The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-09-22
THE MORRISTOWN GAZETTE.
subscription Price, So.
SPE ECH
Hon. Robert |. Taylor,
OF TENNESSEE,
Tn the House of Representatives,
Saturday, May %, 1890.
SP E E @ III
OF TENNESSEE

On the bill (H. R. No. 61O9) to amend
the sixth subdivision OF section 2244 o.
the Revised Statutes of the United
States in relation to licensing dealers IL
leaf tobacco.
Mr.. TAYLOR said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: I beg The indul
qence Of the House to offer a few re-
marks suggested by the bill under
consideration, bearing upon the civil
service az related to the existing IN
terual revenue laws. and the effect
of these laws upon some of the i'm
portant interests of the country.
AS the immediate representatives
of the people we are intrusted in a
great part with the guardianship OF
their interests. It is therefore in
crmbent on us to institute such a
line Of policy, enact such laws, and
establish such regulations as will
best promote the general welfare
and maintain the rights of all the
people.
Among our duties there is none l
conceive to be more important than
that of instituting a wise and just
financial policy, and of SO regulating
our revenue system as to meet all
the legitimate demands of the Treas
ury, land not thereby cripple or dimin-
ish our pecuniary resources but
strengthen and enlarge them.
The nation owes vast bonded
debt. aggregating more than 2,OO0,-
100000, for the payment of which,
and particularly of the interest we
must proUide; for the necessary eN-
penses of the Government and for
It's obligations to our soldiers and
sailors aUe mast provide; for the just
and honorable and as yet unrecog-
pized or unadjudicated claims of
many citizens for property and SER
vices we must pr0vide. To raise the
money to satisfy these demands
without undue friction at any point,
without alarming capital or Gripping
trade and commerce, discouragIng
enterprise or repressing labor, and
above all, without wounding agrtcut-
ta,re, is the grand problem which this
Congress, in it's patriotism and wis
dom, IS called upon to solve. II it
succeed, it Will merit and receive the
, appreciation Of q generous people ;
If it fail, it will justly incur their
condemnation.
Imay have little to say now, sir.
in reference to capital, since capital
is Argus-eyed. sleepless, vigilant,
all powerful. and always has COM
manded brains enough to take care
Of itself, even though it seldom gives
evidence of possessing soul or
even 8 heart. Neither do l propose
to discuss commerce, but if possible
To demonstrate the injustice, the un-
constitutionality and hurtful folly OF
some of the features of the existing
revenue laws, and the crying neces-
sity for their repeal or modification
by this Congress. The privileges
and immuuities, the blessings and
benefits Of this Government belong
alike to all its States and to all its
citizens; and upon the same princi-
ple, universally acknowledged, the
burdens must be equal upon all the
States and all the citizens Of the
Republic. Any restrictions, there
fore, of any of these blessing OF
benefits to any section of the coun'
trv or any class of citizens would
not be any more clearly unjust than
would be the unequal distribution OF
the necessary burdens of the Gov
ernment,
Thirty eight individuals are matu.
allv and equally interested in joint
stock corporation for the prosecution
of some business, and in the process
of its operations debt is incurred
for the benefit and protection of the
association. = Would any intelligent
court in Christendom decree that
the debt should be collected out o.
the individual property of any mem
her of the company, and not out O
all the members equally? Undoubt
edlv not. And why not? Simply
because such decree would bt
a most gross and wicked injustice
and an act Of objectionable oPpres'
sion. Is IL any less an outrageou
Injustice. is it any less a shamefn
act Of oppression, if the Represen
tatiyes of the thirty eight States Q
this great body polite and corporat'
shall solemDIy enact that the deb
or any part of the debt Of this nation
shall be collected out ofthe product
Of the land and labor of a part oni,
Of the people and not equally out 0
all alike? No, sir! 1t would b
unjust and partial and as severel,
oppressive in the one case as in th
other.
And yet such is the meaning IN
tent, and effect Of your revenue la'