Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-09-13

ready moro such bills have passed into en-
acted law under him than during the adj
! ministration OF both Arthur and HIVES.
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 coed old rule of the Scripture:
ANSWER the fool according to his folly, y
and pass him by.
The taxes levied by permanent law,
passed under Republican rule, now yield q
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
muniticent pensions, and every other right
| full charge upon the peop.c. and have more
than hundred millions year besides IN
necessarily taken from the people. This is
| an enormous sum; over twice as great as
| the average annual cost of the whole Gov
eminent during the periods of Democratic
rule, from the year 1909 to 1851 Apply the
| case directly to ourselves. The snare OF
Wisconsin alone, ii 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
crnments, although l 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
| ceived they wouli refuse to acquiesce in
| such measure Of relief?
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.
1 have said that the policy Of that party
is obstruction. Lock 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 tawarted. Finally. when this
present Congress assembled, the President
urged this subject, of such vast and over
towering moment, by his entire annual
message. Repeatedly Republican MEM
bers have been reminded of their multi
piled platform promises. And what have
they done during this long and tedious ses
siona In the House the Democratic COM
mittee devoted months of untiring and as
siiuous labor, sparing neither night nor
day, to adjust measure which would re-
lieve the people with the least disturbance
to any business interest. Were they met
by any effort at co-opera tions 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. It was a magnificent debate,
an honor as it was triumph to tho studi-
GUS and Jealous labor of the Democrats of
the House. They overwhelmed their adj
versaries with arguments. they united the
Democratic lines, they perfected the bill
by every touch of amendment within
reach, but they received no contribution
toward it's 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-
ton of the work. What said Republicans
when their convention assembled
"The protective system must be main
tained.u 1.-THE Republican party
would effect all needed reduction of the
National revenue by repeating the taxes
upon tobacco ssand the tax
upon spirits used in the arts and for
mechanical purposes" /" II 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, to
have been false and hollow, intendssd only
to deceive; that sooner than relieve the
taxes upon any of tho necessaries Of life,
which every man. woman and child must
contribute to pay, they would help only
those who use tobacco and drink whisky
They call the tribute laid by tariff laws
protection" protection to American
industry and they hope to hide the
wicked fact under the spacious cover Of
the pleasing word Many robbery has
| been vailed by phrase Is the American
peoplesnot superior to the risk Of being
victimized by trick of wordsf That Is
the question
The tariff is. simply tax levie! upon
articles brought into this country from
abroad, for SALE use or consumption. On
every article within the list the collector
at the custom-house exacts the sum pre-
scribed by law when it enters our port.
| This is either specific amount charged
u,on certain articles, or it Is a percentage
Of their value. There is nothing more OF
| the law except its provision OF machinery
/ and officials for collecting the tax. Now,
| it is obvious that the importer must add TO
what he pays the foreign merchant the
amount of the tax. because that is part
| of the cost of the article to him. Upon that
| cost he computes his profits, and in the end
| the consumer pays the tax as weal as the
| foreign price, with the merchants profit
charged upon both. So far. to the extent
| that articles, are imported, the tariff oper
ates nothing but taxation There is SO
| far, no protection to anybody. but when
| the duty is made high enough upon such
articles as are manufactured in this coun-
| try to pre'sent the foreign merchant from
competing. with the domestic manu-
facturer. them another effect fol-
lows. Nd duty is now paid by
the consumer to the Government, directly
CIR indirectly. Ali that happens is that. by
| reason of foreign competition being ex-
cIuded. the domestic manufacturers can
sell the article to mis- countrymen at amy
price he chooses to fix below that at which
/ it can to imported, with duty added. It is
here that the so-cailed protectsOa begins
The tariff helps the American producer OF
such articles as the American public
wishes to buy only to the extent that 1t
/ excludes foreign competition. When you
hear any man talk of the projection Of the
| tariff, ask him to show You how 1t other
" sc affords protection. No mar can truly
make another answer. If the tariff is only
such rs to impose tax without intcrfer-
| ing with trade, there is no protection in it;
/ it is merely a tax.