Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-16
say after this that this age has pro-
duced no noble example of disin-
terested patriotism?
There still are souls that tower
As landmarks to mankind.

say dAtOA OilLo tIldO luiS SeSC Hts pIO-
duced no noble example of disin-
terested patriotism?
There still are souls that tower
As landmarks to mankind.
The agent and representative of
those New York manufacturers of
tobacco has appeared before the
Ways and Means Committee of the
House and protested against any
reduction of the tax on manufact-
ured tobacco. The operation of the
law which enables the men of large
capital engaged in the business to
crowd out and destroy men of less
capital and thus to give to few
large firms the monopoly Of the bus
mess, explains the reason why the
New York manufacturers are here
opposing a reduction. The gentle
man, Mr.. Siedler, who appeared be-
fore the Ways and Means Commit
tee, in a speech before the New York
manufacturers clearly set forth the
true inwardness of the situation. OF
course he made no such admission
! or avOwal in his remarks before the
committee but when talking to
/ the New York manufacturers-alI
in the family, you know-he used
this language, as reported in a New
York paper
! We who are in the manufacturing business
/ know that with fifty or one hundred or two
/ hundred thousand dollars, we can only do
| so much business If the rate is reduced one
! half il naturally follows that we can do
propOrtionately larger amount of business
! with the same capital but bear also in mind
/ that the lower the rate the less amount OF
] will fol fsiJ To-
! business. You know also that there are
scores of skilled operatives, foremen, and
| sub-fOremen in your various factories, who
| perhaps have good name, a Limited amount
| of capital, with some credit, and they will
| enter the manufacturing line. You will
| have your manufacturing business depressed
I more than it is to-day. If you reduce the
| rate you invite a host of competitors from
| every source; and in the State of Virginia,
in less than one year you will have one
hundred small new plug factories where for
ty or fifty exist to-day.
If you reduce this tax, you invite
a host of competitors from every
source" says this unselfish and pa
triotic representative of eastern mo-
nopolists. "Keep up the present
high rate-and with our immense
capital we can crush all competition
no outsider no skilled opera
tives,' no 'foremen, or sub-foremen
in your various factories, who, per-
haps, have a good name, a limited
amount of capital, with some credit
no troublesome Virginian, or Ken
tuckian, or Ohioan, or MissOurian
none of these can divide with the
New York manufacturers the prof
its of this immense trade. With
the Government as our friend to
place or keep the tax so high as to
silence all competition, we will grasp
the entire trade. There's millions
in it," That is the idea and the
argument, Was ever a more un-
blushing proposition made to gov
eminent supposed to have any
regard for the welfare and the in
terests Gifts citizens? And yet men
blindly or fiippantly advance the
idea that the consumer pays the tax
and it makes no difference how high
it is. When the happy state OF
affairs portrayed by this spokesman
of the New York mOnOpOlistS is
reached and the whole trade goes
into the hands of a few wealthy
firms, what will become of the poor
producer who is compelled to look
to the manufacturer for a market
All competition having been de.
stroyed, of course they can dictate
to the farmer their own price for his
tobacco, and being able to purchase
the raw material at their own price,
they can of course, if they see fiji
and it becomes profitable to do So
greatly lower the price to the con-
sumner.
Can an American Congress so fal
forget what they owe to the citizens
of this Republic as to enter into such
an Ubiquitous combination with
mOnOpOlists? What is taking place
in tobacco is also going on in whis'
key. The high tax on whiskey is
also driving all small distilleries out
of existence and will result in a like
huge monopoly.
But say, gentlemen, if you reduce
the tax on whiskey and tobacco, tC
what source will the government
look for the large revenues gathered
J from those articles now. l believe
the Government will soon be able
to reap a larger revenue after a re-
ductiOn of the tax than it now col
lects. But If this proves untrue in
fact, l say restore the income tax
with judiciOus exemptions, and lei
the net gains of the country beal
some portion of the tax now placed
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