The Evening critic., 1884-01-30
THE NEW LICENSE BILL.

a Bill 10 Relieve the Rich ana 10
Saddle burdens ON the POOr-What
n Merchant who Thinks says About
It and Our Form of Government.
In q former Interview with MIR. John II.
Crane no stated 10 our reporter thath no had not
read tho new License bill, but based his obiec-
lions to It merely upon hcarsay. Meeting that
gentleman TO day, he was asked
"Havo you read tho now License bill, and IL
so, what do you think OF IT."
'T have read tho bill carefully several
tlmes," said Mr.. Crane, sand after mature re-
Election 1 do not hesitate to pronounce 1t
The Most Unfair, Oppressive and
Outrageous Bill
over presented to n Legislative body. In tho
language OF one OF our Oldest aud most re.
spected citizens, Its title should road, bill
TO take tho tax from the shoulders of tho rich
and put Thorn onto the shoulders OF the poor
II IL an insult TO tho Intelligence OF tho 10Th
century, and should conslgn to everlasting In
fanny Its author and every Member OF Congress
who votes for It. 1t suggests the question,
drlfting2 In the first place, deny tho right
OF a citizen from Louisiana, another from Iowa
aud q soldier from West Point to make tax
bill, however good, for 200, 900 people without
their consents but when tho bill Is odlous ana
oppressive, discriminating In favor of ono
class against another, and Is drawn up with
out consulting any but a small Clique OF mon
eyed favoritos that moot with them socially, IL
becomes tho duty OF all good citizens to speak
out manfully and without foar or favor In
Denunc citation Of It's OdiOus Provi-
sious.
Ono would think from the way our imported
rulers talk and net that the grand purpose or
government Is to tax tho poor for tho benent OF
the rich, and to raise money to support lotof
lazy of1lcials to tyrannizo over the people,
whose servants they should BIO rather than
their masters, as they evidently think thoy
are, About 107 years ago, one July morning,
there 1oated out on the summer air something
like the following;
that all mon are created equal, endowed with
certain inalienable rights, among which arc
life, liberty and the pursuit OF happiness;
that to secure these rights governments are
Instituted among men, deriving their Just
power from tho consent OF tho governed; that
whenever any form OF government becomes
destructive OF these ends, IL Is tho right OF the
people TO alter or abolish II, &C.
"These grand words have been the text OF
,no FOURTH o. July 9rauons LOT one aun Ma
selves hoarse In praise OF the sentiments they
embody, and yet before our eyes and within
the very shadow OF tho Goddess OF Liberty,
they are trampled In tho dust by men from
| distant States, who assume the right to rule
over us, to burden us with oppressive
laws, and
To TAX us without Our Consent.
| why, within sight and pistol shot OF our ware.
| houses, the very Congress that is asked to
| coin this Infamous bill into statutes will ap.
| propriate money to build the loftiest monu.
ment In the world In honor of a man that led
| the armies of our fathers through q seven
| years war to secure the rights this BILL, with
others that have preceded 1t, take away from
| never seen."
"This is strong language. Do you think
| there is anything In the bill to Justify such
| plainness OF speech ?"
az do, and am prepared to show It, Take
| my own business, for instance. Section 40,
| relating to commission merchants, after pro-
| viding thata commission merchant shall pay
| $50 annually $40 moro than we now pay,
without restrictionsI ana Ia Ionnda n3
stead OF what shall, constitute commission
| merchant, goes on to say: 'ProUtded, hoWsUeT,
| That license as commission merchant shall
not be construed to grant tho right to sell
| goods as q commercial agent or as dealer In
| merchandise, or transact business outside the
| promises OF said commission merchant, by
| soliciting orders for the sale OF merchandise
OF any description whatever This, literally
enforced, Will close every produce commission
me from idrumming,; btt II I receive car.
load OF perishable goods on consignment that
won't keep three days, and chance 70 meet a
customer on the streets, cannot ask him to
visit my store and look at the goods. 1t even
goes further;
II Prohibits Me from Advertising
| the Goods.
| for II says shall not solicit orders for the
| sale OF merchandise OF any description what
| ever, and what is advertising but soliciting
orders' This is q blow at the press as we'll as
| the commission merchants. The monstrous
injustice OF this section was polluted out to the
| Commissioners, but went unheeded, as
the latest phsed Dill c9atSlas every
'put-up Job by few selfish mon to benefit
themselves by breaking down others. Why Is
chants and no others? The most OF these mer
deal in perishable goods, and should BIO tht
last ones to hamper with restrictions. 1t no
only strikes down the commission mer
chant, but
Interferes with the Business o.
Every Railroad
In the country, and the constituents Of evorI
member OF Congress, for our consignment
| come from North, South, East and West. An!
restrictions upon our sales In those days o
competition Will most likely make a loss 4
the shipper as well as ourselves, which b.
less business for the railroads leading int
Washington. Tho chairman OF the Distric
Committee being railroad man whose con
| stituents ship heavily into Washington canno
fail to see the injustice and folly OF this rc
striction."
| other merchantsT
81 do. The grocer who pays tax of $40
on; rst $1,000 Invested ss ana W on eyer
| drummers as he ploases, and solicit wheneve
and wherever he pleases, and Il he BIO whole
to 500 he may also sell by sample"
"Are you not mistaken in this? I bellev
, the grocer comes In under section DC. l SO
"You are right in regard to sectlen DO. Thi
/. partially is not there In Its proper place, bu
| you Will ind
{ The Cat Under the Meal Tub
;. In section SO, concerning commercial agent
: | 1t reads as follow:
/. "tFy0yided, That licensed dealers In me
/ | chandise whose license under this act sha
0 | amount TO 5000, shall not be required unde
!, | this act TO obtain license TO sell goods b
| sample
p "But am not opposing this bill solely o
account of Its oppressive restrictions upo
I | my business. There are other sections tn
\ are unjust, and that bear with crushing weigl
q upon the poor. Take section 30, for instanc
J which reads as follows; Junk-dealers sha
pay $50 annually. Every person whose bus
y ness It 10 to buy and sell old iron, second har
clothing, rags, paper, or like old materi6
r. shall be deemed junk-dealer.' Under tn
81 section the poor rag picker, whose capital
4 two or three dollars, and whose warehouse
g | q bag flung over his shoulder, must pay Il
T. same license as the man he sells to, who mi
ID l have an extensive warehouse and u capital
L 100000. Think OF It, $50 In advance,
the workhouse for $50 days is
d what Our Imported COMMISSIONS
r Say 10 the Poor Man,
!, who goes from house to house, picking upra
!. 10 earn pittance 10 keep his family fro
~ starving. They say this to the poor ma
y while 70 the millionaire they virtually sa
" Move here with your millions and cost
y turnouts, and see how beautifully We have q
r ranged TO relieve you from taxation at the G
Il, | pense OF the poor man, who, while taxed
| support Government TO protect your pro
1t | erty, we Will call upon In case OF war TO sho
10 | der a mnsket and stand up 10 be shot at
as "While these poor men are required TO p
M / 9kO-or n WhoIe yeAra licensa In nd vanca z