San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-09-27

was made for o free, intelligent
and virtuous people. 1t is only use
full when within their control, and on
ly serves them we'll when regulated
and guided by their constant touch
II is free government because il
guarantees to every American citizer
the unrestricted personal use and en-
joyment of oil the reward Of his toll
, and of oil his income except what
! may be his fair contribution to nec
essary public expense. Therefore il
is not only the right but the duty ol
a free people, in the enforcement oi
this guaranty, to insist that such ex'
pense should be strictly limited to the
actual public needs. 1t seems per
fectly clear that when the govern.
ment, this instrumontality created
! and maintained by the people to dc
their bidding. turns upon them, and,
through utter perversion Of its pow
ers, EFFORTS from their labor and cap-
ital tribute largely IN excess of pub
lio necessities, the creature has re-
belled against the creator and the
masters are robbed by their servants.
| The cost of the government must
continue to be met by the tariff du-
ties collected at our custom house
upon imported goods, and by inter-
nal revenue taxes assessed upon spir-
ituous and malt liquors, tobacco and
oleomargarine.
I suppose that It is needless to ex-
plain thnt all these duties and assess
ments are added to the price Of the or.
ticles upon which they are levied, and
thus become tax upon oil those who
buy these articles for use or consump-
ton. I suppose, too, that it is we'll
understood that the effect of this tar
IF taxation is not limited to the con-
sumers of imported articles, but that
the duties imposed upon such arti.
cles permit a corresponding increase
in price to be laid upon domestic
productions of the same kind, which
increase, paid by all our people as
consumers of home productions, and
entering every American home, con-
stitutes form of taxation as certain
and as inevitable as though the
amount was annually paid into the
hand of the tax-gatherer. These re-
suits are inseparable from the plan
we have adopted for the collection of
our revenue by tariff duties. They
are not mentioned to discredit the
system, but by way of preface to the
statement that every million of dol
lars collected at our custom houses
for duties upon imported articles and
paid into the public treasury repre-
sent many millions more which,
though never reaching the National
Treasury, are paid by our citizens as
the increased cost of domestic pro-
ductions resulting from our tariff laws.
In these circumstances, and in
view Of this necessary effect of the
operation OF our plan for raising rev.
enue, the absolute duty of limiting
the rate of tariff charges to the nee
essities of a frugal and enconomical
administration Of the government,
seems to be perfectly plain. The con-
tinuanoe, upon pretext OF meeting
public expenditures OF such o scale of
tariff taxation as draws from the sub
stance OF the people sum largely in
excess of public needs, is surely some
thing which under agovernment ba g.
ed upon justice, and which finds it's
strength and usefulness in the faith
and trust of the people, ought not to
be tolerated.
While the heaviest burdens Incl
dent to the necessities of the govern
ment are uncomplainingly borne, light
burdens become grievous and intol-
cradle when not justified by such ne
cessities.
Unnecessary taxation is unjust tax
alton.
And yet this is our condition. We
are annually collecting at our custom
house and by means Of our internal
revenue taxation many millions in ex-
cess of all legitimate public needs.
As O consequence there now remains
in the National Treasury surplus Of
more than one hundred and thirty
millions of dollars. No better evil
dence could be furnished that the
people are exorbitantly taxed. The
extent Of the surperfuous burden in
dicated by this surplus will be better
appreciated when it is suggested that
such surplus alone represents taxa
ton aggregating more than one hun
dred and eight thousand dollars in a
county containing fifty thousand in
habItants.
Taxation has always been the feat
ure of organized government and the
hardest to reconcile with the peoples
ideas OF freedom and happiness.
When presented in q direct form,
nothing will arouse popular discon-
tent moro quickly and profoundly
than unjust and unnecessary taxa
ton. Our farmers, mechanics, labor
ers, and all our citizens closely scan
the slightest increase in the taxes as
sessed upon their lands and other
property, and demand good reasons
for such increase. And yet they
seem to be expected, in some quar-
ters. 10 regard the unnecessary vol
ume Of insidious and indirect taxation
visited upon them by our present rate
Of tariff duties with indiGerenceifDOt