The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-07-04
The News.


The surplus revenue is annoying the pig
iron statesmen. If the people can be per-
suaded that our revenues are derived from
foreign manufacturers and are not paid by
American consumers of foreign goods, they
might feel comfortable in view Of the fact
that foreigners are paying the expenses of
running cur Government But the foreigner
who makes goods which are sold here
is 10 fool, and when you put
tax On his imported goods he knows
that the American consumer pays the
tax in addition TO the price OF the
goods at the port Of entry. Some OF our
wholesale merchants on South Meridian
street are importing crockery and dry goods
from foreign countries. In making up the
prices at which they mark their goods for
sale here they add to the sum they pay the
manufacturer the tariff tax, aud the In-
diana customer pays 1t. Now it is plain that
q surplus revenue made up of receipts from
duties is a tax upon the people VINO use the
goods upon which these duties are levied. 10
fact this is So plain that it Is amazing that
able statesmen should argue, Gndable editors
should assert, that tariff duty is not tax,
but & beuevolence bestowed upon our
people by foreign manufacturers. It is
. mark of progress that some OF the abiest
advocates Of the protection policy chsra ter
man, IN an interview or speech which was
published q few weeks ago, called them
taxes. When it Is settled that thew are taxes,
the pTotectiOnist must go to the wall. Let
Us see. The only purpose Tor which taxes
can be levied is the support OF the Govern
meut. AS Colonel lDgersoll expressed it,
THE Government is a pauper." It hasn't
S cert which the people do not giveit. II
passes around the hat for contributions, and
the fact that there Is a musket behind the
hat &c compel payment, does not change the
fsct that the Government Is begsar and
lives upon aims. Bat the people have fixed
limits 10 the demsUd5 that can
be made upon them. II IS not
hones. to require more than IS necessary,
ano Il IS neither honest nor lawful 10
collect money from the whole people for the
public good. aud bsstog IL Gpoa selscs Re y
for their private greed. Nobody bat p-o-
tecticnist, Eho gets q share OF the plumber,
viii insist that this is not 50. If a necessary
tax levied for the pubic good gives an adygp-
tsee 70 Gle class OF citizens, nobody Las q
right TO complain il thc inequality thus pro
ducec is unavOiGsoie. B1t We have surplus,
that is re sre levyiDg and CO. Letting unnec.
essay taxes, and the aYoS sd purpose ca
leyyiEg these taxc- Il = increase thu pr06.s
ola small class of citizens az the exoensS of
ne whole people. In his recent address e,
de, s.Hit, Mr.. David A. Wells quoted from
CeCLSlgl OF a. ~Se.-- " t4Ag AAAtcN
States, the following.
saCf sli the Dowers conferred upon the Govern
msnt ina oi taxation is mos lab,e 70 sbuss.
Given yurpJte or object for which taxation maT
be lawfully used, and The extent OF rs exercise IS
in is very nStCre Unlimited. Iu-S pOwer en-
readily be employed against one class ol indivlq-
nails and Ia favor al anO,beT, Sd as to rain IRE 0le
e,ass srd give unlimited wealth AID Prosperity to
The CtEeT, Il lh5Fe arc no iElpliei Limitations
for the uses for which the power ray BE- exer-
ciseG. To Icy vito one hand the power OF the
with the other bcstov it upon fayOrsd ineiSidusls
10 siG private enterprises and - build I'D private
fortSnes is none the less robbery became II is
done under the forms OF law. and = called tax
ation. This IS not legislation. Il is . decree
TOnd a cavil there can be no lzwfu,
purpose' Il nay not be easy 10
cTaw ne line IN all cases so IS to decide what i
public purpose in this sense and vhsf Is not- BIT
IN the case before US. in which towns are author
lied 70 contribute aid byWay OF taxation 20 shy class
of manu- fseturers. there is no oih-e1liy n hold
have teen considering. II IL be sAid that benefit
results 20 the lCcsl public Of s town BY establish
ing manufactures. exactly the same msy be said
Of any ether busiE ess CT pursuit which employs
capital or labor The merchant, the mecnauic,
TIE inn-hOldeT the banker, the builder The steam.
beat owner. ere equally deserving OF the aid al
the citizens b forced Contributions no uue ca1
he drawn in fas0r OF the manufacture which
would not oren the public Treasury 20 the imp0r
tunit:ss Of two .hiIds OF the business men Of the
city CrtCNn."
This decision wGs rendered in the case OF
the city Of Topeka We. the Loan Association,
end is reported in 20 WRlisce's S1prsnne
Court Reports page go. It is mentioned
with approval II the case Of the city of Par
keIsburg in the last volume OF the Supreme
Court Reports. There is q principal Tec1g
nizsd 6nd declared in this decision OF the
highest judicial tribunal Of the land which is
worth the consideration of legislators who
vote for and defend tax laws. the purpose OF
frHar e Ia
SOILS 20 enrich themselves at the expense OF
the people. I am jeslipg with admitted
facts We have surplus revenue which is
the result OF unnecessary taxation. We have
laws under which these taxes have been col
lec'ec, which laws wers passed TO favor tprO-
tect) limited class CT citizens at the eX 2ense
of the ms jOTity. We have decision OF the
SaPTeTne Court saying that the legislative
power has no right e. pass such laws.
Obviously, the wise course for Congress 10
puisne Is 80 TO reform the tariff laws that we
shall have no Surplus revenue, ard to repeal
such parts OF the law as were enacted 20 pro.
mote private interests The mistake Won
made last winter wss liz lowering the tobacco
tax ard repeating the tsx on bank capital
and bank deposits, while you retained nearly
all the taxes which increase the cost of the
food, shelter and clothing OF the men who
work for wages 1t does not surprise LIE to
see the protection professors trying to devise
schemes tOr disposing of the surplus revenue.
Professor Thompson, whose. col
lege is located under the smoke
stacks of the Pennsylvania blast
furnaces and steel mi1ls, advocates its dis
tTibutiOn smong people OF the States accord
ing to population. The Protectionist, the
pig-iIon organ, suggests that il may be " sed
in building leyees on the Mississippi River
and increasing the appropriation for the i'm
provement of rivers and harbors. Why not
pass another salary grab law?
This accumulation of surplus revenue has
its advantages. It has compelled a discussion
of he tariff laws. People are residing and
thinking about them, and sooner or later,
much sooner than the politicians imagine,
there viii be a popular demand for the repeal
of al laws which tac the whole people for the
benefit Of the favoreI few.
W. p. FIsHBAcK
sEN1ENCED FOR LIFE.