The Press., 1888-05-31
Issued Every Thursday Evening.


 production against local or climatic advan tages enhancing its cost to the injury oi | he consumer.
 As a matter then of political economy The true system for an individual or a ma. tiOn Is to produce that which soil, climate and local advantages most favor, and ex. change surplus with others favored with different soil and climate for the produc- tion of other articles without waste oi labor and capital. This idea is we'll illus. trated ln the different states of our union, although in some sense independent sov. ereignties, yet each devoting itself to that which is most advantageous, and freely exchanging with others.
 The proper function of the government is to defend its people from foreign az gre ssiou and protect the persons and prop erty of its citizens. For those purposes an army and navy is needed in addition to the evil service.
 Now the expense of these should be borne in due proportion by the protection shared by each, or the thing protected should pay for its protection. Now under our present system is the protection given by the government to persons and proper. ty paid for equally by each
 The poor only require the protection of their persons. The rich require protec. tion of persons and property. Duties on imports are paid by consumers, who are mostly the poor, and the rich, whose vast properties are protected, pay little or noth- ing, or in no fair proportion to the benefit received. The poor laborer or mechanic with large family often consumes more duty burdened articles than his neighbor who counts his property by millions. The rngnIf IE that tho n1Jn al pay almost the entire-amouut required for the support of the general government. Now this system of taxation is so mani festly unjust that 1t cannot be defended on any principal of justice, and, unless we consider poverty crime, to be punished by robbing the laborer of portion of his hard-earncd wages for the benefit of his rich neighbor, no excuse c III be found for its continuance
 All the states counties, cities and towns pay for the support of their local govern ments by direct taxation, and the system is universally considered just. Why then should the general government continue to be supported by a system SO unjust and oppressive upon the masses?
 We reach then the conclusion that the revenue for the support of the general gov. ernment should be derived from direct taxation. A few considerations remain to be noted as to the advantages to be de rived from the system of direct taxation proposed.
 First-rhe entire abolition of custom houses aud all the army of office holders connected with them, with all the revenue cutters and the officers and men required in that service. These cost the country many millions every year, besides with drawing that army of people from the in iustrial enployments which would other wise enrich the country, by making then producers rather than consumers of the nations wealth.
 Second The. entire overthrow of tn, most pernlcious political influence nov demoralizing the country.
 Third-The curtailing of the power O political appointments, which, in the hand of an interruptions chief magistrate, may and will, be exercised to perpetuate hi power.
 Fourth-The entire overthrow of tn temptation to defraud the government b, under-invoicing imported goods, either il price, quality or quantity.
 Fifth-By removing all temptation t smuggling.
 The legitimate province of governmen
  of all their natural rights, excepting sucl only as must necessarily be surrendered for governmental purposes; such as tn, right to redress grievances, &c.
 Governments should also be paternal encouraging as much as possible truth ana honesty among the people. The system of duties on imports is perpetual tempta tiOn to dishonesty, offering material gain to the interruptions by defrauding the gov ernment of the full duties imposed by law or evading the payment of duties altogeth CT by smuggling. Any legislator, there fore, would be derelict ill duty who shoult advocate or uphold a system of law, whicl would lead the cunning and unscrupulou citizen to commit fraud for self-aggrandlse meat. Let the temptation to fraud be re moved, and fraud will case but while tn, temptation to fraud exists, and fraud pro duces gain, it will never cease as long n human nature remains unchanged. There fore, that government cannot be called pa ternal which opeus the door for, and offer the temptation to, fraud
 Let us further consider in what consist the boasted freedom of the people of thu United States. It is not 10 live where W, please, to engage in any busint ss W, please, to produce what we please, to sel the products of our labor when and wher we please, so long as we do not touch upol the rights of others. All this we may d, under our laws at home. But the momen we attempt to exchange the product of ou labor, produced under circumstances pc culiarly advantageous to such production with perons beyond the limits of tn United States, the government interferes and forbids or burdens the exchange de sired.
 From the preceding and many othe considerations it becomes evident that tax ation by duty on imports is unjust, un equally borne by the people who should pay it, expensive, demoralizing upon tn people by melting to fraud, subverslve 0 the true principles of political economy b, forcing productions in uneongenial eli mates or localities, or in the face of othe adverse conditions.
 We have now two systems of taxatio for the support of the general government one internal and the other, for present pun poses of designation, we will c clll external or duty on imports Either of these proI erly arranged are sufficient to supply tn revenue required. Both are not needed and by the adoption of one only the cour try would be saved the expense of ou army of office-holders and the political de moralization and other evils resulting fror it. The one to be retained is that who's burdens are most justly distributed, whic involves the least motive or tendency t fraudulent practices, which flinders leas