The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-09

OF Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe or
Jackson.
The whisky ring. this grandest of monopoIies,
oe.t f protested and the people have to pay
protection of any other class of producers or
manufacturers in this country
AGAINST TWO SYSTEMS OF COLLECTIONS.
But II the Senator is right about it, and IL is
better TO collect over hundred millions year
Oh tobacco and whisky, because the money all
| goes into the Treasury and protects nobody but
the whisky ring, then why not collect all the
money we need by direct tax, which all goes
lnto the Treasury and abolish the custom houses
altogetherI We certainly ought not to have
TWO systems of collecting revenue and two
armies of collectors, each at the ex-
PehSe or many millions of dollars a
year; One or the other system should be abol-
lshed. l am for the abolition of internal reve-
nue. and all direct taxation, and collecting all the
revenue necessary to support the government,
economically administered, at the ports by Q
tariff If the Senator is right, and the internal
revenue and direct taxation is a better system,
then we ought to abolish the custom houses and
coilect all the tax under the present system OF
spies, lntormerS, and raiders upon the homes
and property of the people. In that way you
can collect your revenues and protect nobody
OUT the dlStllerS, not even protect the persons,
property, or in many cases, the lives of your
fellow citizens.
But what would the people say to such prac
tlcey Suppose we undertake to raise $3OO,OOO,-
OOO year by internal revenue laws and direct
pay its part in cash in addition to the direct
tax which its people pay for the support of its
own government When apportioned out
among the different States, my own State:
being little over the average State, would
have to pay, in addition to the tax it now pays
to support the State government, something
over SS,OO0OOO year i'll cash collected directly
from the people who have visible property to
aid in the support of the Federal government
This is about eight times as much as we now
pay to support the State government. What
would the people of Georgia or Kentucky say
TO such system, with all the expressions and
domiciliary veXations which would attend the
collection of the taxes under it?
THE GEORGIA PEOPLE DO NOT WISH TO CRUSH
MANUFACTURES.
do not undertake to speak for the people of
kentucky; but | have no hesitation in saying
that, while the people of Georgia desire a just
revision of the tariff and the abolition of the
internal revenue system entirely. they do not
desire to crush American manufactures or re
duce the compensation of American labor.
On that question they stand squarely on the
Democratic platform as promulgated by the
national Democratic party in 1884, which no
person or association of persons except the
Democratic party in convention, has power to
change or abrogate That platform says:
But in making reduction in taxes it is not
proposed to lnjure any domestic industries. but
rather to promote their healthy growth. From
the foundation of this Government taxes col
lected at the custom-house have been the chief
source of Federal revenue. Such they must
continue to be. Moreover, many industries have
come to rely upon legislation for successful
continuance, so that any change of law must be
at every step regardful of the labor and capital
which is involved. The progress Of reform must
be subject in the execution, to this plain dictate
of justice-all taxation should be limited to the
requirements of economical government. The
necessary reduction can and must be effected
without depriving American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with foreign labor, and
without imposing lower rates of duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost of produc-
ton which may exist in consequence of the
higher rate of wages prevailing in this Coun-
try"
Then the platform ADDS this significant Ian
guage which leaves no room for the internal
revenue system:
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM FOR INTERNAL REEVE
NUE. REPEAL.
Sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses of
the Federal government economically admins
tered, including pensions, interest and princi
pal of the public debt, can be got under our
present system of taxation from custom house
taxes on fewer imported articles, bearing
heaviest on articles of luxury, and bearing
lighteSt on articles of necessity"
This as l understand it, and as the Democracy
of Georgia understand it, is sound Democratic
doctrine on the revenue question 1t involves
the absolute repeal of the internal revenue sys-
tenn, which the Democratic platform says is a
war tax at the earliest day when the emer-
gency that called it into existence has passed.
And it has already passed.
As labor is much the larger part of the cost of
most manufactured articles, the American
manufacturer can not compete successfully and
pay double the price for labor which the Euro
pean manufacturer pays. ItfollowS, therefore.
that in case of most manufactured articles the
price of labor must be reduced when the tariff
is reduced, or the American manufacturer must
retire and give the field to the European who
has the cheap labor. You cannot reduce
American labor to the price paid paupers in
Europe without compelling American laborers
to live like the paupers in Europe live. To this
our laborers should never submit Against this
the faith of the Democratic party is solemnly
pledged. And trust we may find every true
Democrat ready to aid in keeping faith and re-
deeming that solemn pledge.
IMPORTED AND HOME MANUFACTURES
The whole value of dutiable manufactured ar
tcles imported in one year is $190,0sS 633 The
whole value of home products of manufacture
ers, mechanics, and miners according to the
last census, is nearly five and half billions a
year, or over twentyseven times as much home
production as the whole amount of like dutia-
bic goods imported. So that our people use
more than twentyseven times much home
made goods on which they pay little or no tariff
as they use of foreign goods on which they pay
the tariff. The amount of the tariff paid by u
farmer or planter in the South who lives plainly
and economically is so small that it is almost
imperceptible. He pays tariff on small pro-
portion of the small quantity OF manufactured
goods which he buys, such blankets, wool
hats. trace-chans, etc. And he gets protection
under our tariff law on the articles raised by
him to almost if not quite as large sum, as he
pays tarln on goods bought by MN which
subject to duty under our tariff law as it now
stands on the statute-Dook.
Let us see what reduction it will be necessary
to make. Say we want to reduce the tariff
$4,000 900 so as to stop entirely the surplus
which now flows into the Treasury. During the
last year the amount paid into the Treasury
under the operation of our tariff laws on the
chief classes of articles manufactured in this
country was, on
All wooden manufactures. 80. IS 7,21S523
All silk manufactures. ............... 130O00O0
All iron and steel manufactures. Ia, 631 1916
All cotton manufactures. .......- 11,7522W
All chemical manufactures ..... ... 4241,S SIG
All jute, hemp and sisal grass manu-
features acknowledgements. 9,2f7, s16
Earthenware and china ............. 1899 $40
Glass and glassware. .......... ..... 1863, 924
Leather manufactures ............... 1926, 233
Paper. D.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1892 469
Tobacco manufactures. ..... ........ S,311,1H
Total reyenuefrom the manufactures
above named ..................... 9S,74s,82s
Additional revenue from all raw
materials ............ ............. 12,419,6s9
Total revenue from all sources
named above ............... .... III 1853 OF
Surplus for this year ............... 113 100000
Surplus still remaining after repeal
ing all the above named duties. -. 2,s31, 973
Thus you see, Mr. President, if we leave it as
it now is on other articles we will have to re-
move all tariff from wooden, silk, iron, steel,
cotton, chemicals, hemp, earthenware, glass,
leather, paper and tobacco, and all tariff from
raw materials, and we will still fall short over
So OOO, 600 of dsposing of the whole surplus esti-
mated for by the Secretary of the Treasury for
the current year.
TREMENDOUS ANTIrHEsIs.