Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-09-07

and sugar IN the Southern States does
not amoant in value to one-ikfth Of the
amount Of the duty paid Tor its protec-
ton, and Il certainly cannot be Just 10
pay SO, ,OO0, 900 annually to project IN
interest mot worth in the aggregate
S.000, ,00O.
The Covernment had far better pay
TO every planter bonus Of Eve cents
upon every pound Of sugar and every
gallon Of molasses produced from his
lands than to impose this heavy burden
OF taxation upon our entire population
for all that is imported and used in the
II, then. this duty is imposed for rev.
.enno. 4 1esreqe. 6ecln1o Il Is imposed
upon one oi tne rttno sseessaries of
life, and the poor have almost all OF 4
to pay, and if imposed for protection il
is equally wrong. for the srticie pro-
tected is not worth in the aggregate
one-iifth of the amount paid for its pro-
lection. In either view of the subject
il is wrong, and l trust the day is not
far distant when it shall be removed
and these essentials to our every days
living be supplied At the cheap rates
that prevailed before the war and un-
der democratic rule.
will refer to one more instance Of
unequal and unjust taxation under our
present tariff system, believing that
quite sufficient for my purpose.
Why should duty Of 20 per cent. be
imposed upon quinine : The bark from
which il is made is admitted free Of duty;
and that is right, since il Is not and can
not be grown in this country. II does
not come in contact with any American
production, and being indispensable to
the health and comfort Of the people,
the law imposes no obstacle to its free
entry into our ports. Why, then i'm
pose duty of one-fifth upon its manu-
iactured product: II for the purpose
of raising a revenue, the very object Of
the law is defeated; for the duty is so
high that no one can afford to import
quinine, and none being imported no
duty is paid into the Treasury. II for
protection, and that appears TO be the
only purpose, then l say that this
species of protection is the most iniqui-
tous of all iniquitous exactions imposed
upon the people OF the country. The
protection is solely and only to enrich
two or three manufacturers in the cities
Of New York and Philadelphia. They
are to grow rich at the expense of the
suffering and afflicted poor people OF
the country. The diseases to the treat
ment Of which this article is indispen-
sable abound in those sections Of coun-
try where the agriculturists and the
poorer classes are compelled to live.
The rich may avoid these localities
in the sickly season, but the poor mus,
remain and suffer and perhaps die, or
pay the tribute of 90 per cent. TO swell
the fortune OF the affluen, manufacture
er.
1t is estimated that 500, 900 ounces
of quinine are used annually in the
country, and SO cents per ounce a,
least is added to the cost the consumer
paws in consequence Of this duty, max
ing in the aggregate at least $4OO, 900
imposed upon the sick and the suffer
ing of the land for the emolument Of a
few individuals.
The worst feature of this iniquitous
imposition is that it brings no benefit
TO the Treasury, and imposes burdens
where our sympathy and support should
rather be extended.
These examples, Mr.. Speaker, and
many others might be furnished of the
same nature, show as clearly as the
light Of day how the public burdens are
imposed upon the toiling millions OF
our inhabitants and reveal the true
causes for the widespread distress that
now prevails in our once prosperous
and happy country. Thousands OF mil
lions of the most remunerative capital
Of the country is exempted entirely
from taxation of every kind, national.
State, or municipal, and the deficiency
is made up by increasing the burdens
Of the poor.
The exemption of Government bonds
from taxation was barely justifiable as
a war measure to sustain the national
credit, but the subsequent legislation
by which, after the war was over and
the public credit not endangered, the
principal and interest Of those bonds
was made payable in coin only and that
coin gold coin, finds no such excuse OF
justification. II was a gigantic Job,
perpetrated in the interest OF capital,
from which the country derived not
one dollar Of benefit, and the burden OF
public taxation was increased for gen.
erations vet to come.
The deprecated and irredeemabie
paper currency OF the day is made a
legal tender for all ordinary business
transactions, but the lordly bondholder,
who pays no tax upon all his wealth,
must be paid in gold. and gold only.
There is one kind Of money for the
rich and another for the poor man. and
the poor mans money is worth 10 per
cent less than the rich mans but il is
counted good enough for him, and he
must be content to take that or moth
ing.
Truly ''they bind heavy burdens and
grevious to be borne and lay them on
mems shoulders but they themselves
will not move them with one Of their
fingers"
Our State banks, however good they
may have been, have been taxed out
of existence. By our system Of nation