The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-03-31
Congress-.

the bold and fearless manner in
which the system of federal taxa
ton was discussed in that message,
and said that the time could not
much longer be delayed when some
change must be made in that sys-
tenn. When fairly canvassed and
understood its injustice would Che
believed) necessilate a change Tax
alton should be for reycnpe pme
poses only The present system
was utterly indefensihle; it was fun
damentalIy wrong il principle and
doubly wrong in its details. As to
the proposition of protectiolists to
repeal the tax on whisky, beer and
tobacco, he expressed himself as en-
tirely opposed to it. Taxes could
be collected on these articles with
less injury to the people than on
any articles consumed by the hui
man family, and so loGg as it was
necessary 10 collect taxes for the use
Of the government it was indefensiN
bic to say that they should be re-
moved from whisky aud beer. In
der 4 system Of protection the for
eion trade Of the country had .ten
ruined So that now Ihe American
fiae could rarely be seen in q tor
ei@u port, laboc had been arrayed
against capital, strikes had beau en-
couraged and q species of government
uaternalisn established which
threatened to destroy the very
frame work of Americans institu-
tions and to build up a strong con-
soIidated government. He spoke of
the ways and means bill as mOdeT-
ate and Conservative. and favored
an income tax on all incomes over
| So, 900 50 as to produce enough TO
pay all pensions.
In the House, Mr. Nelson of Min
nesota. republican, deliver ed an aG-
dress upon the tariff. THE question
Of protection or free trade was not
fairly involved in the question
| Congress had to solve,' said Mr..
Nelson. The question was whether
the SURPLUS should be got rid of by
extrayagant expenditures or wbeth-
er taxes should be reduced. The
great body Of the people were
agreed that the surplus snould be
reduced By the reduction Of taxa
| ton. The next question presented
was whether that reduction should
be applied TO the tariff or internal
revenue taxation. The reduction of
tax on liquors he held to be out of
the question and as To tobacco tax
while there was greater diversity of
opiDjop. Mr. Nelson rho1pht
there was no serious cIamor
for lis removal. The tariff taxes
might br properly divided into two
| head. Eevenuc tax like that on
te. and coffee aau protective tax
Ike .hat On commodities not for
eira to our own country. On3v so
high duty should be laid as would
fairly cover the difference in cost Of
production here and abroad. That
! !, what he termed q low tax. anv
rate above that was high tariff. it
had been the fashion to ascribe the
! higher wages of this country to he
tariff. That he considered to be
false prftenc.. England was free
trade VII. l. Austria, Germany. Italy
and France were protection. and
yet wages ia England were much
higher than upon the continent.
Tn, {. use for the low wages Of Eur
ope vas to he found in the density
nf the ,..,..u3atiar and tho Greater
supptv o! sab :. He sent 10 The
clerks de-k an; had read u letter
received by him from Charles PiIs~
bury. Of Minnesota, who lie stated
was a prominent Republican,
warmly commending his course in
Coz. gress upon the tariff question,
and declaring that so per cent. ot
the Democrats and Is per cent. Of
the r publicans of Minnesota
agreed with him il his view. The
readiac of the letter was applauded
on the Democratic side.
Mr. Nelson had re ID It number Of
letters from Republicans Of Minne-
sofa endorsing tariff reduction, aud
the placing Of lumber, wool, &c, on
the Tree list One party writes that
Nelson's bill Is good as it goes, but
for Gods sake amend 1t by putting
wool on the free list. He adjUreS
Mr.. Nelson not to be frightened by
the bltating Of sheep, they need no
more protection than hogs and mems.
Mr.. Nelson next quoted western
Republican platforms declaring in
flvor Of a reduction in the tariff at
an early day, and added amidst
the laughter and applause Of the
! Democrats: And now my friends
is the appointed time" Continuing,
he said that even as stiff a protet-
zionist "a Senator Sherman lad
been forced at the meeting of the
Home Market club at Boston to adj
opd 70 dnnlara in favor of the ad-
no;eoi,n fran of lutv of cuch rsw