Democratic messenger., 1888-09-15

well understood that the elect Of this
tariff taxation Is not limited TO the con.
sumers of imported articles, hut that the
duties imposed upon such articles permit
u 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 produc.
tions and entering every American home,
constitutes form Of taxation MS certain
and as inevitable as though the amount
was annually paid into the hand Of the
tax gather.
These results arc inseparablc from the
plan we have adopted for the collection Of
our revenue by tariff duties. They are
not mentioned to discretlit the system, but
by way ofprefacc to the statement that
every million Of dollars collected at our
cus,om.houses for duties upon our import.
cd articles and paid into the public treas.
ury represent many millions more which,
though never reaching the national treas
ury, are paid by our citizens as the In.
creased cost of domestic productions re.
sulting from our tariff laws.
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 chay<N
to the necessities Of a frugal and ccon6mi.
cal administration Of the government
seems to he perfectly plain. The con,in-
uancc, up, II pretcxt Of meeting public
expenditures. of such scale of tariff tax.
alton as draws from the substance of the
people sum largely in excess of public
needs is surely = ling which under a
government has Jon justice, and which
finds It's strcnt and usefulness In the
faith and trust < lihc people. ough, not to
be Tolerated.
WIFI the heaviest burdens incident Ia
the necessities Of the government are un-
complainingly borne, light burdens be.
come griev0us and intolcrablc when not
justified by such necessities.
Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation
And yet this is our condition. Wcare ann.
ually collecting at our custom. houses and
by means Of our internal revenue taxation
many millions IN excess of all legitimate
public needs. As consequence there
now remains in the national treasury q
surplus of more than $l30,000,0OO.
No better evidence could be furnished
that the people are exorbitantly taxed.
The extent of the superiluos burden in
dicatcd by this surplus will be better ap-
prcciaicd when il is suggested that such
surplus alone represents taxation aggrc-
eating more than $i0s,0OO in country
containing 50.O0O,0OO inhabitants.
Taxation has always been the feature
Of organized government, the hardest to
reconcile with the peoples idea ot free
dom and happiness. When presented in
direct form nothing will arouse popular
discomfort more quickly and pro.
foundly than unjust and unncccssar '.y-
alton. Our farmers, mechanics, laboicfs
and all our citizens closely scan the slight
est increase in the taxes assessed upon their
lands and other property, and demand
good reasons for such increase And vet
they regard the unnecessary volume of in.
sidious and indirect taxat ion visited upon
them by our present rate Of tariff duties
with Indifference IL not in favor.
The surplus revenue now remaining In
the treasury no, only furnishes conclusive
proof Of unjust taxation, but its existence
constitutes seperatc and independent,
menace to the prosperity Of the people.
This vast accumulation of idle funds
represents that much money drawn from
the circulating medium of the country
which is needed in the channels of trade
and business.
II is a great mistake To suppose that
the consequences which follow the con.
tinual withdrawal and boarding by the
government of the currency of the people
are not of immediate Importance 10 the
mass Of our citizens, and only concern
those engaged in large financial tran saci
ions.
In the restless enterprise and activity
which free and ready money among the
people produces is found tlIa, opportunity
for labor aud employment and that I'M
pe,us TO business and production which
bring in their train prosperity TO oui
citiZcrs in every station and vocation
New ventures, new Investments in busi.
ness and manufacture, the construction oi
new AMI important works. and the en-
hrgcment Of enterprises all ready estab'
lished, depend largely upon obtaining
money upon easy terms with security
and all these things are stimulated by m
abundant volume Of circulating medium
Even the harvested grain Of the farmer
remains without market unless money
is forthcoming for the movement and
transportation TO the scaboarl.
The first results of n scarcity of money
among the people is the cxaciion of Sc
we're terms for its use, Increasing dis.
,rus, and timidiiy followed by refusal
TO loan or advance IN any TERMS lnves'
tors refuse to take risks and decline all Sc
curilics, and in II general fright the
money still In the hands Of the people i
pcrsistcntly boarded.
!, is quite apparen, thu, when this per
fcc,ly natural, II not inevitable, stage l.
reached, depression in all business and
enterprise will as II necessary consequence
lessen the opportunity for work and cm
ploymcnt and reduce salaries and the
wages Of labor.
Instead. then, of bcing exempt from IN,
influence and effect of an immese surplus
lying idle In the national treasury. ouI
wage earncrs aud others who rely upon
their labor for support are most of all Ill
recily concerned In the situation. Others
seeing the approach Of danger may provide