Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-09-16
EXCESSIVE TAXATION.


apolis when he discussed with consum
mate ability the issues of the present cam
{ paign. One of the most striking passage
of this fine effort was upon the subject O
! taxation. The speaker said:
when the war came taxation was nee
essarily and rightfully increased. Larg
revenues were needed to supply and main
tain great armies. But with the wa
and the expenditures consequent upon it
there passed away the necessity for wa
standard of taxation. Why then has sucI
, standard continued The party that hai
held almost unbroken power for nineteer
years Of peace must respond to that in
quiry.
'Tn his message Of December 4, 1882
President Arthur admOnishes Congress thai
at the prior session he had urged upon itl
!, attention the Importance of relieving the
industries and enterprise of the country
from the pressure of unnecessary taxation.
In the same message he said the people
!, have been in substantial accord in the doc
trine, that only such taxes ought to be
levied as are necessary for a wise ard eco
nomical administration of the Govern
ment' The President continued: 'Of late
, the public revenues have far exceeded that
limit, and unless checked by appropriate
legislation such excess will continue to in
crease from year to year. For the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1881, the surplus reve
nue. amounted to 800, 100000 For the
fiscal year ended on the Both of June last
year the surplus was more than $145, ,000,
1000.
REVENUE REFORM.
"What say you, my countrymen, did that
showing not call for revenue reform? Dur
ing that Congress the House was made
positively Republican, largely by partisan
action. Not much heed was given by it to
the startling statement made by the Presi.
dent of the enormous excess in the revenue
The modification of the internal revenue
system and of the tariff made on the March
following left an excess of $85, 900, 900 of
revenue. In his last annual report Ode
cember 8, 1889, the Secretary of the Treas
ury estimated the surplus at $4,000, 900,
and adds: so the question still presses,
What legislation is necessary to relieve the
people of unnecessary taxes?"
eyes, it is the question of $S5, ,000, 900
unnecessary taxes in one year. The accu-
mutation is constant, In speech recently
made at Richmond, Mr.. Calkins, the candi-
date for Governor of this State, boasting of
the achievements of his party, made the
statement which l adopt without examina-
ton, that the Republican party found an
empty treasury; now it has surplus of
$400, ,O000.'
| "That is an enormous sum of money,
more, believe, than half the paper cur
rency of the country. Estimating our
population at so, 900, 900, it is $S for each
man, woman, and child. That great sum
of money lies idle in the treasury. If it
had been left with the people it would be-
come the willing and active servant of
labor. 1t would stimulate and strengthen
old, and develop new enterprises. 1t
would restore to the merchant his
market and give the farmer good
prices again. In tie language of the
Secretary of the Treasury, the question
still presses, What legislation is necessary
to relieve the people of unnecessary taxes?
1t is the question Of revenue reform
Solve this question, my countrymep, by
reducing the taxes, and thus leaving the
money not needed by the Government in
the pockets of the people and the channels
Of trade and commerce. The party in
power will not give us this reform. AS the
years have rolled by with it in power, the
machinery of law, inexorable in its action,
has gone on collecting from the Taxpayers
in EXCESS, boarding and accumulating, and
the Republican candidate for Governor
boasts of the accumulation. In contrast
with the low taxes, and short revenue, and
empty Treasury of former days, the high
rates and overflowing Treasury of these
times become, in the appreciation of him
self and his political associates, the achieve
ments of exalted craftsmanship.
'Iearning and argument are exhausted
in the political papers of these times in
support of high taxation to the end and
for the purpose of relieving favored classes
from the competition of generous and lib
eraI trade. OF course, revenue reform
must come from other quarters. 1t cannot
| come from the representatives of favored
classes, who seek inequality in legislation
that there may be unjust inequality in the
profits of the varied pursuits of the people.
May | ask your attention then to the plan
| and principles of revenue reform to which
the Democracy are pledged by the Chicago
platform?
"'Federal taxation shall not exceed the
needs of the Government economically ad-
ministered.' Do you approve that? If
not, would you have the Government waste
! fully or corruptly administered to make
room and pretext for higher Federal taxes
"'Federal taxation shall be exclusively
for public purpose Would you have it
| otherwise If taxation can have for its
| object other than public purposes, then for
what purposes? May the object and pur-
pose be individual and private gain?
81 do not question that it may be and Of
ten is an incident that one man receives
greater benefit and carries greater burden
than another because OF prescribed tax. If
l buy an imported article with duty upon
it l bear the burden of duty. If you man.
ufacture like article and sell it at an ad-
vance of price equal to the duty, then to
| that extent you are benefited But the in
dividual benefit or burden is not the object
or purpose of the Jaw; it is but the neces-
sary incident. Nor do l question that in
the readjustment of the details of tariff
law the legislative mind and Judgment may
and will be influenced not only by consid-
erations of general policy, but also by the
probable effect of the measure upon the
business interests of the country. 1t is in
accordance with this sentiment that the
| Democratic party stands pledged in it's
| platform to revise the tariff in spirit of
fairness to all interests and that ANY
change of law must be at every step regard
| full of the labor and capital employed in the
industries of the country, and that custom
house taxes should bear heaviest on arti-
eles Of luxury ami lightest on articles of ne
| cessity, and that the necessary reduction
| in taxation can and must be effected with
out depriving American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with foreign labor
''The principles of the platform are plain
ly written and easily understood. They
present the conservative purpose of the De-
mocracy touching revenue reform. When
| expressed in the laws their beneficent influ-
ences will become active and universal
Lower taxes will signify lighter burdens
upon the people; money returning to the
channels of trade; enterprise restored and
stimulated; renewed demand for the pro.
ducts of industry and the consequent de-
mand for labor and universal prosperity.
eff the four hundred millions now locked
up in the treasury were restored to the
channels of trade and commerce, who can
doubt that labor would find employment
and the manufacturer a market for his fab
RIGS ?''
Why is wine that has been bottled for
years, like an unmarried lady of advanced
age? Because it is old made, and none the