The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-04-19

O8vuMD0 - ~ tUG texIS114 ss0e 49,
bin cas easily b. pasesd 4 tke nsxt session. =
there win be No reasons thsa foe o1gnsition 70
The IN = Z. D.
Border Re6Aess In . NSAarn Aaaise.
The secood Of Senator vacce's articles In the
Baltimore 0un on the Needs Of the Natiou"
b devoted TO the injustice and immortality OF the
socalled protective" system, the first having
shown about - clearly - possible that . tarih
bot increase the price Of Manufactured arsicses
to the consumers IS unconstitutional and COO
trary 20 the accepted ideas Of . free government
The old watch words Of the French revolution
lists, %" Liberty, fraternity and Equality" he says.
though somewh hat shOrn OF their beauty by IN
association with the violence and blood OF that
unhappy period, yet contain the sum and sub
stance OF Dem cratic liberty. He continues:
Centuries ago our ancestors made war against
all forms Of legal exclusive privileges and class
distinction. and the fight was kept up by each
succeeding z, neration. When our taihers, IN
the continuation OF that struggle, threw Cd Brit
ish supremacy in l776, and established the
American Union by our Constitution, they
thought they had thrown OF also all the ideas
and institutions Of aristOcratc Europe which
tended 10 create artificial and unnatural dlsticc
tons among men Theoretically they did succeed
in bringing about the equality Of all before
the law, but they did not provide Tor, because
they could not foresee, the encroachments on
popular rights OF the spirit Of greed which has
in modern times converted The very instruments
Of Democratic equality into the means Of class
advantage The inequalities Of our
society caused by the unequal distribution OF
wealth, are sufficiently great TO cause much mis-
cry. There is NJ subject which caus..s greater
anxiety 10 the humane statesman Yet when
such things come abput naturally, as the result
Of superior thrift industry or ability, no one can
jusll, compl,in. Ii is the fulfllmeu, of great
49, De- 1,Aac hall nff hat
character of legislation which hasens and in
crenses these deplorable Inequalities! Which
creates them where, according 10 the moral law,
They would nn, exist? BY which one class Of
our people, huwever industrious, temperate and
| thrifty are vet go weighted down with resiric-
lions and taxation in favor Of another class that
| they are left behind in the struggle! Law rep
rcsrnts the supreme power Of the State. With
us that power is lodged in the people, and law
| is the expression Of the will indicated by the
! mairri'y. There Can he nothing more cruel and
dcsTotic than tn bring the collective will OF the
| majority or supreme powers of the Stale
TO The point OF taxing or confiscating
the property ni The minority, or, which is the
same thing giving the one II legal advantage OF
| the other which enables the same result 10 be
! obtained Yet snch is he effcc, and intention
| Of n protective tariff It's avowed object Is 10
| enable The home manufacturer 10 make money
and rs il rejects the idea of foreign trade and
shuts it altOgether,t the only persons of whom
| he can make il are his own cOuDtrymen The
element OF moral wrong in such legislation is
radical and unmisiakable.
What is a protective tariff, but tax levied
ON A TO support b: IL 1t be 500 then II IS
| morally wrong. In the abstract no man will
venture to deny il. The sophistries and subter-
fuges resorted to in the attempt 10 show that it
| is not tax levied on A, or, lift is, that he re-
ccises ii all back again, are unworthy OF serious
| consideration in this connection. 1t is tax or
il could not increase the cost OF the articles on
which il is imposed il Is paid by the consumer,
for there is no else TO pay it it does support
the manufacturer, for he clamors for ii and says
| he Cannot live without it.
The chief equitable ingredient Of contract
| is mutually; there must be a giving as well as
taking. Now how is farmer to be recompensed
| under a protective tariff Where are
the mutual benefits in deal between him
| and The iron and wooden manufacturer? He
| goes 10 the iron master 10 buy his farm nipple
ments the price is fixed by the cost of the for
egn article plus the tariff duty in other words,
| he buys in restricted market. To pay for his
purchases he sells his wheat or his cotton in
| ireetrade market at price fixed in London in
competition with all the wheat and cotton of
| the world. He sells in the cheapest market and
| buys in the dearest market reversing the eco
| nomical condition which his interest requires.
| Is it beneficial to him? Is il honest or just to
force him to sell for the lowest price and to buy
| at the highest? No man will say so; and the
| only answer is denial of the fact by attempt
| ing 10 show that when the foreigner is kept out.
| domestic competition becomes 80 great that
| prices become lower than they would be with
out any duty at all and therefore, so far from
| protection being tax upon one class for the
support of another. it is in fact benefit to the
| man who is supposed to be taxed
| Ii is the true glory Of freedom that her institu
tons are based upon great moral principles. re-
cOgniZing all the essential rights OF man. In no
18th L4,,1 49, hrnv
monty violated as in the matter OF taxation.
| Law and advancing civilization have long
| since stopped the Seizure of mems property
by the strong hand. The mailed plunderers OF
the middle ages have all passed away, and 80
| have the grOsser forms Of monopoly and class
privilege. But The spirit which animated them
the fierce desire to get riches by reapng where
others have sown-still remains, and will remain
| until human nature is changed. 1t is this which
still troubles our Israel Ii is the old foes under
| new faces. 1t was the custom OF the wives OF
| the old border robbers to serve up a covered dish
| with pair of spurs inside for breakfast whenever
the larder was empty of beef Upon this hint
| the husbands with their clansmen organized an
armed fOray into the pastures OF the lOwlands 10
| drive off cattle They had one virtue in their
lawlessness, however; they told no lies about
| their motives or the results of their conduct.
They confessed that they lived by these levies
upon their neghbors; they did not 1eclare that
it was for the good of the cattle breeders, and try
to prove that they got i, all back in the long
rum"
They wanted beef, and they went and took it.
because they knew no other way to get H.
No man goes out on the highway to
plumber his neighbor now armed with pistols;
he goes into a legislative lobby, and arms him
self with statute In the name Of patriotism
and the workngman he is authorized by this
statute 10 collect taxes from his neighbors with
which he Can buy beef to his stomachs contept.
There is no show Of violence. no outcry, nor hot
pursuit, nor unseemly lowing OF overdrven kline
all IS done decently and 10 order. He has VIC
lated no law and fears no punishment On the
contrary, he poses as the benefactor and best
friend of the pIundered man instead of wrong
doer. And yet the process is robbery-pure
rob cry; meaner than that of the Ricver, be-
cause more cowardly, baser than that OF any
other, because right and justice and all the noble
elements of law prpstiuted and degraded in
the service of selfish greed. In all ages and
among all peoples taxes have been considered a
hardship, and the laying of them regarded with
the utmos, jealousy. They are the favorile and
peculiar implement of despotism = the time
honored and dishonored means whereby an un-
scrupulous ruler confscates The property of the
citizen under pretense of public necessity And
yet no Bourbon, Tudor or Plantaeenet prince
ever extorted q tax TO support unjust wars or