The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1888-07-04
The Tax Reform Issue.

bout tariff reform in this campaign.
1t is necessary that there should be.
This is the leading issue before the
people. 1t is a matterof dollars and
cents. 1t is question whether or
not we shaltcontinue to take out Of
the earnings Of the people more
money than the government
requires and pour it into an over
flowing treasury at the rateof S14O-
100000 yearly in excess Of the gov
ernment's demands.
This is a question the peoplemust
consider. Is it not time to bring
taxation down to the requirements
OF the government and give the tax
payers the benefit of the reduction?
The laws under which this money
Observation-Disclosures yearly
were passed twenty-six years ago
when great war was in progress
and hundredso fthousands of soldiers
were to lie provided for. The war is
over, but the taxes are collected still.
Is it not time to revise the laws and
bring taxation down to theiustneeds
OF the government? Certainly tits.
Now which party is most likely to
carry out the principles of tax re-
form? Surely not the Republican
party, for it has said in its Chicago
platform and to it are committed
Harrison and Morton thatitis "un.
eomprcmisingly in favor of the
American system OF protection
What is that system? In plain words
it's giving an unequal and unjust
advantage to privileged few, to the
disadvantage Of the many; and many
here means the purchasers-the nom
producers. To illustrate: These
privileged few want all foreign ar
ticles keep out Of the market they
don't want eompettion-or else if.
allowed to come in they want these
articles taxed so high that the home
manufacturer or producer can raise
thepriceof his articles toeorrespond
and thus reap the benefits. This is
high protection. This, briefly, is the
American system to which the Re-
publican party has committed itself
and asks the laboring men and buy
ers of this country to give them un-
limitedpOwer in. Itisnothingmore
than robbery. Don't you see who
protection benefits? We already
have high tariff and from it large
revenues are raised in the way of
custom duties. Under 1.-THE Ameri-
can manufacturer thriyes because he
puts up his prices far beyond legiti-
mate profits in most cases, to cor
respond with the duties.
The government reaps no benefit
from the American manufacturer
under this law. Tie excess. over
and above fair profits, goes right in
to the manufacturers pocket, and
thus you see that the American sys-
TEN Of protection means an increase
Of price on domestic articles to cor.
respond with foreign articles that
come 10 for competition. These ar
ticles, very near or quite 5000 we
believe, are in the tariff list and
embrace those used in general con-
sumption; used BY the poor people Of
this country every day "A class least
able TO bear this burden, and the in
crease on these articles, by this high
Iarif is estimated at least sixty per
sent Il this not something to con-
.enplate before you cast ballot in
November The choice Of parties
and policies will affect yoD directly
Y thss matter Of taxes.
r. Us look for a moment At the |
II the Democratic party
and Cleveland and Thurman a. best
suited to'earry out the reforms the
DemocratisNParty propose. The 81.
Louis platform which is the Dem
ocratic platf6w-adyoeates the
policy Oflowering the import duties.
The government does not need 90
much money now. let US reduce
the tariff law from sixty pr cent.
This will reduce the necessaries Of |
life. American manufacturers and
monopolists must come down 10 |
legitimate nrnfit. nnn,t Won "a.