The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-09-19

by the people to do their bidding, turns
upon them, and through an utter per
version of its powers, extorts from thel1
labor and capital tribute largely in excess
of public necessities, the creature ha:
rebelled against the creator and the mas
ters are robbed by their servants.
EXPENSES TO BE MET By DUTIES.
The cost of the government must con
tinue to be met by tariff duties collected a
our custom houses upon imported goods
and by internal revenue taxes assessed upon
spirituous and malt liquors, tobacco and
oleomargarine. suppose 1t is needless tc
explain that all these duties and assessments
are added to the price of the articles upon
which they are levied. and thus become
tax upon all those who buy these articles
for use and consumption. l suppose. too,
it is well understood that the effect OF this
tariff taxation is not limited to the con.
sumers of imported articles, but that the
duties imposed upon such articles permit
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 en-
tering every American home, constitutes q
form of taxation as certain and as inevita-
ble as though the amount was annually
paid into the hand of the taX-satherer.
These results are inseparable from the
plan we have adopted for the collection OF
our revenue by tariff duties. They are not
mentioned 10 discredit the system. but by
way of preface to the statement that every
million of dollars collected at our custom
houses for duties upon imported articles
and paid into the public treasury represent
many millions more, which, though never
reaching the national treasury, are paid by
our citizens as the increased cost of domes-
tic productions resulting from our tariff
laws.
LIMIT THE RATE OF TARIFF CHARGES.
In these circumstances, and In view of
this necessary effect of the operation of our
plan for raising revenue, the absolute duty
of limiting the rate of tariff charges to the
necessities of frugal and economical ad-
ministration of the government seems 10 be
perfectly plain. The continuance, upon a
pretext of meeting public expenditures, OF
such scale Of tariff taxation as draws from
the substance Of the people sum largely
in excess of public needs, is surely some.
thing which under government based
upon Justice, and which finds its strength
and usefulness in the faith and trust OF the
people, ought not to be tolerated.
While the heaviest burdens incident to
the necessities of the government are I'M
complaininglY borne, light burdens become
grieYous and intolerable when not justified
By such necessities Unnecessary taxation
Is unjust taxation. And yet this is our con-
dition. We are annually collecting at our
custom houses and by means of our inter
nal revenue taxation many millions IN ex-
CESS of all legitimate public needs. AS
consequence there now remains in the ma
tional treasury surplus of more than one
hundred and thirty millions of dollars.
No better evidence could be furnished
that the people are exorbitantly taxed
The extent of the superfluous burden indi
Gated by this surplus will be better appre.
ciated when it is suggested that such sur
plus alone represents taxation aggregation
more than one hundred and eight thousand
dollars in q county containing fifty thou
sand inhabitants
Taxation has always been the feature of
organized government; the hardest to re.
concile with the peoples ideas OF freenom
and happiness. When presented in di.
rect form nothing will arouse popular dis
content more quickly and profoundly than
unjust and unnecessary taxation. Our
farmers, mechanics, laborers and all our
citizens closely scan the slightest increase
in the taxes assessed upon their lands and
other property, aud demand good reasons
for such increase And yet they seem to
be expected, in some quarters, to regard the
unnecessary volume of insidious and indi-
rect taxation visited upon them by our
present rate of tariff duties with indiTfer-
encei if not with favor.
A MENACE TO PROPERTY.
The surplus revenue now remaining in
the Treasury not only furnishes conclusive
proof of unjust taxation, but its existence
constitutes a separate and independent
menace to the prosperity Of the people.
This vast accumulation of idle funds repre-
sents that much money drawn from the
circulating medium of the country which
is needed in the channels Of trade and bus
iness.
1t is great mistake to suppose that the
consequences which follow the continual
withdrawal and boarding by the govern
ment of the -ency of the people are not
of immediate importance to the mass OF our
citizens, and only concerns those engaged
in large financial transactions.
In the restless enterprise and activity
which free and ready money among the
people produces is found that opportunity
for labor and employment and that impetus
to business and production which bring in
their train prosperity to our citizens in every
station and vocation. New ventures, new
investments in business and manufacture,
the construction of new and important
works and the enlargement OF enterprises
al6ready established. depend largely upon
obtaining money upon easy terms with fair
security; and all these things are stimulated
by an abundant volume OF circulating me-
dium. Even the harvested grain of the
farmer remains without market unless
money is forthcoming for It's movement and
transportation to the seaboard. The first re
suits of scarcity of money among the peo-
plc is the exsction of severe terms for its
use. Increasing distrust and timidity is
followed by refusal to loan OF advance on
any terms. Investors refuse all risks and
decline all securities, and in general fright
the money still in the hands of the people
is persistently boarded. 1t is quite apparent
that when this perfectly natural, If not in
evitable, stage is reached, depression il all
business and enterprise will. as necessary
consequence, lessen the opportunity for
work and employment and reduce salaries
and the wages of labor.
Instead, then, of being exempt from the
influence and effect of an immense surplus