The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
jackson and Protection.


ing prominently to the front these
DAYS, the views of the old hero states
man are not without interest, and we
commend them to the careful study
and candid consideration of our read
ers.
There is, perhaps, no one of the pow
ers conferred OH the federal govern
ment so liable to abuse as the taxing
power. The most productive and con-
venient sources of revenue were nee
essarily given to it, that it might be
able to perform the important duties |
imposed upon it; and the taxes which |
it lays upon commerce being concealed
from the real payer in the price of the
article, they do not SO readily attract |
the attention of the people as smaller |
the the tax gatherer. But the tax i'm
posed on goods, enhances by so much
the price of the commodity to the
consumer; and as many of these du
ties are imposed on articles of necessi
ty which are daily used by the great
body of the people, the money raised
by these impOsts is drawn from their
pockets. Congress has no right under
the constitution to take money from
the people, unless it is required to ex-
ecute some one of the specific powers
intrusted to the government; and if
they raise more than is necessary for
such purposes, it is an abuse of the
power of taxation, and unjust and
| oppressive. 1t may indeed happen
that the revenue will sometimes eX-
ceed the amount anticipated when the
taxes were laid. When, however, this
| r l.
and, in such case, it is unquestiona-
! bly, the duty of the government to re-
| duce them, for no circumstances can
Justify it in assuming power not Civ
| en- to it by the constitution, nor in
taking away the money of the people
| when it Is not needed for the legitimate
wants of the government.
Plain as these principles appear to
be, you will yet find that there is Il
constant effort to induce the general
government to go beyond the limits of
its taxing power, and to impose unnec-
essary burdens upon the people. Many
powerful interests are continually at
work to procure heavy duties on com
merce, and to swell the revenue beyond
the real necessities of the public SER
vice; and the country has already felt
the injurious effects of their combined
influence. They succeeded in obtaining
q tariff of duties bearing most oppres5-
lively on the agricultural and laboring
classes of society, and producing a
revenue that could not be usefully en-
ployed within the range of the powers
conferred upon Congress and in order
to fasten upon the people this unjust
and unequal SYSTEM of taxation, ex-
travagaDt schemes of internal i'm
provement were got up, in various
quarters, to squander the money aud
to purchase support. Thus, one un-
constitutional measure was intended
to be upheld by another, and the abuse
of the power of taxation was to he
maintained by usurping the power oi
: eXpending the mOAey in internal i'm.
provements. You cannot have forgot.
, ten the severe and doubtful struggle
through which we passed, when the
, executive department of the govern
ment. by its veto, endeavored to arres
the prodigal scheme of injustice, anC
TO bring back the legislation of Con
gress to the boundaries prescribed by
the constitution. The good sense ant
: practical judgment of the people, whe1
! the subject was brought before them
sustained the course of the Executive
and this plan of unconstitutional ex
penditure for the purposes of corrup
influences is, [ trust, finally over
thrown.
e The result of this decision has beef
e felt i'll the rapid extinguishment of tn
! public debt, and the large accumula
1 ton of a surplus III the treasury, not
Withstanding the tariff was reduced
7 and is now far below the amount orig
$ inally contemplated by its advocates
+ But, rely upon it, the design to colIec
: an @Xtravagant revenue, aud to burdel
I you with taxes beyond the economical
a wants of the government, is not ye
4 abandoned. The various interest
Il which have combined together to i'm
: pose a heavy tariff, and to produce al
overf1owing treasury, are too strong
a and have too much at stake. to surren
Il der The contest The corporations an,
e wealthy individuals who are engage
It in large manufacturing establishment
desire high tariff to Increase thei
+ gains. Designing politicians will SUP
II port it to conciliate their favor, and t
II obtain the means of profuse expendi
r ture, for the purpose of purchasin
influence in other quarters and sine
the people lave decided that the fede
raj government cannot he permitted t
d ments, efforts will be made to seduc
a and mislead the citizens of the severa
If States, by holding out to them the dc
= ceitful prospect of benefits to be dc
d rived from a surplus revenue collecte
r. Uy the general government and aDnu
II ally divided among the States. An
{ ii, encouraged by these taiiaciou
( hopes. the States should disregard tn
II principles of economy which ought t
e characterize every republican, govern
r nuent, and should indulge III iavis
S Expenditures exceeding their resources
/. they viii, before long, find themseive
e oppressed with debts which they al
!, unal le t1 pay. and the temptation vii
3 become Irresistible To support higI
+ tariff, in order to obtain surplus dis
t tributiOn. Do not allow yourselves
n my fellow citizens, to be misled on thi
II subject The federal government can
l. not collect surplus for such purposes
e without violating the principles of til
8 constitution, and assuming power
: which have not been granted. 1t is
J. moreover, system of injustice, and
e if persisted in, will inevitably lead t
). corruption, and must end in ruin
# The surplus revenue will be draw
l.. from the pockets of the people-fron
the farmer, the mechanic, and the Ia
}, boring classes of society; but who viii
receive it when distributed among tn
States. where it is to be disposed of b,
leading State politicians who hav
friends to favor. and political partisan
y to crafty? 1t will certainly not b.
returned to those who paid it, and VIII,
t have most need of it, and are honestl,
| entitled to it. There is but one saf
: rule, and that is, to confine the genera
v government rigidly within the spher
/ of its appropriate duties. 1t has NJ
t power to raise revenue, or impos
| taxes, except for the purposes enume
I rated in the constitution ; and if it
, income is found to exceed these wants
e if should be forthwith reduced, aut
t the burdens of the people so far light
ened.
t 1t is quite evident from the abov,
extract that the old hero Statesman
was in favor of "a tariff for revenu,
3 only" Had he lived in these day