional
THE TAX BILL.
Strong Opposition to the New Measure
n in the House,
Speeches Of Messrs. Cox, Chit
tenden and Beck.
THE house oFREpREsEN7AmvEs


..." cox.
..t.. WASHINGTON, Feb, II,
The House met at Il o'clock this morning, I'm
mediately after the reading of the journal th'
regular order which was the bill from the Com
mitee on Elections in regard to the election
President and Vice President, was demanded
Mr.. Randall Dem. Pa endeavored to have tht
Army Appropriation bill considered button motor
of Mr.. Dawes the House went into Committee o.
the Whole on the Tariff bill, debate being limited
to three hours and quarter.
The House thereupon went into Committee O.
the Whole, Mr.. Hale, (Rep, Me- in the chair, on
the Tariff bill, and was addresse by Mr., Burchard
(Rep. nl,), member of the Committee OF ways
and Means. He said that for some years past the
pleasant duty presented to members OF Congress
had been that of reducing taxation But now iol
the first time since the War the Committee ofWay'
and Means proposed to increase TAXATION Inc
question that at once occurred was whether there
was any necessity for raising more revenue he
proceeded to argue that there would not be II the
Government were to follow theexampe ofthe peo
pie and practice economy in It's expenditures
Mr.. Banning lib, 0 opposed the BILL parnc'
ularly in the matter of the proposed increased tax
on whisky. Heargued that the effect OF increa-
ing the tax would be to encourage smuggling anc
Illicit distillation, and consequently to reduce the
revenue; and he illustrated the idea by showing
that more revenue had been collected under taA
of7Ocents gallon than under tax OF " gal
lon
Mr.. Cox (Dem. N. " also opposed the bill, and
l. IA, mn NpeI ask
Mr. Speaker, is this time to cultivate economy
ortoleyy taxes? Surely, If the efforts for economy
had been equal with those for taxation, wemigh'
have escaped these additional exactions DO you
know, sir. under what burdens the people OF this
country now groan 1t is well authenticated thai
in the past ten years we have paid in taxes $1,000
oOOOOO; three. ifths to the Federal and two-ffths
10 the State and municipal governments. lti as
eertained that this sum is nearly one-half Of the
total assessed wealth of the county in 1870 The
yearly average of this taxation for past decade
is 500 OOC, ,OOO-5 per cent Of our whole taxable
valuation. when you remember the rate OF inter
EFT which the widow or orphan and savings bank
depositor receive for their investments, this oper
cent. year is crushingly enormous. In every
twenty years as Governor Tilden has said, there Is
assessed for taxation a sum equal to all the assess
ed wealth of the country; SO that within twenty
years, under bad administration, we consume the
cost of governing it, Is not this the true index to
our adversely, and the sure key to our panics? Be-
sides the largest smount of this tax goes to feed
temporary cormorant like the Federal administers
ton as at presentrun, and that administration thus
swells its power and pride. And what is this Fed
eral Government, asst was first estabished-not as
now administered-t il should absorb more
than twice as much as all our state governments
and municipalities? These facts indicate that the
country is paying more taxes than It can AFFORD
These taxes are inordinate beyond the history OF
any other nation for they invade the net earnings
of the people. The leader of the House Mr.Dawesl
told us that some S35,OOO0e0 more would be re-
auired for the next fiscal year. and we are advised
by him not to embaraSs our credit at home or
abroad by refCsiUg this necessary taxation. There
is little spice of unpariamentary threat In this
Kind of remark. It's announcement, like the men
are against Louisiana and Arkansas, comes to us
in the unredressed and helpless condition which
have depicted. The channels OF trade are still;
the wages of laborers are cut down and their pur-
chasing power diminished; transportatation is to
AOme extent and at this season closed and Its cost
enhanced, while the industry and production OF
the country, already half dead is languishng into
complete prostratiOn Sir. is 1t atthls time thatw
are asked In this sinister fashion, 10 add nearly
$50 O0OOt 100 to our taxes? Asa representative of
free industrious people, and as a member OF thts
peculiar body, where, for traditional and other
reasons, AL bills for raising revenue originate,
let MS challenge this bill in every light, moral con-
stitutiOnal and economical. The capital question
h be asked when such bills appear is, Have
we first endeavored by all means to economic? A
household which is living on Its capital and be-
yond its income must ietrench or goi into smaller
Quarters, or sell out. Where is there any evidence
of reform in this regard Why must we tax $780,
OOOOOO or S400O0,OOO more as absolutely necessary
when millions oil the navy, buildings, rivers In
dians army. &c. can be saved without detrlment
10 the public? Is there any reason why the cost OF
our Government should not be lesSened at the
very least 70 the amount of this proposed tax ?
