The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-09-13

ready more sucn bills have passed into en-
acted law under him than during the ad-
ministration Of both Arthur and Hayes,
and by the end Of his first term the num-
Der will be larger than during the admin
istrations Of Lincoln, Johnson, Grant,
Hayes. Garfield and Arthur altogether.
In face OF such figures, when any man
talks Of the hostility Of the Democratic
party or its President to the pensioner, OBJ
serve the good old rule Of the Scripture:
"Answcr the fool according to his folly"
and pass him by.
The taxes levied by permanent law,
passed under Republican rule, now yield
vast sum in excess OF all the requirements
Of the Government. We can pay all the
costs Of civil administration, of the army
and navy. the maintenance Of our courts,
the interest upon our public debt. our
munifcent pensions, and every other right
full charge upon the people, and have more
than q hundred millions a year besides un-
necessarily taken from the people. This Is
an enormous sum; over twice as great as
the average annual cost of the whole Gov
ernment during the periods of Democratic
rule, from the year 1900 to 1861. Apply the
case directly to ourselves. The share OF
Wisconsin alone, If proportioned in this
saving, would exceed two millions Of dol
lars Think Of it! More than double the
cost Of the State Government; more, per-
haps, than the cost Of all our county gov
ernments, although | have not the figures
just at hand. Suppose it were put directly
to the people Of Wisconsin to save either
our State or county taxes; could it be con
ceivcd they would refuse to acquiesce in
such measure of reliefs
To make this great saving to the people
is what this Administration seeks; this is
the thing which the Democratic party
pledges itself to attempt; this is the thing
which the Republican party has promised
in its platforms through canvass after can
vass to concede to the people, and this Is
the thing it has prevented for many years
after it ought to have been done, the thing
which they are now exerting their utmost
to defeat.
Ihave said that the policy Of that party
| is obstruction. Look at their action in re-
spect to this matter With the first Con-
gress assembled after President Cleve-
lands Inauguration the effort to reduce
| taxation was commenced. During the
whole Forty Ninth Congress it was sue
cessfully thwarted. Finally. when this
present Congress assembled, the President
urged this subject, OF such vast and over
powering moment, by his entire annual
message. Repeatedly Republican mem
| bers have be N reminded of their multi
/ piled platform promises. And what have
| they done during this long and tedious ses
sionf In the House the Democratic com
/ mittee devoted months of untiring and as
siduous labor, sparing neither night MOI
i day, to Just measure which would re-
| lieve the people With the least disturbance
to any business interest We're they met
by any effort at co-opera tion. On the con
trary, every step forward, every inch
toward relief, has been gained only against
an almost solid phalanx OF Republic
an resistance. For three months the
debate upon the bill was protracted In
| the House. 1t was a magnificent debate,
an honor as it was a triumph to the studi
GUS and jealous labor of the Democrats OF
the House. They overwhelmed their ad-
| versarics with arguments. they united the
| Democratic lines, they perfected the bill
| by every touch of amendment within
| reach, but they received no contribution
toward its perfection from Republicans.
| The latter proposed nothing, offered moth
| ing but cavil and criticism. Finally the
measure was passed, and the utmost Of
/ Democratic power was done to unload the
public burden. Meantime the Democratic
party, assembled in National convention
had spoken in cheering tones its approba
tion of the work What said Republicans
when their convention assembled.
"The protective system must be main
tained.n 1.-THE Republican party
would effect all needed reduction of the
| National revenue by repeating the taxes
upon tobacco" = "and the taz
upon spirits used in the arts and fOi
| mechanical purposes" IF there
shall still remain a larger revenue than is
requisite for the wants Of the Govern
| ment, we favor the entire repeal OF inter
nal taxes"
That is to say, when driven to the wall
they declare their purpose of tariff re
duction, so often pledged and promised, Il
have been false and hollow, intended onl,
to deceive; that sooner than relieve tn
taxes upon any of the necessaries of life
which every man, woman and child mus
contribute to pay, they would help onl.
those who use tobacco and drink whisky
They call the tribute laid by tariff law
protection protection to American
industry and they hope to hide tn
wicked fact under the spacious cover o
the pleasing word Many robbery ha
been vailed by phrase. Is the American
people not superior to the risk of bein'
victimized by u trick Of words! That
the question.
The tariff is simply tax levied upol
articles brought into this country fron
abroad, for sale, use or consumption. o.
every article within the list the cOllecto
at the custom house exacts the sum pre-
scribed by law when it enters our port
This is either specific amount charge'
upon certain articles, or it is a percentag
OF their value. There is nothing more Q
the law except its provision Of machiner
and officials for collecting the tax. Now
it is obvious that the importer must add I
what he pays the foreign merchant tn
amount Of the tax, because that is par
Of the cost of the article to him. Upon tina
cost he computes his profits, and in the en-
the consumer pays the tax as well as tn
foreign price, with the merchants prof
charged upon both. So far. to the eNten
that articles are imported, the tariff opel
ates nothing but taxation There is, $
far, no protection to anybody, but Whe
the duty is made high enough upon sue
articles as are manufactured in this couI
try to prevent the foreign merchant frOI
competing with the domestic manu-
facturer, then another effect 70
lows No duty is now paid b
the consumer to the Government, directl
or Indirectly. All that happens is that, b
reason of foreign competition being e,
cluded, the domestic manufacturer ca
| sell the article to his coun.rymen at an
price he chooses TO fix below that at whic
it can be imported, with duty added. 1t
here that the so-called protection begin
The tariff helps the American producer {
!. such articles as the American publ
wishes to buy only to the extent that
excludes foreign competition. When yo
} hear any man talk Of the projection of II
, tariff, ask him to show you how 1t othe
( wise affords protection. No man can trul
, make another answer. II the tariff is onl
such Us to impose tax without interfe
! ing with trade, there is no protection in !,
it is merely tax
Strip the subject Of its deceitful draper
Of words which the skillful euphemist en-
ploys, and there is the whole Of it. Whe
j you hear men deny it, ask again wherei
does the tariff protect otherwise! II
were not for this, what is it that the maj
| | ufacturer wants Of IL. If it were not Il
/ this, would they seek continually to mal
the tariff tax higher. II it were not II
this, would the specially favored mani
facturers contribute SO enormously
, their "fat' to their party. Why otherwi'
Il 4. u =. 4, xl~,z.t IL