American citizen., 1880-03-27
Speech Of Senator Davis, of Illinois,
ON tho Repeal Of the Paper Tax.
wAsu1Norou No

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 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eign unsized paper be repealed.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
of the memOriaEsts:
MIR. PRESIDENT: I am charged with the
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 un-
ittle 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 memoriaIists 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 equal footing with his foreign com.
height, Insurance, a ready market, and the
charges attending importation on this side, as
they ask that the duty on type, which is vir-
tually prohibitOry, be wiped out, because,
like that on paper. II exclusively benefits
combination and serves as pretext for
reasonable prices.
These propositions seem to be SO plain and
half. What Is true Of Chicago applies with
equal force to the press OF the whole United
miliariy known 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
dependent on local circulation and unable to
compete with those of the large cities. After
u fas to s the
imposed: The press is one of the wonders at
the tho OF 9nr ther
is nothing comparable to this develop
ment. 1t is not only the bulwark of
more benefcent and wide reach
ing than any other agency but the Christian
Complaint is made that this power is some
times abused, and that we in public life are
upon the acts and the speech of Senators and
shall be curbed, and "A still
can not invite the sternest criticism What
food is to the body. the press is to the mind.
ment, from the palace of the money kins, to |
the cabin of tho pioneer on the plains, whose |
Pnire PTn and M se fhe We are To a bs on nres .s
wholly independent and to widen its infiu-
ence. every restriction of unjust or unwise |
laws ought to be removed.
The time has come, MIR. President when the |
mass of fncongruities and of huge mOnopolies |
called the tariff should be revised |
and adapted to the spirit of Il progressive age. |
A young people like ours becomes restive 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
elsewhere forbids any hope of that kind;
but there should be no difficulty in an ex-
this memorial. Only few months ago Con-
gress very properly swept away the obnoxious
1uty on quinine that had long been MAIN
tained for the profit of a few manufacturers
in single city. That remedy had at best
only II local application. In this instance the
newspaper of the entire country are oppressed
Dy taxes which are delusiOn and a snare.
They bring nothing of Importance into the
and they only stand, as the duty on
increasing
dividends of what may be described a close
corporation of special interests.