What were the pledges made by gentlemen at the
last Congress after our contests ON the Approprld
tion bills? When thus proposing as we on this side
have step by step this session ~ cut them down
we are now tauntngly asked, where can We econ
omize p Sir, did not the navy cost Ill 1871. Sl9'
100000? In 1872 over tWenty-one and quarter
millions? In S73, S23, 100000, and in 1874 S2l OOO.
100? Is there any reason why II should not be re-
duced to the expenses Of 1860? Was thatnOt time
oil peace? Then the expenses OF the navy were
only sll 100000. Is not the navy with our dlmn-
ishtd and diminishing commerce an expensive
and river and harbUr improvements cost SIS, ,0OO-
0OS, when Ill 1860 less than one million two hun
hundred thousand was expended? We need moi
east our eye upon the army i'll It's present service
IL isl painful observation, We need not go fuT
ther than tn s Congress or Capitol or the Treasury
bureaus or the customs service or the Interior De
partment where one half of the official labor may
well be spared. Millions might well he Topped OF
from the Federal expenditures ana the blessing!
of a burdened people would follow The radica
mistake is made here that the government Is tOl
the officials and not for the people Will gentle
men tell Us why we are, this year of depression
and when we are hardly out OF the. ashes Of dis
aSter " raise and eXpend more than III lo7l-72
d. What other object than general expenses should
there be IN this new levy? Is IL expected that The
army should be enlarged? IL 80, Or what? Is II be
cause the Presidential election draws nearY Is j
q because money is needed 10 corrupt. as well a.
swords u smiIe pr0strale States? he true -rinui
Ule OF taxation III this country should reach prop
erty aud II II labor, There is scarcely a tax exist
ing to-day that does not break this rule. The in
come tax, with proper exemption, and II prOperl!
executed, would not infract IL The tax on tea an,
coffee purely revenue, comes as near taxing al
alike as any levied by tariff But. sir, the grea
interests which control the funds in bonds anC
banks us well as in real and fixed estates, are no
reached by this bill our tax bills have not Deel
framed tosave labor, but TO oppress It. Why, 81
what do the authors OF these mis- care about levy
ing $500 go on the coffee and tobacco of the poor
if ony the bonds the rich are enhanced ON th,
. bOurse, ana the money DAgS OI lne treasury ar
made pIethO7ic What care they that the tax OIL
whiskey raises the price Of corn u the poor man
not oniy directly, but through the increased pnc,
ioi nieAts and medicines, provided the milliOnaT,
Is noL disturbed IN mis- investments our whole
., taxing system, from the time it became so com
plex growing out of the war into gigantic size
has perpetually oppressed labor II is simply au
daciuus cruelty. Inc Inen VINO fought in the war
an bJIn sldes-the men Of all cOlOrs if you please
who went into the ranks and took the, GurdeI
and heat the rain and show, and the hArdships o
the war, are made To pay twice because tnr0ugl
cur ,eln Of substitutes and pecunary immunl!
wealth escaped these rlsKs and nardshipa. ThI
conclusions are not merely mine,bul OF such econ
omists as ex-CUmnIisSiOner OrtUn and David A
Wells In 1861 spirits were taxed 70 cents gallon
the receipts were SlS43l NO. In le6o the tax wa,
raised u 10 cents tor six months OF the time and
$50 for the other six months the receipts fell tC
Sl6OO0OO0. In 1866 Inc tax YVES raised " 81 gal
lon the receipts ran up for some inexplicable rea
son to S2gUOO,OO0. III 1861 they were s2eOOO,0OO.-
In 1865 they dropped " s.3,4i9OO. Then unde
the pressure Of Intelligent economy the tax was re
auced 70 80 cents, ana the receipts more than dou
Dled amounting S33. .225UO0. Ia 1871 the tax wa
Faised W 20 cents ard the revenue fell al once =
S30,000,0OO. In 1872 it wes S22,OO0,0OO These ar