The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-05-19
THE MONSTROUs INIQUITIEs OF OUR
TARIFF SYSTEM POINTED OUT
INA PRACTICAL WAY.

An audience that was large and fall
of enthusiasm greeted Hon. Everett i.
Wheeler in the rooms Of the Harlem
democratic club recently. Mr.. Wheeler
had volunteered to be the first speaker
at series of lectures which the club
will give for the next two months de-
voted TO the discu ssion of the salient
points in the platform of the democratic
party.
Major McNelty president of the club,
introduced the speaker, and incident
ally made all eloquent plea for revenue
reform.
Mr.. Wheeler discussed "Waees as
Affected by the Tariff from the stand
point of all ardent tariff refOrmer. lie
referred to the overcrowding of the
national treasury, and the danger TO
be apprehcndcd from the same. There
was one way to reduce that danger To IL
minimum, and that was 10 reduce the
tax on importations.
"The principles OF the democratic
party he said, "are those which to
NV mind, underlie the whole system of
our government.
lit was reserved for the founders of
our government to establish 4 system
by which every man would have equal
rights before the law. That principle
has always been advocated by the dem
ocratic party. Cheers. That prln-
ciple we intend to cmUodv in our
platform AT the present time. Cheers }
1.-THE questions that arose some years
ago were regarded as mere matters nt
theory, but the present question inter
ests our wives and our children. Ii is
therefore of the utmost consequence
that every democrat and every Ameri
can should be forthwith possessed OF
this idea that all taxation ought TO be
fair and impartial; that it is not the
junction of government TO build up one
industry ami grant special favors TO
another. The idea that prevails
among the democratic party is that no
one in our free America shall have by
this law granted him rights and priv
Ieges which are not equally distributed
to everybody.
"When our fathers made this gov
ernment they thought out and EN-
bodied this one principle-the princi-
pie that within the limits of our own
country, between the man that raised
wheat aud the man that made cloth,
there should be free exchange OF
| goods; that what each man was able TO
| raise in excess OF his wants should be
exchanged for the something else pro-
duced by another. No one man is able
to produce sufficient for his own wants.
IL is by the exchange OF that You do not
want tor something else that yOu do
want that you can be made prosperous
and happy. There is enough i'll the
world for all men.
"We are confronted with the prob
lem OF a surplus, and that means that
there is money locked up there that
should be in your pockets and in mine,
How are we going TO change this lhIn9
There are two ways of doing this.
awe can diminish the taxes that arc
levied in the custom house or else
diminish the tax on whisky. The
question tor us to consider is whether
on the whole 1t would not be better for
us TO have the tax ON whisky Or on ali
articles of necessity.
"There is not nation in the world"
continued the speaker, warming up to
his subject, (which makes SO many and
good clocks as we. That seems to be q
very small matter. But we must COL
slider the metal used in the manufacture
of them. Brass is largely used in their
make up, aud to make brass, copper is
needed.
Cooper in this country, on account
OF this SO called protective tariff, is a
very expensive article. 1t is SO much
SO that even copper cartridges are made
here to a very small extent. All this
So called protection on this article
merely serves to enrich the owner of
the copper mines, while the burden
! falls on the workingman. Reduce the
tariff on copper and you reduce the
price, Augment the demand and benefit
! the worker Of it. The manufacturer
feels the benefit of this, the working
mans wages are raised and every one
is benefited by it.
"NOw, there is another instance that 2,
| to me, is as striking, aud that is the tax
on tin plates. We use them for all
sorts of things. I'm the present cnndl-
ton of things there is tax of 33 per
cent. on them, and this enormous sum.
amounting to S6, ,000,0 900 goes into the
national treasury"
Ia concluding, Mr.. Wheeler said:
"We may be certain that there is moth
ing more important than to break
down this odious system, which benefits
few aI the expense o! the great ma
iOrity"