Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-18
MILLS
Fires the First Gun of the Tariff
Debate.
THE GREAT FIGHT is NOW ON.
Crushing Arguments in Favor Of Tax
Reduction.
HOW THE TARIFF WES BUILT Up
Under the Pressing Necessities Of War.
More BurdsnSOms To-Day Than
Ever Before.
HOW THE TARIFF WGS BUILT Up
IMPAIR AND UNJUST
The Poor Mans Daily Bread Taxed While
the Rich Mans Luxuriss Go Free.
A Tariff for the Benefit Of
the MOnOpOEst Task
masters.


Texas, moved that the House 90 into Com
mittee Of the Whole, for the consideration
of the tariff bill. NOoppositiOn was made
to the motion, and it was carried without
division, Mr.. Springer, of IllinOir, assum-
ing the chair.
During thu late war;" said Mr.. Mills,
~ he took the floor to open the debate,
"the expenditures required by the enorm-
Gus military establishment demanded that
the burden of taxation should be laid heavy
in all directions authorized by the constitu-
tiol. The internal revenue tax aud the
dir, ct tax had been called into requisition
TO supplement the revenues from customs,
70 aid the treasury to respond to the heavy
demands daily made upon it. The duties
on imports have been raised from an aver
age of 1884 per cent. in 1861, to an aver
age of 40. % per cent during the five years
from 1862 to 1856 Inclusive. This had
been recognized at the time as en- excep-
tionslly heavy burden. IL bad been
stated By distinguished gentlemen who
presented the tariff measure at that time
that this lis intended as u war measure, q
temporary measure, and We must as such
give it our support" ="
More than twenty years had elapsed
since the war endel. A generation had
PISSED away and new generation had ap-
pearsd on the stSge siGce peace had re-
turned to bless our common country; but
these
WAR TAXES STILL REMAINED,
aud they were heavier to day than they
were during the fiIe years during the ex-
is!snCe OF hostilitisS Ths average rate Of
duty during the last tive years amounted
10 Al 81 per cent And during the last
wear tho ACREAGE Was 47.I0 After this
large increase had been made, Congress
had imposed slight direct or internal rev.
enue tax UPON domestic manufactures and
that tax hed brought into the treasury In
1866 lie hundred aGd twenty seven mill
ions. That was but tithe OF tie
heavy burdens that were laid upon
imports. Ii amounted to about three
per cent on the whole manufactured pro-
duets of the country in 1866. 1t was
thought to be reasonable tax to impose
on manufacturers who were receiving large
bouuties from the government in the en-
hancement on tie prices of their product.
Bat that tax was gone. II could not live
I: was tax on wealth. 1t was a tax that
came ont of the pockets Of the msnufac-
turers. 1t was tax that came from those
icto whose pockets the government had
brought large bonnties.
Congress hal imposed tax on incomes
70 help carry on the war, and there were
I6O, 10 people in the United States in 1866,
that had S1O7, GOO, 900 of net income upon
which they were assessed, duty which
brought into the treasury 10 1865 twenty
two millions. But that tax had gone. 1t
WAS a tax on wealth. 1t was said to be An
enormous tax. II was said to be iuquisto-
rial in its nature 1t was said to be op-
prsssiye. 1t WAS thought TO be Just by
those who had charge of the adminiStra-
tion of the government to take OFF those
burdens, and place them on the shoulders
Of those whom the offiCisl reports showed
hau nothing but living. And tax OF
LlTCc Der EtNl. tu hCt htsNoAAtcl >.t-~'NSe"N
ing S7U7, 600, 0O0, was swept away, but the
war tax on clothing, upon fcod and upon
labor still remained.
THE BURDENS ON The POOR.
Every effort that had been made to bring
the exactiOns of the government down to
peace establishment bad been resisted, step
6y step, and every effort hsd been defeat
- a. IN
but il wss gone. It had not lived long
after the war. 1t hal been tax ca wealth.
Il was ssid to be oppressive to tax the
wealthy. There mad been 3 tax on insur-
auee companies. II was goue, There had
been q tax on express companies Ii was
gone, There had beea tax on bank de-
posits and bank capital. 1t Was goae.
Three hundred InilliOns that had eeen
maid BIZ the wealthy of the country
had been swept away, and the harden Of
taxation had been made heavier, as II had
been loaded upon the shoulders of those who
had to support thems elves and tbs govern.
ment Was tax Of 6 per cent. TO be paid
ont of the pockets OF the manufacturers OF
bIankets more enormous than the tax OF
70 per cent. paid By the constmer or i'm
ported and domestic products? Was Me
tax of 3 per cent. 90 ineomeS more oppres-
siys than the tax Of 100 per cent. on
womens' and childrens' dress goods? Yet
all these taxes ou wealth had gone, and
the gentlemen OF the minority bcsssed that
tbey had reduced tSXss tn the amount OF
$3.50, OOO, 900, while the Democratic party
had reduced it only o bagatelle. That was
the splenfiid column these gentlemen had
erected. All the tax on wealth had passed
avyay. and all the burdens had bsen cast
upon the shoulders of the lsboring man.
TAX ON SEcEssARIEs.
In 1888 taxation had been still further
rsdpeed. and this magnificent shaft, which
the party then IN power had erected to
commemorate It's Legislative wisdom, ana
the benefcenee of its laws was crowned
with a capstons, taking of the internal
revenue tax and on playing cards, and OF
putting 8 tax of 20 per cent on Bibles.
| ITLaughtsr The Democratic party has
heen irving TO reduee tsXation upon the
necessities OF life, and it was charged by
gentlemen ou the other side that it had
not ACCOMPLISHED any reduction That
vould be 3 grave charge if the gentlemen
who made il were not guilty Of having
prevented the Democrats from accomplish
ING the reduction. 1t did not lie in their
mouths to charge the Democrats with fail
inc 70 reduce taxation, when they had
mustered their whole strength TO Strike
out the enacting clause Of the bills pre-
sented by the Democrats. Twice they bad
accomplished thatIand twice they had re-
fused even to consider the question Of
reduction of taxation.
The tax on consumption was paid BY
hard daily toll. Suppose lAborer with
dollar q day could buy q woolen suit ei
clothes for ten dollars Il required ten
ldays labor to purchase ii, but when the