The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-03-26
Speech Of Senator Davis, Of Illinois,
on the Repeal Of the Paper Tax.
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WASHINGTON, II. u, Marcn IA.
Senator David Davis presented memo
rial signed by the principal Newspaper pub
fishers Of Chicago, asking that the present
duty of 20 per cent. on the valuation of for
eign unsized paper be repealed. Senator
Davis, in presenting this memorial, made
the following remarks indOrsing the petition
If the memorialists:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: I am charged with tho
duty of presenting memorial from the pub
fishers of the principal newspapers of Chica-
go, respectfully asking that the present duty
of 20 per cent on the valuation of foreign I'M
little revenue and serves only to enlarge tho
profits of manufacturers, who, enjoying q
monopoly, are able to dictate their own terms
to the consumers. These memorialists also
ask that the duty on soda ash, 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 com:
petitor at the start, with the advantage of
freight, insurance, ready market, and the
charges attending importation on this side, as
they ask that the duty on type, which IS vir
tuaily prohibitOry, be wiped out, because,
like that on paper.i it exclusively benefits q
combination and serves as pretext for un-
reasonable prices.
These propositions seem to be so plain and
80 just as to require no argument in their be.
half. What Is true of Chicago applies with
States, and especially to that portion of it ia
miliariy known as the "country papers," The
great metropolitan journals can take care 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
dependent on local circulation and unable to
compete with those of the large cities. After
ALL it is struggling labor that has to carry the
load OF taxation, in whatever form It may be
tending the growth of our institutions. In
the history of the human race there
Is nothing comparable to this develop:
liberty. but it is the mighty popular
Instructor, more beneficent and ide-reach-
ing than any other agency but the Christian
Complaint is mads that this power Is some
times abused. and that we in public life arc
too often censOrioulsly criticised. 1t will be
. sad day for the Republic when criticisms
Representatives shall be curbed, and q still
sadder day when those acts and that speech.
can not invite the sternest criticism. What
food Is to the body, the press Is to the mind.
It has become daily necessity and nourish-
ment, from the palace of the money king to
the cabin of the pioneer on the plains, whose
Empire of the West. To make the press
wholly independent and to widen its influ-
ence, every restriction of unjust or unwise
laws ought to be removed.
The time has come, Mr. President, when the
mass of incOngruities and of huge monOpOlies
commonly called the tariff should be revised
and adapted to the spirit of progressive age.
A young people like ours becomes FESTIVE un-
der the shackles of old LEGISLATION passed in
the confusion of civil strife, or under per-
suasion of selfish politics. 1t may not be
practicable at this session to reform the
revenue system; ind. ed. reputed action
elsewhere forbids any hope of that kind;
but there should be no difficulty in an ex-
ceptional case like that presented in
this memorial. Only few months ago Con-
gress very properly swept away the obnoxious
duty on Quinine. that had long been main
tanned for the profit of q few manufacturers
in q single city. That remedy had at best
only local application. In this instance the
newspaper of the entire country are oppressed
by taxes which are delusiOn and q snare.
They bring nothing of Importance into the
Treasury, and they only stand. IS the duty on
Quinine did, IS an excuse for increasing the
dividends Of what may be described as close
corporation of special interests.