The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-16

tistics show that as many as $4,000, 600 of our
people do some work or are occupied in some
business, and that their average annual earnings
Mt least fl60. 00O. 600 Their annual incomes
do not much exceed $500. and are wholly con
Suined in securing the means of daily subsist-
.tnce. There are too millions who in shop and
iield. strike the blows of all production All the
:lccumulations of and boasted additions to our
national and individual wealth 60 to one
.enth of those who earn it. and these few
appropriate the great mass of the savings of the
people and are enriched by the profits of the
labor of other men. Like estimates will show
that the few who profit most from the labor of
all contribute little. under this system of I'M
equal taxation, not more than per cent. of their
savings; while the great mass of workers, includ-
ing the dependent poor. pay the bulk of the
taxes all of which is subtracted from their too
scanty means of comfortable living. Ours is a
very free country of very free men, both very
freely taxed. In the same sense that we are
free men, in u free country, freely taxed, we
may he correctly named free traders when
we insist that the trade and commerce
of the country and the necessities of cOmforta-
BILE living shall be freed from all taxes not essen
tial to the government for public uses. The
amount required from customs is dependent
upon what may be received from internal reve-
The abolition of internal revenue means
free and cheaper liquors, but with heavier taxed
and higher priced sugar and other articles essen
tai in every household am not called upon
to defend system which has many abuses OF
the two systems, however, it is the cheaper
in administration. immensely cheaper in its
results. Repeal Of the internal revenue means
more than additional cost of living and privation
to the poor. 1t means a permanent public debt.
While we cannot doubt the existence of great
wrongs in the execution OF the internal revenue
laws. especially i'll the south Atlantic States.
many Of these may be cured. Neither is it
because OF these abuses of administration that
abolition of the liquor and tobacco taxes is de
manded in States far north and substantially
free from these fragrant abuses. During more
-. I.Ie e L..
have been low lower than before
the adoption of the taxing policy
rs pretended means of making wages higher.
There is but one horizontal reduction for which
our opponents are willing to legislate-the re-
duction Of wages-and this their favorites, with
or without regard to legislation, are now execut-
ing day by day with cruel regularity In the
opinion of the minority members of the commit
tee, representing, as they do, their friends, the
prevailing policy cures whatever national ills
exist. result Of this taxation is to be found
in the higher priced clothing and other
articles useful in the fields. mines and homes,
for that is what is meant by higher-taxed wool,
fence rods. cotton bands and tin plates.
Some of our friends here would cure the ills of
overtaXatiSn with declaration, the purpose
md execution of which they would carefully
ivoid; and here is the declaration. 1t is called
he OHIO platforms
we favor tariff for revenue limited to the neces-
sites of the government economically administered,
and adjusted in its application to prevent bur
just compensation to labor but not to create or foster
monopoly.
A tariff'for revenue limited to the necessities
of the government is demanded by this plan of
relief Is the tariff now so limited If not
then why refuse to limit it, Who among the
representatives of the goodly people of that
State who made this declaration, believes it is
solimitedl Who, among them, believes the bill
will reduce the revenue below the necessities Of
the government These are questions to which
the plain people of the country want answers.
They will demand to know why the tariff
taxes are not removed in part, if they are be-
yond revenue limit. Do gentlemen expect to
escape responsibility, because the rates are not
rightly adjusted! The adjustment will be the
same when then the reduction is made. but
whatever monopoly belongs to it will be fostered
by twenty per cent. less than it now is. If this
platform has an honest meaning, 1t Is that the
tariff shall be lowered to a revenue basis, and
gentlemen but deceive themselves who expect
the people will be deceived by refusal to legis-
late in accordance with this declared purpose If
the protection policy Is to be the continuing pol
icy of the government. it will be and ought to be
intrusted to its friends, the Republican party.
Every argument in support of the protective
policy is based on the assumption that any con
siderable ta11t MODIFICATION. especially modlh-
cation a revenue basis, will destroy the manu-
featuring industries, compel an Abandonment
of shops and mills. and force those
engaged IN them into other empoynents.
This is an old old story 1t was told of the man
ufactuling Industries in their infancy it will be
told when protection brings them to decay.
Eight years ago l introduced the first bin for
free quinine and providing for untaxed alcohol
for use III making It. At once 1t was insisted
that quinine making would become q lost art
among us if such bill should pass and it did
not then pass Later on, when the story OF free
luinine got among the people another member
placed II bill before the House, emitting
free alcohol for this purpose, and the
bill became law the protectionsts
themselves feeling obliged to vote tor it. The
great Philadelphia house did not 90 into de-
lime but continued its business of quinine max
ing successfully as the second largest quinine
establishment in the world. So every legiti-
nate industry would 60 with revenue tariff.
It is insisted that wages much higher
-lere than i'll countries seeking markets. that
evenue duties will not equaiize the difference
cost of production. Conceding the truth of
what IS not true, that foreign rivals must pay
for the privilege Of selling markets a
sum equal to the difference i'll wages to enable
the home producer TO sell at a reasonable profit
let US see if the revenue rates will
compensate for that difference. The census
value Of manufactures for 1880 was So, 3GS, SO,
49, the wages paid in making them were $947,
800, $50. The difference III cost of goods is said
to be the difference in the cost of wages: but
suppose the difference between the cost here and
the cost abroad amounts to all the wages paid
here, then these manufactures would cost
rate Of duty, which the bill before the
House leaves at 80 per cent,
reduced to y per cent, and at that rate this
81 42l, G25 396 in value of goods was imported, it
would cost the importer at that rate of % per
cent, 1912, 757. 5S7 which not only makes up for
the difference in wages, but exceeds ali the
wages pad for making all the goods. Those
who claim especial friendship for the manufac
turing industries will insist their going into
decay and then dying Some other apology
must be found for their taking off than removal
Of unnecessary taxes.
SPEECH or Mr.. KELLEY
Mr.. Kelley made the opening speech in oppo-
.ition to the bill He did not believe any cheap
suing of goods could relieve any of the American
Industries. The evil was not that goods were
not cheap enough, or that America could not
produce than but WAS that the nower of nro-