The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-11-09
A Problem for the Producer to Solve
How Does the Tariff Protects

To the Editor of the Herald.
PALo PINTO, November Al nave read
with much interest the discussion OF the
tariff question in the columns of the HER
AID. Will you permit me to contribute
my mite to the work, through your widely
read paper? Governments are instituted
to protect persons and property. Persons
and propert; should support them. Per-
SON support them by military service, poll
tax, and occupation tax, and license, Prop
erty supports them by taxes on properly.
IT this way our township, village, city,
county and state governments are sup
ported. Our national government is sup
ported by a tax called q tariff, on what we,
rs n people, buy from other nations. as
' governments protect persons and property,
the burden of their support should be Justly
apportioned to persons and properly, ana
nstly divided, so rs to fall equltaoiy on
each person, and on the property held py
each person. Excessive poll taxes like the
road tax, of Texas, and the occupation
taxes and licenses, are unjust. They ex,
emit property from its ust proportion, ana
extort an unjust proportion from a class OF
citizens that are least able TO bear II. fer-
som and lucrative occupations and calllngs
and business should pay tax, but not an
excessive one. even if it enables polit cans
to remind property holders that
they are exempted from just proportion
Of the burden OF the government
! taxes On articles purchased or sold are un-
lust, except when levied on them as prop,
erty. The tariff violates this fundamental
principle of Just taxation. Taxes on per-
sons and occupations should be equitable,
the same on each person, and occupation
kayss.a aud licenses should be in proportion
IA the mopey cleared in the calling taxed.
The tariff grossly violates this iundameh
lustrate: / Know two families. One is the
family of O mdchanic without any property
except household furniture and tools. In
this family there are fourteen persons. The
two parents and sons are ~oduce ana
support themselves and ten helpless non
producers under fifteen years of age. The
gross income of the four producers does not
exceed over $500 jperNyear. AS they pur.
chase everything useG, they purchase ao0ut
$500 dutiable articles each year, ald pay
to the government, each year an indiFec.
tax, called a tariff, of at least jon.
The other family consists ci nrC persons
four producers and one nou-proancer The
father, q lawyer and money leEaer is worm
over $50. 600. Ths income Of hlmECJi ana
two sons and his wife is over S5,O0J PEI
year. Their family expenses ord personal
expenses, all told, are less thep s2y3 "a
wear. They purchase l7ss than {5yj alta
BILE articles, paying les than in) tariff,
Now let us contrast the taxes rad to the
General government by these tyo families
/. In the mechanics family, four persons
support themselves and ten helpless non
producers, on a hard-earned income oil $SgEO,
and paw to the government SloO tax. III
fine lawyers family, four persons suppor'
themselves and one n~on-producer, on al
aasilv.acuuired income of $4,000, and pay
To the government less than y Otax.
%. In the mechanics family, four persons
pay to the government SloO tax, althou9I
they have ten helpless persons to support
and not one dollar OF property. In TN
LAWYERS family, four persons pay only SN
tay although they have $4,000 property
and have only one helpless person to sup
port. :. That 1;
.~ea persons in proportion to what they
consume which is usually decided by thu
number Of helpless persons dependent OF
them, and not according to property or IN
come. Indeed, the less able the poor labor
err is TO nay tax, on account OF ms helples'
children dependent on him, the more IN
has 10 pay, because of the necessity tina
compels him TO purchase so much to feet
and clothe them. Will some tariff advocate
demonstrate the justice OF such taxation?
The tariff and all indirect taxation arr
Objectionable because they are Indirect ans
collected in such q way that the people
taxed do not understand that they are pay
ing an enormous tax, although they ar
really doing so. They necessitate an enOr
nous standing army of officers to coilec
them, that cost the consumer oil article
+s~ad an enormous sun OF money to sup
pbrt them They are more dangerous thal
n standing army of soldiers, because the.
have more intelligence, more wealth, NOR
license and more interest in corrupting thl
government and using II Tor their own sci
fsb ends. and more interest in supportinI
an administration, although lniamousl
corrupt and oppressive. The Jay Huooel
infamy Is a present illustration OF this dan
GER IL ali taxes for the support OF the ma
fional government were, like our state an
other taxes, assessed on persons and prop
erfy Directly, and collected directly OF them
tax.payers would know when they PAL
Them and their amount, and you'd scru
fiuize them as they do other taxes. ma
tional taxes. IL direct, could be collected b,
our state officials, and not add ter. official
In a state 20 their number, and reduce IN
treasury officials In Washington to one-ha-
their present number, and tue e,
nense Of collection would nc
Re one.tenth what it. is nov
Tnairect taxes are Questionable from tn
fsct that people do not understand whe
thew nav them. and that they are BEN
robbed by them, and that they are supper
ing a horde OF corrupt officials, TO corrnI
the government, and use il for their ow
selfish ends; when they would crush on
fhe infamv III based on direct taxes tbs
they could understand.
will close by submitting TO tie adv.
Gates Of the tariff a very slmple Prooiem !
bookkeeping. Inave purchased oil " D
Kahn 4 Co. dOthinK 20 the amount o. \.
The materials cosf sByus so. OF this :
tbe duty Is over si6 Ny account with IN
tariff stands .sr g
Tsnf. d. TARA A.,
Dsty -. l60g s..-~--~
sam ssIl
VII some tariff advocate tel me what
rhau mt IN the second column 70 the cred
Of tarif 20 balance the SIG duty IL cOllec'
on me- lean zee that ! pay sl5 more u
me cloth than I would we're Il not for n
tariff. What do | get IN returnl lpay
American manuf.cturers OF cloth ~
Wfef DO ther % for me IN return
lido this because i pay them SIC more =
he cloth than would hsve 70 PAY % io-sle
mrnufscfurers we're there no tariff. no
IN I % he benefited in return want n
1rrrs end items. % that i can see ane ui
Ir~1frnd them. in dollars and cents- Loo
Ic-irmafIous and m~oonshins o -.
frrrIou 10 home Industry" are not srougl
can sce and feel that nnre peia W
1rrr 40 they pay M SIC r. returnl Tho
[~-~..r|n1 r1th msuufaclures. AL tolos =,
ale 49, frenfr-ffh u our ~populstion- Il
,~~r <rrnfr four p-rsgns pay IN en0rneI
nm 70 the f~rerfT-1hh pm ~ =
ttsr ss9s.rs 10 rs,. 1870 =,
~-'r o. in f50Q Do 1otzf1persons ,.
5000. sru 70 TIE 1SQ<h gerson =
~EI~k fIfr ~<c<I~s 10 rtt1rrl WI On
*~~r <fr1~<te - and srp.1lr1
VI Ie<-r - t<<ulrine -e
H.@t rr<rrr<rrrt~ oI roo.tnt CO.. /. =
~--t r. ~~r1.~7 irr.seI- r1rld re :
49, = n1ff rlzI- NElEH8 =
-. -~~ ~ m r-<1c11nE 1sc-1s y
t-~@ <r-| 1t1r 4 void = % r.
-. - [&~r -1rr.<rt. - tclI.- 80
-<.-< r. +<-< I<ttr Irrr1tr n - 49,