Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-09

VI VIC government, Wltn us increased VOl-
ume and thorough economies in its col
lectlons, is now more than ever in excess
of pubic necessities. The application
of the surplus to the payment of such
portion of the public debt, as is now at
our option, subject to extinguishment if
continued at the rate which has lately pre-
vailed, would retire that clause of in
debtedness within less than one year from
this date. Thus conknuation of our
present revenue system would soon re-
suit in the receipt of an annual
income much greater than necessary to
meet the government expenses with no
Indebtedness upon which it could be ap-
pied. We should then be confronted
with vast quantity of money, the c1rcu-
latlng medium of the people, boarded In
the treasury, whom it should be in their
hands, or we should be drawn into waste
fuI public extravaganza with all the cor
rupt1ng national Generalization which
follows IN its train. But it is not Nhe
simple eHstence of this surplus and its
threatened attendant evil which furnish
THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT
against our present scale of federal taxa
tlon-its worse phase is the exaction of
such surplus through perversion of re-
latlon between the people and their gov
eminent, a dangerous departure from :
rules which limit the right of federal taxa
ton. Good government which every
American citizen boasts has for its objects
the protection of every person within its
borders with the greatest liberty consis-
tent with the good of the country and his
perfect security in the enjoyment of his
earnings, with the least possible diminu-
ton for public needs. When more of the
N1nts 49,.
the form of taxation, than is necessary
to meet the just obligations of the gov
eminent and the expense of its eGonom-
ical administration, such action becomes
ruthless extortion and violation of the
fundamental principles of free govern
ment. The indirect manner in which
these exactions are made has tendency
to conceal their true character and their
extent; but we have arrived at
STAGE OF sUPERFLUoUs REVENUE
which has aroused the people to a realiza-
ton of the fact, that the amount raised
professedly for the support of the govern
ment, is paid by them as absolutely
added to the price of the things which
supply their daily wants if it was paid at
fixed periods into the hands of the tax
gatherer. Those who toll for daily wages
are beginning to understand that capital
though sometimes Wanting in its
Importance and clamoring for
the protection and favor of the govern
ment, is dull and sluggish till, touched by
the magical hand of labor, it springs into
activity, furnishing an occasion for fed
eral taxation and gaining the value which
enables it to bear its burden, and the
laboring man is thoughtfully inquiring
whether in these circumstances and CON
sidering the tribute he constantly pays
into the public treasury as he supplies
his daily wants, he receives his fair share of
advantages. There IS also suspicion
abroad that the surplus of our revenues
indicate abnormal and exceptional bust
ness profits, which under the system
which produces such surplus, increase,
without corresponding benefit to the peo-
pie at large, the vast accumulation of a
few among our citizens, whose fortunes,
rivaling the wealth of the most favored
in anti-democratic nations, are not the
natural growth of a steady, plain and in
dustriOus republic.
OUR FARMERS TOO
and those engaged directly and Indirect
ly in supplying the products of agricuI-
ture see that day by day and as aften
as the daily wants of their house
holds recur they are forced to pay excess
i've and needless taxation, while their pro-
ducts struggle in foreign markets with
the competition of nations, which by
allowing freer exchange of productions
than we permit, enable their people to
sell for prices which distress the Ameri-
can farmer. As every patriotic citizen
reioices In the constantly increasing
pride of our people in American citizen
ship and in the glory of our national
ACHIEVEMENTS and progress, sentiment
prevails that the leading strings useful
to a nation in its infancy, may well, to
a great extent, be discarded in the pres
ent stage of American ingenuity, courage
and fearless self-reliance, and for the
privilege of indulging this sentiment
with true American enthusiasm, our citi-
zens 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 con-
sumption it is actually more than
was imposed by the previous burden will
ingly borne at times when the govern
ment needed millions to maintain by war,
the safety and integrity of the United
States. 1t has been the policy of the
government to collect the principal part
of revenue by a tax upon imports
and no change in this policy is desirable.
But the present condition of affairs con-
strains our people to demand that by a
revision of our revenue laws the receipts
of our government shall be reduced to the
necessary expense of its econom-
ical administration, and this demand
should be recognized and obeyed by
the peoples representatives in the legis-
tive branch of the government. In re-
adjusting the burdens of federal taxation
A SOUND PUBLIC POLICY
requires that such of our citizens as have
built up large and important industries
under nrnsanf conditions Shnnld not he