Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-03

have said"
Mr.. Kenna:-'I am frank 10 say that
my appeal is so the Senator personally,
every word of it, as he will see as l pro-
ceed."
In 1882 he said that,
These lakes ought TO be left as n parto OF
our permanent system Of taxation as long
As any other taxes, internal or external,
more oppressive, remain on the statute
books"
And / ask the honorable Senator, when
he comes TO answer that question, whether
he says that now?
Mr.. Sherman-Do you want my ans
wer?
Mr.. Kenna-I will yield to the Senator
to answer the question, but not to make a
speech. !
MI. S~herman-"I do say that as
long as any system OF internal taxation,
about which was speaking"-
Mr.. Kenna-"Ah"
Mr.. S~herman-"I say as long as that re-
mains, / believe this tax ought to remain,
but the tax on the internal revenue list
that / propose to repeal and the only
one l propose to repeal is the tax on to-
bacco, which is an article produced by
the farm, raised on the farm, four-tfths
the cost of which is in the raw material.
That is the only intercal revenue tax l
propose to repeal. do not propose to re-
peal the others"
Mr.. Kenna-"Now ! think we all under
stand the Senator from Ohio. / shall
answer him by reading what l have Just
read from him, and then in order that the
Senate and the country may under
stand precisely what b Senator'S
views really are on this question
| shall proceed to read further from what
be has said at various times: These taxes
ought to be left as q part OF our permanent
system of taxation as long as any other
taxes internal or more oppressive remain
on the statute book"
And again in 1882, the honorable Sena-
tor growing eloquent Oh this subject, de-
clared in the Senate:
81 do not hesitate to say that there Is
general desire among all classes OF our
people, without regard to party, that the
remnants of the internal system shall be
swept away, except on whisky, tobacco
and beer. = 4 4 This tobacco tax, of
all others, is the easiest collected, the most
certain, increasing constantly from year to
year, dependent upon an appetite that will
be INDUCED no matter what may be the
tax; o tax that has been more stable than
any other. No amount Of tax likely to be
upon tobacco will prevent It's being chewed
and smoked and snuffed. In all other
countries where taxation prevails this Is a
~favOrite subject of taxation. l
say the tax on tobacco does not diminish
the price to the farmer who raises it.
\ And ! say we are all throwing OIL a
tax, which by the judgment of all nations,
is the best source of taxation"
SUDDEN CHANGE OF HEART.
What, l may again ask, has brought
about this change of heart and of convic-
ton on the part of the honorable Senator?
Is it a change in the method OF producing
tobacco? We know better than that. Is
it a change in the method of taxing 1t?
There has been no change in that process.
Is it a change in the condition which con-
frouted MS in 1882, and which confronts us
now? TIE conditions are practically the
same. Has the change in the political
complexion OF the administration affected
the honorable Senator, or have we reached
that happier period when men decline to
smoke or to chew or to snuff? l leave
these questions to the consideration OF the
honorable Senator from Ohio.
But the Senator has undertaken to say
that the surplus in the Treasury is due to
the failure aud refusal of the President
and of the House of Representatives to
permit the application OF public funds to
objects of necessity and legitimate demand
upon the Treasury. l shall not go into all
that he says upOn the subject; two instan-
ces will suffice 10 characterize the whole
argument. He denounces Congress for its
failure to provide subsidies for postal com
~munication with South American States,
and IN the same connection denounceS the
President for his failure TO approve the
river and harbor bill. The question of
subsidies il familiar to the whole people
The antagorQsm of the Administration and
| Of his party to the substituting Of special
interest or classes needs no defense at my
hands. This Invention Of the Republican
party has never found favor with the De-
mucracy. IL IS against the fairness and
spirit and genius OF our institutions.
Subsidies to ships! We have NO ships!
Your pretended policy of protection has
driven our commerce from the high seas.
You %cOnfiue u producers to the hmita-
ton of their home market, and you deny
! them the agencies to carry the fruits OF
their industry to the markets of the world.
Sir, we have no ships! A line TO Brazil,
does the Senator say? Perhaps. Another
~strsggler here or there? 1t may be. BIT
like the ancient parrot of the Attures,
which sat croaking the language of the
people who had taught 1t after the last OF
| that tribe had been gathered to his fathers,
they serve but TO make more plaintive the
appeal for q recall sof the Cruelties OF our
commerciallfa fate. We..haye 40 ships. We
cannot build them to compete with the
continent or the Clyde, and your obstruc-
tive policy will not allow us 10 sail them
under our flag.
A RUINED SHIPPING.
The report oil the present Secretary OF
the Treasury shows that our carrying trade
has gone down from IS per cent, in 1856,
TO IA per cent. in 1887, and this in the
face of the development of a Continent,
and in spite of the energies ofthe most ell
terprising people in the world. And so
the little army of American citizens who
might he engaged in carrying our products
Ia service for which last year we paid
more than 500, 600, 600 to foreigners
have been left ashore to enter into compe-
tition for a livelihood with those who are
expected ( o join in the universal hallelujah
to republican protection, to American ships.
The honorable Senator has spoken Of
schedule Eand of Glass ID of our tariff
laws. but, Mr.. President, there is another
class TO which tine Senator has failed to al
lude. Where is vour Glass "Ships?"
Turn to that! But ships are prohibited,
You say. So they are. They have their
| classification in fact nevertheless. Ships
and obscene books, they are prohibited!
Ships and counterfeit coin, they are pro-
hIbited! Ships and contagious diseases,
they are prohibited! There, sir, contem:
plate it! There is your Glass "Ships,"
grim monster of national injustice and OF
commercial sickness aud sorrow and death.
But if the honorable Senator views with
cOmplacency the surplus in the Treasury
he may likewise congratulate himself that