Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-05-07
Tariff Reform.

will not Gown7at The bidding OF polltl'
clans. While it Is political question:
it is also financial question which |
reaches the home Of every man and
materially effects himself and bis fam
lly. 1t is question which is not
generally understood by the people,
not because it is so difficult to under
stand as the protectIonists would have
us believe. but because The people have,
10 loo greater an extent, believed that
it was a mere political question, which
politicians would settle to SUIT them
selves. A change is now tabing place;
politicians would willingly allow the
question TO be thrown out OF the can
yass and make their fight upon other
issues, but the people demand light and
will not be satisfied until this great
question is acted upon by those whVse
voice will determine the result.
We propose TO give a plaiD, candid
statement OF The effects of the high pro-
,eclive tariff which now Expresses the |
people and paralSses the efforts of the
lsborers OF every section. Protection
lists tell us that it is an indirect tax and
persons do not feel it as they wosld
dire Ct tax. THIS may be true, and II
is TO this TACT that a protective tariff |
owes its continued existence. Were It
direct, our falmQs would at once |
perceive the eLornitY OF the wrong |
which is imposed upon them aud With
one mighty effort would instantly throw
It of. No politician would have the
courage TO advocate it. 1t 10 indeed
indirect but il Is more the lees unjust
and oppressive. The man that breathes
8 poisoned atmosphere may be alto
gether ignorant of the fact, but the
poison is none the less deadly, and the
danger is equally as great as that OF
Il e individual who is exposed to the
bullets OF an open enemy,
The people do not know what amount
they are compelled t. pay to support
ibis reflective system which now en-
Iictes the tie nonOrOlists and
impoyershes the. multitude. An ex.
animation of the United States
o.-.,,a -.yaols ,bn faot tbot ihia nro.
tectiye system, in addition TO the |
amount of tax imposed upon the peo-
Die for The support oil their municipal,
State and United States governments,
imposes an average tax of over eleven
dollars upon every man, woman and
child 10 the United States. This state
ment has been fully verified by the re.
ports given 10 the United States census.
of 1880. The amount collected by tht |
Uni.ed States government, which be-
comes a part Of he revenue, in excess
of tlat really needed amounts 10 IS
much az one hundred millions in one
wear, which added TO The above amount
which is paid 10 manufacturers. would
make tie unnecessary tax upon the
people average $lS per head for every
man, woman ard child in the United
Safes.
The amount is enormous and the
people have been ignorant Of the magnl-
tude Of the burden which they were
bearing.
It's not ike other taxes which are
imposed IN proportion 10 mans pro-
perry but il is proporlioned according
10 mans necessities. The poor la
borer that tolls for lis wife and chil.
dren must divide bis hard earned wages
with the monopolisis Who live 10
spltndor and roll IN luxuries obtained
by Ibis oppressive system of taxation.
1t Is true it is indirect, so indirect
that tie taxing power is taken out of the
hands Of the government and placed 10
those oil he monopolists, and almost
syerYlman who engages in business Of
any kind is made collector of this fund
de dicated 10 th use Of those who OVID
The extensive manufactures.
Upder this indirect system every mer-
chant becomes a collector Of taxes.
For every article which be sells, be
collects the cost and the profits of the
jobbtr ar d himself upon that cost, and
then collects The protective tax and
the profits Of the jObber and himself
upon that tax. The one is frequently
about as great as the other. Ne cir
oumstances or misfortunes exempt q
man from this tax. II Is imposed upon
the bwaddling clothes that wlsp the
helpless infant and upon tie cofiD
that envelops the corpse Of the worn
out. aged lalor Almost every arti-
Gle OF food ond every article ofclo:hiug
IL heavily and unnecessarily taxed.
Men become slaves without knowing
it. The wages which they earn are
taken from them without Their consent,
and yet Americans boast Of their free.
dom ard assert that they live under
"the test government the sun ever
shone upon"
In order to continue this system OF
class protection the prote ctionlsts
disseminate documents, among the
farmers, which try 10 prove that pro-
tectlve tariff benefits them. Let The
light Of the eDsus be turned upon this
subject and even those who have been
affected With political blindness will
be startled by The revelation.
The census shows that capital in-
vested 10 manufacturing yields over 20 |
per cent. aud that capital invested in
farming, not taking into consideration
the cOsls Of fertilizers aud seed. is less
than 10 per cent. and yet this farmer.
projected in bic business only by the
legitimate laws of supply apd demand,