The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-09-03

y maintenance of public authorit,
E. with q view to preserve its facultie
l. and functions unimpaired. Whateve
the government can lawfully do, @
" right it should do, and the taxpayer
{. will furnish the means to accOmplis
+ this. But it is beyond the PROVING
of the government to invade privat
rights, and it is usurpation to tax
< more than is required to admlniste
the government economically.
Are you men from the farms. tn
p shops and the stores willing that an,
!, other rule should be adopted? Ma.
Z they take your money for uses no
authorized by the constitution, or no
necessary for the public welfare
Or that it may be piled up In vaults
to tempt the greed of the unscrupu'
I0us? When the war came taxation
was q necessity and was rightfully
|, increased. Large revenues were
needed to supply and maintain great
armies; but with the wal and the
expenditures consequent upon lt,there
passed away the necessity for a wal
standard of taxation. Why, then, has
such a standard been continued? The
party that has held almost unbrohen
power for nineteen years OF peace,
must respond to that inquiry.
EXCESS OF REVENUE.
In his message of December 4tE.
1882, President Arthur admOnished
congress that at the prior session, he
had urged upon it's attention the i'm
portance of relieving the industries
and enterprises of the nation of all
unnecessary taxation. In the same
message he said that the people have
been in substantial accord in the doc
trine, that only such taxes ought OF
be levied as r necessary for a wise
and economical administration of the
government" The president con-
| tinued : "Of late the public revenues
have far exceeded that limit, and, un-
less checked by appropriate legisla-
| ton, such excess will continue to IN
crease from year to year"
For the fiscal year ended
June Both, 1881, the sup,us
revenue amounted to $10O,0O0,OOO.
For the fiscal year ended on the Both
of June last, the surplus was more
than $l45, 100000. What say my coun-
trymen to that showing Of a revenue
not called for by the public needs?
During that congress the house was
made positively republican, and large
~ by partisan action. Not much
heed was given by it to the startling
statement made by the president OF
the enormous increase in the revenue.
No modification of the internal rev.
enue system and of the tariff was
made. On the March following there
was left an excess of $S5,OOO,OOO of
revenue.
In his last annual report, the Sd of
December last) the secretary of the
treasury estimates the surplus rev.
enue for the current year at $S5,OOO,-
coo, and adds: $50 the question still
presses what legislation is necessary
to relieve the people of unnecessary
taxes" Yes, it is a question of $780,
100000 of unnecessary taxes in one
year. And the accumulation Is con
slant.
In a speech recently made at Rich
mOnd, MI. Calkins, the candidate for
governor, boasting of the achieve |
ments of his party, made a statement
which | accept without examination,
that 1.-The republican party found an
empty treasury, now it has a
surplus of $4OO,OOO,OOO." That is
an enormous sum of money more, |
believe, than half the paper currency |
of the country. Estimating our pop
ulatiOn at 100000 1t is So for each
man, woman and child. That great
sum of money lies idle in the treas
ury. If 1t had been left with the peo-
pie it would become the willing and
active servant of labor. 1t would
stimulate and strengthen old and de-
velOp new enterprises. 1t would re-
store to the merchant his market, and
give the farmer good prices again.
In the language OF the secretary of
the treasury, the question still presses
what legislation is necessary to re-
lieve the people of unnecessary taxes.
It is the
QUESTION OF REVENUE REFORM.
Solve this question, my countrymen.
by reducing the taxes and thus leav-
ing the money not needed by the gov
ernment in the pockets of the people.
and in the channels of trade and
The party in power will
not give US this reform. As the wears
have rolled by with them in power,
The machinery of law. memorable in
it's action, has gone on collecting from
the taxpayers in excess, boarding and
accommodating. The candidate for gov
9rn0r boasts of the low taxes, the short
revenue and empty treasury of
days; and the high rates
md overlooking treasury Of these
lines become, in the appreciation of
himself and political associates, the {
achievements of exalted statesman I
hip. Learning and argument are i
exhausted in political papers of these |
lines in support of high taxation. OF 8
course, revenue reform must come !
rom another quarter. Il cannot come {
rom the representations of the /
ostered classes, who ask inequality in a
.egislation. that there may be unjust G
inequality in the profits of the varied a
pursuits of the people. +
DEMOCRATIC REVENUE REFORM. t
May l ask your attention to the d
Ian and principles of the revenue re- O
0rm to which the democracy are {
lodged by the Chicago platform +? t
Federal taxation shall not exceed the d
oNuS VI 0H0 -
ally administered" Do you approve u
hat? If not, would you have the p
wastefully or corruptly II
to make room and o
for higher taxes? a
taxation shall be 81
xclusively for public purposes" b
You'd you have it otherwise? II 81
axati0n can have for its object other Il
Ian public purposes, then what pur- p
Uses? May the object and purposes u!
Q individual and private gam? [ do Il
OF question that it may be, and p
ten is, an incident that can receive Is
greater benefit or carry a greater p'
arden than another, because of a es
rotective tax. If l buy an imported tt
with a duty upon it., l bear the so
arden OF that duty. If you manu- %
|cture q like article and sell it at an c!
OF price, equal to the duty, ci
to that extent you are benefited. pl
ut the individual benefit or burthen te
not the object or purpose of the -
W. It is but the necessary incident. u
or do 1 question that in the adjust an
ont nf the details of a tariff the ! co