St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-23
for expectation the fruits of the labor of
the humble immigrants landed at Cas-
tie Garden.
JACKSON ON THE SURPLUS.
His Views ON the Tariff and the
Danger of OvertaxatiOn.

Danger Oh OVcfCaXaClOn.
Extract from Andrew Jackson's Farewell
| Address.
There is, perhaps, no one of the pow
ers conferred Oh the federal govern
| ment so liable to abuse as the taxing
| power. The most productive and con-
venient sources of revenue were neces-
| sarily given to it, that it might be able
| to perform the important duties i'm
| posed upon it; and the taxes which it
lays upon commerce being concealed
from the real payer in the price of the
article, they do not so readily attract
the attention of the people as smaller
sums demanded from them directly by
the tax-gatherer. But the tax imposed
on goods enhances by so much
| the price of the commodity
| to the consumer; and as
many of these duties are imposed on ar
ticles OF necessity which are daily used
by the great body of the people, the
money raised by these impOstS is drawn
from their pockets. Congress has no
| right under the constitution to take
| money from the people unless it is re-
| qulred to execute some one of the
| specific powers intrusted to the govern
ment; and if they raise more than is
necessary for such purpose it is an
etOuoC VI IuC pOWCl VI IdAdIIOll, duu uu-
| Just and oppressive. 1t may, indeed,
happen thatthe revenue will sometimes
exceed the amount anticipated when
| the taxes were laid. When, however,
this is ascertained it is easy to reduce
them; and, in such case it is undueS-
tlonably the duty of the government to
reduce them, for no circumstances can
| Justify it in assuming power not given
to it by the constitution, nor i'll taking
away the money of the people when it
is not neeeed for the legitimate wants of
the government.
Plain as these principles appear to be,
you will yet find that there is con-
slant effort to induce the general gov
eminent to go beyond the limits of its
taxing power and to impose unneceS-
Sary burdens upon the people. Many
powerful Interests are continually at
work to procure heavy duties on COM
merce, and to swell the revenue be-
yond the real necessities of the public
service, and the country has already
felt the injurious effects of their com
bined Influence. They succeeded in OBJ
| tanning tariff of duties bearing most
OppresSivelY on the agricultural and
laboring classes of society, and pro-
ducing a revenue that could not be use
fully employed within the range of the
powers conferred upon congress, and in
order to faSten upon the people
| this unjust and unequal system
of taxation, eXtravagent schemes
of internal Improvement were
got up in various quarters to Squander
the money and to purchase support.
Thus one unconstitutional measure was
intended to be upheld by another, and
the abuse OF the power of taxation was
to be maintained by uSurping the power
of expanding the money in internal i'm
proyements. You cannot have forgot
ten the severe and doubtful struggle
through which we passed when the eX-
ecutlve department of the government,
by its veto, endeavored to arrest this
prodigal scheme of injustice, and to
bring back the legislation of congress to
the boundaries prescribed by the cOnsti-
tuition. The good sense and practical
| Judgment of the people, when the sub
| ject was brought before them, sustained
the course of the executive, and this
for the purposes of corrupt influence is,
L trust, finally OverthrOwn.
The result of this decision has been
felt in the rapid eXtinguishment of the
public debt, and the large accumulation
of surplus in the treasury, notwitb-
standing the tariff was reduced, and is
now far below the amount originally
contemplated by its advocates. But
rely upon it, the design to collect an eX-
travagant revenue and to burden YOU
with taxes beyond the economical wants
of the government is not yet abandoned.
The various interests which have COM
blned together to impose heavy tariff,
and to produce an Oyerfiewing treasury,
are too strong and have too much at
| stake to surrender the contest. The
| corporations and wealthy individuals
who are engaged in large manufactur-
ing establishments desire high tariff
to increase their gains. Designing poll
ticians will support it to eoneiliate their
favor and to obtain the means of pro-
fuse expenditure for the purpose
quarte.s. and since the people
have decided that the federal
government cannot be permitted to en-
piOy its income i'll internal improve
mentS efforts will be made to Seduce
and mislead the citizens of the several
states by holding out to them the de-
ceitful prospect of benefits to be derived
from surplus revenue collected by the
general government and annually di-
vided among the states. And if, en-
couraged by these fallacious hopes, the
states should disregard the principles
of economy which ought to characterize
every republican government, and
should indulge in lavish expenditures
exceeding their resources, they will be-
fore long find themselves oppressed
with debts which they are unable to
pay, and the temptation will become If
reSistible to support high tariff in Or
der to obtain a surplus distribution
Do not allow yourselves, my
fellow-citizens, to be misled
on this subject. The federal
government cannot collect a surplus
for such purposes without violating the
principles of the constitution and as
Stunning powers which have not been
granted. 1t is, moreover, system of
injustice, and if persisted in will in
evltably lead to corruption, aud must
end in ruin. The surplus revenue will
be drawn from the pockets of the peo-
ple-frOm the farmer, the mechanic and
the laboring classes of society; but who
will receive it when distributed among
the states, where it is to be disposed of by
leading politicians who have friends to
favor and political partiSanS to crafty?
1t will certainly not be returned to those
who paid it and who have most need of
it and are honestly entitled to it. There
is but one safe rule, and that is to coll
fine the general government rigidly
within the sphere of its appropriate
duties. 1t has no power to raise a rev.
enue or impose taxes except for the
purposes enumerated in the censtitu-
ton; and if its income is found to eX-
coed these wants it should be forthwith
reduced and the burdens of the people
so fan lightened.
London Barmaids.