Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-11-25
NUMBER 20.
TRUE DEMOCRACY.


The fourth annual banquet of th
Iroquois Club occurred at the Paine
House, Chicago, last Wednesday nigh
Among the distinguished Democrat
to whom invitations had been SEN
the following are among the most wide
ly known who accepted and were pres
ent: Hon. John q. Carlisle, Hon.
B. Beck, Hon. Edward S. Bragg an,
Hon. J. Sterling Morton. Below will
be found the full text of Mr.. Carlisle
speech in reply to the toast: "Ameri
can industries-their growth and pros
perlty cannot be promoted by unneces
sary and unequal taxation"
Although the toast just read assert.
a self-evldent truth we cannot afford tt
ignore the fact that even i'm this age O
philosophical speculation and practical
knowledge there are men in the from,
ranks of literature, politics and bust.
pess who seriously contend that the
government can make it's citizens rich
and prosperous by taxing them. II
these gentlemen should attempt to con-
vince the public that the farmer could
be made more prosperous by increasing
the tax on his land, or that the manu-
| factIlrer could be benefited by compell-
ing him to pay high rate of taxation
on his machinery or his income, the
absurdity of their position would be so
apparent as to excite universal ridicule:
and yet such propositions would be no
more absurd or unreasonable than the
assertion that the prosperity of the peo-
pie generally can be increased by i'm
posing taxes upon their food, their
clothing, their building materials, their
means of transportation and the tools
and implements used in their industries.
Taxes do not create wealth; they de-
stroy i. All taxation, whether it he
direct or indirect, and no matter how
it may be disguised or in what manner
its payment may be enforced 1t is ulti-
mately charge upon labor, while its
immediate and invariable effect is to
withdraw the full amount of the exac-
ton from the productive industries of
the people. When it is equitably inn
posed for public purposes only and its
proceeds are honestly used in defrayng
the necessary expenses and meeting
the just obligations of the government
all are equally benefited and no one
has right to complain, but when a
tax is imposed upon one part of the
people or one class of industries simply
for the purpose of increasing the profits
of another part of the people or anoth-
er class Of industries. or when tax is
SO laid that its nece ssary effect is to
increase the profits in some industries
at the expense OF others equally merit
orious the impolicy or injuriousness. of
the proceedings are too obvious to re-
quire comment.
Absolute equality in the adjustment
of the rates OF taxation and in the des-
ignation OF the articles upon which it
shall be imposed is not TO be expected
and in fact is not attainable, but sub
stantial equality and uniformity are
essential elements in every just reve-
nue. system. So long as the power of
taxation is exercised only for the pur-
pose of raising revenue for the support
of the government, the principles of
and uniformity can be recog-
niZed and enforced in large degree at |
least, but when the power is perverted |
and used to increase the profits of pri- |
vate individuals and prevent the col |
lection of revenue by the government |
it is impossible to regulate it's exercise
by any rule or principle except favorit-
ism and selffshness. In such q case,
equality and uniformity would neces-
sarily defeat the primary object of the
tax because it is evident that if all |
were compelled to pay equal tribute to
each other, nobody wouldsbe benefited;
and it is just as evident that if all do
not pay equal tribute somebody must
be cheated.
American industries-and by these 1
mean to include every honest and use-
moi hn foI hx-t
any system of taxation or any policy of
legislation which discriminates be-
tween them and compels one to con-
tribute part of its own earnings to in
crease the profits or prevent losses in
There should be no expatri-
,ted OR prosecuted industries in this
there should be no ranks or
degrees among the legitimate occupa-
ions of the people nor any road to the
avOr or bounty Of the government not
,pen to all alike. Mining .and manu-
acturing and the occupations deperd-
INT upon them, are great and valuable
Industries and should be cherished and
in every proper way. They
'fford employment to many millions
If capital and many thousands of labor
RS and their products contribute large
y to the wealth and comfort of the
3eople; but they are not by any means
he only American industries. In the
of the poor, in the fields and
orests, in the mines and factories, in
he stores and shops, on the railroads
md canals and rivers, on the high seas
there ale American in
lustries struggling with the mighty
orces of nature and subduing, combin-
ng and utilizing the elements of the
arth and the air, and any view of our
system which fails to COM
,rehend all these necessarily leads to
partial and erroneous conclusions. TAX
ng that broad view of them which
the smallest as well as
he greatest, and appreciates the inter-
sts of the whole instead of part only,
heir growth and prosperity can be I
promoted by taxation in any form. 1t |
s not difficult to see how system
which prevents competition and there
ore increases prices may enable any {
Individual who has capital involved in
. particular industry to realize profits ,
instead of suffering losses, but it is
that this must always be done ,
It the expense of the consumers of his !
who are, also, as general
'ule engaged in industrial pursuits. In ,
very such case the actual losses are I
precisely the same as if competition ,
lad not been prevented and prices had /,
,ot been increased, but instead of be-
np borne by the indy viduai who car ,
les on the business, they fall upon the ,
purchasers of his products aud are paid !
ut of the earnings of other industries. r
The other industries, therefore, not I
My make good his losses, but pay him !