The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-05-13
CONGRESSIONAL.

Mr.. Hewitt Makes an Earnest Appeal for
Reform In Taxation In the House of
Representatives.
WASHINGTON. May b.-The day being
SGT aside for the consideration Of busi-
ness reported from the Committee on
Military Affairs, the arst bill called up
which was considered In committee OF
the whole, was one for the relief OF GER
tain tiilcers OF the veteran army. Qt
provides that all soldiers OF the late war
who 70 enlisted 40 veteran volunteers
and afterwards were discharged, 10 re-
ceiye promotion and receive commission
as officers In the army, must be paid all
inqtallments of veteran bounty which
were withheld from them on account OF
their being 30 commissioned and mus
tired, the same az they would have been
entitled to receive had they completed
their term OF enlistment without pro-
motion and received an honorable dis
charge.
After an argument In support of the
bill ty Mr. Lsird, OF Nebraska,
MR., HEWITT, OF NEW YORK,
Took the floor In opposition IA
the measure. II was time, he
said, to call halt upon these bills CIV
Ing an unknown sum from the Treasury
OF the United States, which could on ly
DO brought out by the coined sweat OF
the laboring men OF the country. The
government had not any money 10 give
away, Thousands OF men were to-day
In the presence OF starvation. The ave-
nueB for work werb being closed up,
mostly the result OF over taxation. Lei
the House address itself 10 the work OF
reducing taxes. Twenty-Five dollars q
year taken Oul OF q single family might
not seem much to the gentlemen who
were 30 ready TO empty the contents OF
the United States Treasury into the
streets, but to the man who earned his
living, twenty Ave dollars represented
the difference between comfort and pen
ury, His friends from the South were
placed In an embarrassing situation
when this class Of bills was presented
They could not discuss them without
having the imDutatlOn of dllloyaltJ
thrown upon them. No man could re
proach him with want OF loyalty, ol
his people with disposition not Il
make aacrlAces for those who suffered
for The cause OF their country. But th(
burden had become lntolerable, and 4
was time somebody should speak out
He cared not what the consequence
might be TO him personally. He wisheC
to warn gentlemen that they must stOI
depicting the Treasury, They must stOI
giving its contents, on one pfet Yt ant
another, TO those who were not lab0rln(
for an honest living. II they wer,
laborlng they would not want th,
money which Congress was 30 ready Il
pour into their laps, He had seen meI
from the South come up and vote f0
these bills-for every measure 10 do jns
tice to United States sOldlers-but wha
was worse he had seen them forced I,
give their assent 10 other measurel
WI iJl would not have received apprOba
ti0n In the better days OF the republic
when the Constitution was bstter un
derstoOd and respected than now. Ill
had seen them come up and vote 70
these measures on the ground that |
was he only way they could get bacl
for the South any portion Of the none,
assessed against II for taxes. He dil
not blame those gentlemen for yotinl
for river and harbor bills, educa
tion bills, and other bills, whlcl
he felt constrained 10 oppose, fo
In their desolation, In their loss Of every
thing except honor, they were taxed Il
pay out this money which was dlstrib
utei among the Union soldiers. The,
had come up manfully 10 their Obllga'
tlons, but II was not honest or honorable
to press upon them these measures h
which they we're not able to express dis
sent.
"What In there dishonest or dlshonor
able In this measureY' queried MI
Warner, OF Missouri.