The true northerner., 1880-03-26
TIE PAPER TAX.
Speech of Senator Davis, Of illinois, I'm Pa
vor of Repeating 1t.

Speech of Senator Davis, Of Illinois, I'm Pa
vor of Repeating 1t.
Senator David Davis, in presenting
to the United States Senate memorial
signed by the principal newspaper pub
fishers OF Chicago, asking that the pres
ent duty of 20 per cent. on the valuation
OF foreign unsized paper be repealed,
made the following remarks indorsing
the petition of the memorialists:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: i am charged with the duty
of presenting memorial from the publishers
OF the principal newspapers of Chicago, re
spectfully asking that the present duty of ~
per cent on the valuation OF foreign unsized
paper be repealed. The tax produces little
revenue and serves only to enlarge the profits
OF manufacturers, who, enjoying a monopoly,
| are able to dictate their own terms To the con-
sumers. These memorialists also ask that the
duty on soda -asb, principally made abroad, and
the duty on wood, straw and all other pulp be
abolished, so that the American manufacturer
| of paper will stand on an equal footing with his
foreign competitor at the start, with tue advan-
tage OF freight, insurance, ready market and
the charges attending importation on this side,
as against the paper rmaker abroad and, lastly,
they ask that the duty on type, which is virtu-
ally prohibiiory. be wiped out because, like
that on paper, il exclusively benefits 2 COM
blnauon and serves as preteXt for unreasona-
be prices.
These propositions seem to be so plain and
so Just as to require no argument in their be-
half What is true Of Chicago applies with
equal force to the press of the whole United
States, and especially 10 that portion of il taA
miilarly known as the country papers," The
great metropolitan journals can take care OF
themselves under almost any condition of
things, but that fact furnishes no good reason
why they should be subjected to imposition or
to wrong The main burden of these taxes
falls heaviest on the paper OF the interior. de-
pendent upon local circulation and unable TO
compete with those of the large cities. After
all, IL ia struggling labor that has TO carry the
load of taxation, In whatever form il NAV be
imposed The press Is one of the wonders at
tending the growth of our institutions Ia the
history of the human race there is nothing
! comparable to this development. 1t is not
only the bulwark of liberty. but it is the mighty
popular instructor, more benefcent and wide
reaching than any other agency but the Chris
tian religion, of which il is one OF the main
props. Complaint il made that this power is
sometimes abused, and that we in public life
are too often consciously criticised.
1t will be sad day for the republic when
criticisms upon the acts and the speech of Sen
ators and Repre- santatives shall be curbed, and
still sadder day when those acts and tina;
spec ch cannot invite the sternest criticism
What food is to the body the press is to the
mind. 1t has become daily necessity and
nourishment, from the palace of the money
king 10 the cabin of the pioneer on the plains,
whose brain and muscle are integral parts OF
the empire in the West. To make the press
wholly Independent and to widen it's influence
every restriction Of unjust or unwise laws
ought to be removed
The time has come, Mr.. President, when the
mass Of incoDgruities and Of huge monopolies
commonly called the tariff should be revised
and adapted to the spirit OF progressive age
young people like ours becomes restive un-
der the shackles of old legislation passed in the
confusion of civil tife, or under persuasion
| of selfish politics. 1t may not be practicable
at this session to reform the revenue system;
indeed, reputed action esewher' torbids any
hope of that kind; but there should be no diff
ticulty in an exceptional case like that pre-
sented in this memorial. Only few months
ago Congress very properly swept away the
obnoxious duty on quinine, that had long been
maintained for the profit OF few manufactu-
rers in single city. That remedy had at best
only local application. In this instance the
newspapers of the entire country are oppressed
by taxes W bich are delusion and snare
They bring nothing of importance into the
treasury, and they only stand, as the duty Oh
quinlne did, as an excuse for increasing the
dividends of what may be des scribed as close
corporation of special interests.