Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-12-01
carlisle's Talk.

q carlisle's Talk.
THE TREASURY SURPLUS AND TIL
- TARIFF DISCUSSED.
THE KENTUCKY sTATEsMAN's SPEECH BE
FORE THE IROQUoIs CLUB-HIs VIEWS
ON MoMENTOUs QUESTIONS.
CHICAGO, November 1.-THE fourth an
nual banquet of the Iroquois Club occurred
night at the Palmer House. Among the
large number of distinguished Democrats
to whom invitations had been sent the fol-
lowing are among the most widely-known
who accepted and were present: Speaker
Carlisle, Senator Beck, Hon. Edward 8.
Bragg, and Hon. ]. Sterling Morton. Let
ters Of regret were received from President
Cleveland, Abram s. Hewitt, Roswell P.
Flower, William G. Eudicott, Perry Bel
mont, Governors D. B. Hill and Fitzhugh
Lee, A. g. Thurman, Fitz John Porter, and
and B. s. Cox. After the banquet, at which
between $50 and 300 guests and members
of the Club sat down, the following toasts
were made and responded to: American
Industries; Their growth and prosperity
cannot be promoted by unnecessary and un-
equal sxation"-Hon. John G.. Carlisle;
''The Treasury Surplus and the Tariff -
Senator Beck; ''The Public Lands and the
Peoples Heritage for Homes''--Hon.lW,J j.
Sparks; "The Great Republic" NJ.
W. Fuller; "The President of the United
States"-Hon. Edward s. Bragg; ono
nopoly Shall Not Rule'-Hon. j. Sterling
Morton; "The Sanctity of the American
Home the Safeguard of American Liberty
Hon. James R. Doolittle; "The Demo-
cratic Party"-L. ]. Kinne; "The Young
Man in Politics s''-Hon F. N. Lehman.
MR.. CARLIsLE's SPEECH.
Mr.. Carlisle was received with great ap
plause, and spoke as follows: Although the
toast just read asserts self evident truth, we
cannot afford to ignore the fact that even in
this age of philosophical speculation and
practical knowledge, there are men in the
front ranks of literature, politics, and busi-
ness who seriously contend that the Gov
ernment can make it's citizens rich and
prosperous by taxing them. If these gen.
tlemen should attempt to convince the pub
lie that
THE FARMER COULD BE MADE MORE PROS
Porous
by increasing the tax on his land, or that
the manufacturer could be benefited by
compelling him to pay high rate of taxa
tion on his machinery or his income, the ab-
surdity of their position would be SO ap-
parent as to excite universal ridicule; and
yet such a proposition would he no more
absurd or unreasonable than the asser-
ba tv of
generally can be increased by imposing
taxes upon their food, their clothing,
their building materials, their means Of
transportation, and the tools and imple-
ments used in their industries. Taxes do
not create wealth. They destroy it. All
taxation, whether it be direct or indirect,
and no matter how it may be disguised or
in what manner its payment be enforced, is
ultimately q charge upon labor, while it's
immediate and invariable effect is to with
draw the full amount of exaction from the
productive industries of the people. When
it is equitably imposed for public purposes
only and its proceeds are honestly used in
defraying necessary expenses and meeting
the Just obligations of the Government, all
are equally benefited, and no one has right
to complain; but when the tax is imposed
upon one part of the people, or one class of
industries simply for the purpose ofincreas-
ing the profits of another part of the people,
or another class of industries, or when the
tax is so laid that its necessary effect is to
increase the profits in some industries at
the expense of others, the equally meritori-
GUS impolicy and injustice of the proceed
ings are too obvious to require Comment
Absolute equality in the adjustment of rates
of taxation aud in the designation of articles
upon which it shall be imposed is not to be
expected, and, in fact, not attainable; but
substantial equality and uniformity are es-
sential elements in every just revenue sys-
tenn. SO long as the power of taxation is
exercised only for the purpose Of raising
revenue for the support of the Government,
the principles of equality and uniformity
can be recognized and enforced, in a large
degree, tleast; but when the power is per-
verted aud used to increase the profits of
private individuals and prevent the collec-
tion of revenue by the Government, it is
impossible TO regulate its exercise by any
rule or principle except favoritism and sell
fisbnsss. In such a case equality and uni
formity will necessarily defeat the primary
object of the tax bureau. 1t is evident that
if all were compelled to pay equal tribute
to each other nobody would be benefited,
and it is just as evident that if all do not
pay equal tribute,
SOMEBODY MUST BE CHEATED.
American industries-and by these mean
to include every honest and useful ecoupa-
tion-cannot be promoted by any system of
taxation or any policy of legislation which
discriminates between them and compels
one to contribute part of it's own earnings
1 in
another. There should be no expatriated
er persscuted industries in the country
There should be no ranks or degrees among
legitimate occupations of the people, nor
any road to the favor or bounty of the Gov
ernment not open to all alike. Mining and
manufacturing and occupations dependent
npon them are great and valuable indus
tries, and should be cherished and promot-
ed in every proper way. They afford employ
ment to many millions of capital and many
thousands of laborers, and their products
contribute largely to the wealth and COM
fort of the people; but they are not by any
means the only American industries, In
the households of the poor, in the fields and
forests, in the mines and factories, in the
stores and shops, on the railroads and
canals and rivers, on the high seas-every-
where there are American industries strug-
CLING with the mighty forces of nature, and
subduing, combining, and utilizing the ele-
ments Of the earth and air, and any view OF
our industrial system which fails to com.
preheDd all these necessarily leads to par.
tial and erroneous conclusions. Taking
that broad view of them which comprs-
hends the smallest as we'll as the greatest
and appreciates the interest of the whole
instead of part only it is impossible to un-
derstand how their growth and prosperity
can be promoted by taxation in any form
1t is not difficult to see how system
WHICH PREVENTS COMPETITION,
and therefore increases prices, may enable
an individual who has capital invested in
particular industry to realize profits instead
Of suffering losses, but it is manifest tina
this mnst always be done at tho expense O
the consumers of his products, who are also
as general rule, engaged in industria
pursuits. In every such case the actua
losses are precisely the same as if cempeti
ton had not been prevented and prices hat
not been increased; but instead of bein,
borne by. the individual who carries on bust
ness, they fall upon the purchasers of his
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