Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-30

and take out what You find thereIlaugh-
terI-and that without any just reason
whatsoever for doing sol Amt that a
singular way to make anybody richa And
yet that II precisely the plan that those
folks advocate when they tell us that the
country is to be made wealthy by means Of
high taxation. Again, they have the au-
dacity to say that this tariff tax is not paid
by the consumers Of the articles which are
| taxed. Why, il the consumers Of taxed
articles do not. pay for the tax, would
like to know who doesi IA voice: $50
would ]" and cheers.1 Do those prote =
ton orators pay ita Do the manufacturers
pay it'll Who pays it, if the people who
consume the articles that are taxed don'ta
Can any man answer that question to the
satisfaction Here Judge Thurman was
interrupted by the presentation of q note.
He looked at it q moment and said:
am afraid there are some high protection
lists in this audience, for lady sends
me- this note to read to you.
picked. She thinks it is high tariff.
fLaughter.J Well, hope the high tariff
man who has taken that lady's money will
be caught and made to refund before he
leaves Port Huron. Laughter and ap-
plause. Now, my friends, if you will re-
fleet Tor moment you will see that it is
necessarily the case that tariff taxes are
paid by the consumer of the articles which
are taxed, and all domestic articles of a
like kind which are manufactured in the
United States It is curious fact, and one
Of the worst things about this tariff tax that
while the Government gets 81 resulting
from the tax, domestic manufacturers get
IS, as it is best estimated, that never goes
into the Treasury at all How does this
happena A man called an importer brings
goods into the United States to be sold
He can not sell yard or pound until he
pays this tariff tax. He pays it, therefore,
and then sells it to the merchant. OF
course he must get this tax back in the
price for which he sells or he would lose
money His business would break up at
once Therefore, he puts the tax on the
original cost of goods, and with that price
added with the cost of transportation and
his reasonable commercial profit he sells
the goods to the merchant. The merchant
sells to the retail merchant, and, of course,
this tax which entered into the price con-
tinues in the price and to it is added the
profits Of the merchant. Then the retail
merchant sells to you and of course he
must get in this price, for otherwise
he would sell for less than he gave
for the goods, and no man would con-
sent to do that. Therefore, the tax is on
when the cloth, for instance, is sold to you
and in the price you pay this retail mer-
chant you also pay the whole Of the tariff
tax, the importers profits, the wholesale
merchants profits, and the retail mer-
chants profits, besides the interest on
their money. 1t is as plain as that two
and two make four. If Twas a school
master and q boy of ten years could not
understand that after ten minutes teach
ing I would give him up as hopeless
idiot [Laughter.] That is the fact in re-
spect to this branch of subject. Now, how
much do you pays The amount of duti-
able goods imported into the United States
in 1887 was in value $3.50, OOO 900 in round
numbers. The duties collected on these
goods-the tariff tax-was $212, OOO, 600 and
q fraction. Therefore, in that single year
tax was levied on the people Of the
United States by the operation of this tariff
law of $212, 600, 900 and fraction, which
went into the Federal Treasury But that,
as have told you, was the least Of the
burden. The domestic manufactures of
the same kind Of commodities amounted
that year to s., $50, 600, 900, and as the price
Of those goods was raised by the tariff in
nearly or equal proportions to the price of
goods that were imported, the amount
which the people paid by reason of these
high prices of what they had to buy or had
to use amounted to S1,OO0,000,0OO. That
is about five times as much as the tax re-
ceived by the Government for the uses Of
the Government. In other words, the
whole community was taxed about 81, OOO,-
0OO, 900 for the benefit of comparatively
small portion of the community. And that
is said to be just; that is said to be fair
play; that is said to be for the benefit of
the American people. Why don't they
carry it out furthera When they find in
Port Huron lawyer-I speak kindly of a
lawyer because am a lawyer myself-the
proceeds Of whose profession do not afford
him and his family comfortable support,
why don't they tax you all for his benefit
so as to protect him. When they find q
doctor whose income is not sufficient for
himself and family. why don't they tax all
the people of Port Huron in order to add
to the wealth of that doctorl And so on
with every body else. Why don't they do
itl Because they know perfectly well that
the people would not stand it. And yet
they do tax man, or did tax him, and do
yet, pretty highly, sometimes on the medi-
cine he is obliged to take.
THE BANDANA IN SIGHT.
remember that one of the most satisfac-
tory votes ever cast in tho Senate of the
United States was to abolish the tax on quiz
nine. so that q man with the fever and ague
might have his medicine free. [Cheers.J
know there are few cases, and they are
very few and exceptional, and not of suf-
ficient Importance to make it necessary
for me to speak Of them to-day in the linn
tied time have to speak, in which the
duty or tariff tax is not all paid by the con
sumner. They are so trifling in amount and
so insignificant that it is not necessary
that should occupy your time with them.
The principle, the general fact Here a
to cease speaking, the crowd having caught
sight of a bandana which the speaker was
lifting to his nose. Mr.. Thurman looked
amazed for a moment, but on discovering
the cause of uproar, saidI: Well, gentle
men, it is q good, honest handkerchief, and
I could have bought it a good deal cheaper
teri As have stated, there are men who
say that q consumer does not pay tax.
have said that is a most audacious asser-
ton. have tried to show you that the
consumer must necessarily pay the tax.
But If you want authority on that sub
ject let me refer to some men who have
spoken on the question and whose words
can scarcely be gainsaid. First, I will go
back to John Quincy Adams. and dare
say there are plenty Of Republicans and
sane Abolitionists in this crowd who have
great admiration for that mans memory.
knew him well. Iserved in the House Of
Representatives with him. I know how
intelligent he was. know how frank and
outspoken he was In the year 1881 he was
Chairman Of the House Committee ON
Manufactures, and in q report made BY
him in that wear he aaid: UThe doctrine