The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-12-09

one year from this date.
Thus a continuation Of our present revenue
system would soon result in the receipt Of an
annual income much greater than necessary
to meet government expenses, with no in
debtedness upon which it could be applied.
We should then be confronted with a vast
quantity of money, the circulating medium
Of the people, boarded in the treasury when
! 1t should be in their hands, or we should be
driven into wasteful public extravagancO
with all the corrupting National demoraliEa-
ton which follow in its train. But 1t is not
the simple existence Of this surplus and its
| threatened attendant evils which furnish the
| strongest argument against our present scale
| of Federal taxation Its worst phase Is the
! exaction of such a surplus through perver-
sion Of the relations between its people and
their government, and dangerous departure
| from the rules which limit the right Of Fed
| eral taxation.
Good government, and especially the gov
| ernment Of which every American citizen
boasts, has for its objects the protection of
| every person within its care in the greatest
| liberty consistent with the good order Of So
| ciety and his perfect securement in the enjoy
ment Of his earnings with the least possible
| diminution for public needs When more Of
the peoples substance is exacted through the
| form of taxation than is necessary to meet
the just obliga ations OF the government and
| the expense OF its economical administration,
such exaction becomes ruthless extortion and
a violation of the fundamental principles of
a free government
The indirect manner in which these ex-
actions are made, has tendency to conceal
their true character and their extent, but we
have arrived at a stage of superhuous rev.
enue which has aroused the people to q real
| iSation of the fact that the amount varied
professedly for the support Of the govern
ment, Is paid by them as absolutely, II
added TO the price Of the things which sup
| ply their daily wants, as II it was paid at
| fixed periods into the hand Of the tax-gath-
| erer.
Those who toll for daily wages are Begin
ming to understand that.capital, though some-
times vaunting in ignorance and camoring
for the protection and favor Of the govern
ment, is dull and sluggish, till, touched by the
magical handiof labor, it springs into activity,
| furnishing an occasion for federal taxation,
and gaining the value which enables it to
| bear its burden. And the laboring man is
thoughtfully inquiring whether in these cir
| cumstances and considering the tribute he
continually pays into the public treasury as
he supplies his daily wants he receives his
fair share Of advantages.
There is also a suspicion abroad that tho
surplus of our revenues indicates abnormal
and exceptional business profits, which under
the system which produces such surplus, in
creases without corresponding benefit to the
people, the vast accumulation Of few
among our citizens whose fortunes, rivaling
the wealth of the most favored in anti-demo-
cratic nations, are not the natural growth of
a steady, plain and industrious republic.
Our farmers too, and those engaged di-
rectly and indirectly in supplying the pro-
ducts of agriculture see that day by day and,
and as often as the daily wants of their
/ households recur, they are forced to pay ex-
cessive and needless taxation, while their
products struggle in foreign markets with
the competition of nations, which by allow
ing freer exchange of productions than we
permit, enable their people to sell Tor prices
which distress the American farmer
AS every patriotic citizen rejoces in the
constantly increasing pride of our people in
American citizenship and in the glory of our
natural achievements and progress, a senti-
ment prevails that the leading strings useful
to nation in its infancy, may be we'll to q
great extent discarded in present stages of
| American ingenuity, courages and fearless
self-reliances, and for the the privilege of in
dulging the sentiment with true American en-
thusiasm, and citizens are quite, willing to
forego an idle surplus in the public treasury,
and all the people know that the average rate
| of Federal taxation upon imports is to-day,
in time of peace, but little less, while upon
some articles Of necessary consumption it is
actually more than was imported by the
| grievous burden willingly borne, at a time
when the government reached millions to
maintain by war the safety and integrity of
| the union.
1t has been the policy of the government to
collect the principal part of its revenues by
a tax upon Imports; and no change in this
policy is desirable. But the present condi-
| ton of affairs constrains our people to de-
mand, that by a revision Of our revenue
laws, the receipts Of the government shall
be reduced to the necessary expense Of its
economical administration; and this demand
should be recognized and obeyed by the peo-
ple's representations in the legislative branch
! of the government.
In readjusting the burdens of Federal tax
alton, sound public policy requires that
such of our citizens as have built up large
and important industries under present con.
ditions, should not be suddenly and to their
injury deprived Of advantages to which they
have adapted their business; but If the pub
! lie good requires it, they should be content
with such consideration as shall deal fairly
and cautiously with their interests, while the
| just demand Of the people for relief from
needless taxation is honestly answered A
IL, a1v
demand should certainly be possible without
disastrous shock to any interest; ind a
! cheerful concession sometimes averts ab rupt
and needless action, often the outgrowth Of
impatience and delayed justice.
Due regard should be also accorded in any
' proposed readjustment to the interests of
! American labor, so far as they are involved
! We congratulate ourselves that there is
among us no laboring class fixed within un-
| yielding bounds and doomed under all con-
ditious to the exorable fate Of daily toll We
recognize in labor chief factor in the
! wealth of the republic, and we treat those
who have 1t in their keeping as citizens en-
titled to the most careful regard and
thoughtful attention. This regard and at
tention should be awarded them not only be-
cause labor is the capital of our workingmen,
Justly entitled to its share Of government
favor, but FOR the further and not less inn
portant reason that the laboring man, sur
rounded by his family in his humble home,
as a consumer, is vitality interested In all
that cheapens the cost of living and enables
him to bring within his domestic circle a j.
ditionai comforts aud adv vantages
This relation of the workingman to the
revenue laws Of the country, and the manner
in which II palpably influences the question
Of wages should not be forgotten in the jus
tiiable prominence given to the proper main
tenance Of the supply and protection of well
paid labor And these considerations sug.