Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-21


system under which people pay not In
proportion to their property, but IN pro-
portion 70 their expenses. There are a
number Of Americans who own proper
ty worth $50, ,000. 900 but whose living ex-
penses do not exceed 500, 600 rer annum
zach. In any large town can be found
200 men who do not own $40. 900 altogeth-
er, but who spend $500 each in the sup
port Of their families. These men pay
Just as much toward the support OF the
national government, under the present
system as the man who is worth $50, ,00O-
600. l,ecnuse they buy as many taxed ar
ticles. This is the inevitable effect OF in-
direct taxation. Is not that crooked
enough 20 deserve the name? tl
All taxes. upon merchandise are
charged TO the consumer by the mer-
chant. together with profit on the tax,
TO pay the merchant for the loss OF in
terest, risk, ETC., this profit being usually
25 to 40 per cent, according to the num-
Der of persons through whose hands the
goods pass. Thus apiece Of cashmere
for your wife's dress is imported at New
York, paving about 60 per cent. duty.
The importer sells it to jobber at per
cent. profit, which adds g per cent. to
the duty. The jobber sells it to the coun-
try dealer at 10 per cent. advance, max
ing the duty 90 per cent. The country
dealer has to pay interest and insurance
on this, and SO charges you at least 20
per cent. on cost. The final result is that
you pay so per cent. duty; while the gov
ernment gets only go per cent. The
merchants would be very glad to do with
out the profit they have made on the
duty, because If there were no duty they
could sell SO much more that they would
be far better off. You are obliged to pay
IS for every SO that the government re-
ceives; and no one is the better for 1t.
Is not that crooked piece of businessl
Every tariff works in this way, wileth-
er protective or not 1t makes you pay
taxes in proportion to your expenses,
without regard to your property or IN
come; and it makes you throw away one-l
third to one-fourth Of the tax you pay
in the effort to send it to Washington.
But protective tariff more than dcub'
les the injury, because it increases the
price of domestic, as well as imported
goods.
Here all of my readers whose income
exceeds $40, 900 year may stop. aThe
DaOOO4uCht RAOSCCdihk, i1tthy AhsSANe'F " -
no more" But suspect that there will
be few of You not quite so fortunate;
and for them the most interesting part IS
to come. And for those whose income is
under $500 year, the next poink is a
matter of almost life and death.
The necessary result of this indirect
taxation is to take from men having in
comes of 5000 year. about one-third
of their annual savings; from men hav-
ing an income of 81 900 about half their
savings, and from men having only $500
wear over three-fourths of their savings.
But from the savings Of men whose in
comes are a million year, how much
do you suppose is taken? About one.for-
tieth!
About half this injustice is the neces-
sary consequence Of any form OF indi-
rect taxation, because it taxes men ac-
cording to their expenses, not according
to their property. But the other half ID
due to the protective sidesof such taxa.
ton, rising the price Of articles made at
home, which compete with those made
abroad. Look at the figures for mo-
ment
The amount of federal taxes this year
is about $400, 100000. These are all indi-
rect. The.amount of state and local tax
es is about $500, 100000, of which large
part is really indirect. The lanlords' and
merchants profit on taxes charged over
by them must be over $75,000,00O. The
increase in prices of domestic goods,
caused by the restrictions Of the tariff
and internal revenue systems must be at
least $3.50, 100000. This makes total
burden arising from taxation and its in
direct effects, of 81, SOC, ,000, 900 per anum.
| How is this vast burden divided? It is
paid according to the expenses of living,
as already shown. The working popula-
ton of the United are in the receipt OF
| n nxroro orn incnnnas ahnllt &c fnllONa.