Nevada County picayune., 1888-03-21
REPUBLICAN TAX POLICY.

l ton as advocates of their free rum and tax clothing" policy, though, measured by their standards, both ashington and Hamilton were thorough-g going free traders. The most radical democratic tariff re- former of the present day asks noth- iup more than free raw materials for the manufactured goods to a basis of 25 per cent, on values. Protection ists declare that the wool tax, for in- stance. shall not be reduced. If they quote ashington and Hamilton as authorities on what the tax on clothing should be. they must sub init to reduction from the present 70 per cent. rate to l-2 per cent. Hamilton believed an ad valorem tariff tax of : 1-2 per cent. ample for the protection of all manufac- lures of cotton and wool. He believ-
 
 ed in absolute free trade in all raw material; recommended the abolition of the tax of , cents pound on raw cotton. and even went so far as to question If it were not eXpedlent to admit pig-iron free of duty.' He beliyed that all taxes laid on raw material discouraged home industry and forced down the wages of labor since the money paid ill these taxes must be deducted from the expense of wages wherever it cannot be re- gained from the public in increased prices.
 The Democratic party holds that a tariff adjusted to meet the neces- sary expenses of government. con ducted without eXtrava gancc, will give American manufactures every necessary advantage in meeting for eign competitor in the home market, and will enable them to compete successfully in the markets of the world from which they are now de barred. To meet the necessary eX- penses of government the party pro- poses tariff for higher than Hamil- ton ever proposed. and 1t does this, not for the benefit of one class at the expense of another. but because gov ernment for the benefit of all cannot be carried on without it. We have never been really prosperous as a nation. except under Democratic rule. with treasury receipts balanc- ing treasury expenditures and taxa ton regulated strictly by government tai needs. In the eight years. from lS- 52 to 1860. under Democratic pol icy the country doubled its value in wealth in spite of disturbances crea- ted by sectional agitators. We have since had snch prosperous decade as that in which national wealth in- creased from st .O0O. .O00. .00O to Sl2. GOO, 100000 Census Summary, 1880, page .5OS. when by the Democrat ic ratio of increase S2I .OOO. .OOO, GOO ought to have been in sight. The Republicans have not only drained the wealth from all other sections in- to few favored states; they have driven the merchant and manufact- urers of those sections to coniine their energies to a single market. The high taxes on manufactured goods have bled hepeople; the high taxes on raw materials have forced him out of foreign markets because he cannot pay high taxes n raw ma terial and compete aboard with man ufacturers whose raw material is un- taxed. He cannot bring wealth into the country. He is forced tO prey on his own countrymen by advanc- ing prices and making good as far as he can at their expense. what he los es by being shut out from foreign markets. He cannot add to the nat ional wealth. because he cannot bring in wealth from abroad lIedg- eel in as we are by the Republican policy, our national wealth can only increase by thcincreasc population and the resultant increase of demand in the Home market. We cannot tind vent for brains. energy and enterprise in reaching out into the outside market, sending out our goods and bringing back the money of foreigners. All we can do is to engage at home in the mutual rapine of business under policy which forces pools. trusts, syndicates and combinations of every class and kind. aggressive and defensive. ] Under the Democratic policy, the American manufacturer, sail or and merchant cooperate in ex- tnnlinm nnr trade nll nNnr the world