The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1883-01-06
COMMUNICATED J
TARIFF OR NO TARIFFI

Statesmen, editors, &ee OF all polltl-
cal compilations are vieing With
each other in their efforts to prOve
to the DEAR people that their inter
ests are 10 be subserved by Aesisls
ton, by this Farty, or that; but
have not seen anything that seems
TO be fair and equal. Any system
which proposes to create areven ne
by ievying impOst duties, HIGH OR
LOW, is unjust and oppressive. II
don't care where ron locate me
politically, on this question, l have
my decided views of myoSn which
| have never given to the pubic,
except in a speech made in Benton
County IN 1877, which | propose to
ontIine briefly in this ~communica.
ton. have said that a revenue
by imposition OF tariff duties high
or low Is unequal, unjust, and OPP
pressive. l will state a case hypo-
t~heiically: a andB are citizens OF
this town. A is worth ore hundred
thousand dollars, invested in many
ways from which he receives quite a
handsome profit; his family consists
of himselfhis wife and two children
-rour in all. B has no property,
his only capital consisting of a
strong arm, and a hearty good will
with which he plies his daily voca-
ton; his family Consists of himself,
his wife and six chiidren-eight in
all. Now anybody can see that if
revenue is raised by duties and
imposts, B pays twice as much rev
eEue tax as A. He who owes not
a dollar pays twice as mach tax as
he who lives in luxury on a hun.
dred thousand dollars. Is THAT
equal! Is it just? Is it not Opprcs.
sIve? That the facts are about as |
state them, airy one who will take
the trouble to think will certainly
cOncede. To say that, we will re.
] duce the tariff does not help the
matter a particle, the proportion
will be the same. B will still pay
twice as much for the;prOtecliOn o
his PRIVILEGE TO WORK, as A vii
for the projection of his hundred
Thousand dollars. The mao VIII
cannC Ct see this must be pUvblmd
There never has been a system o
: taxation that was not AID vALORUM
! that was not iniquitous and concoct
Ell TOR the projection of one elias
and consequent oppression of 9th
ers. But we are told thai We mus
have revenue. We woulG becom,
financially embarrassed if we Iiavr
= no revenue. Granted, but ii doe
; not fullowthat there is but one wa,
i to raj e it, under our State system
E of revenue. Every man pays va:
upon what,he has. Ii he!is wort
a thousand dollars he pays two dol
lars and fifty cents; if he is wort
L" one hundred;iollars he pays twenl,
dve'cents;If he has no property h
pays nothing. To equalize tn
burthen pf taxation, let the. Estate
represent individuals and let tn
q federal government lev. an Alb VI
p LoRUM.tsX upon each ufalbe Siatet
Ii Mississippi is worth one hundre
millions Of dollars, and, New, Yor
gtis worth twenty hundred millions
e New York will paytwenly times a
u much as Mississippi; but let thet
I Jay alike, the assessments beIn
made upon the real value of III
property Of the State, personal an
real The tax al be collected b
1t the s tate OfiiClalsy and allthe hur
4 cry horde otrevenie officials c n b
Is dispensed with and The Patrqnag
% Of theh president be thereby in
t. IN nsely shortened, and all kno'
this 70 be a source fruitful Of mucc
evil, besides a saving Ot.4man
To- millions OfdOlIaFs arm pallr. An
above and beyond all This iuslic
ID will be done TO all CLASSES. An