Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-14
OPPOSED TO THE WHOLE THING.


Its Central Theory InIquity.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 14-Vance was
the principal speaker in the senate Friday,
and he took for his text the tariff question.
He said the lines had been drawn closely by
| the presidents message on the subject of the
surplus and taxation; the contest had to be
fought out squarely, and the question
had to be decided unequivocally on its mer-
its. That question was: Should taxation be
enforced for the support of the government
or for the enrichment Of private individualss
Should money be collected from the people
for public or for private purposes9 No rep
utabe hypothesis could be formel which
presented any other phase of the question.
The question was where should the reduc-
ton of taxes begin7
The proposition of most of the Democratic
senators following the lead of the president)
was to begin and end with tariff taxation.
The Republicans ION the other hand) proposed
to begin by reducing (only in part internal
taxes, and by adding to the fire. list those
things coming from abroad which did not
compete with things made in this country,
and the duty on which was therefore, all
revenue. For himself, he proposed to begin
with both evils as he found them-excessiye
internal taxes and excessive taxation. In
North Carolina there was cause of complaint
against each, but there was far more COM
plant as to the method of internal taxation
than there was as to the amount Why, he
asked, should not the excise tax be repealed,
or greatly modiiedl The exigency which
called it into existence had long since passed
away. 1t involved the right of man to do
what he pleased with his own, within the
bounds of the law of liberty. 1t involved the
right of the farmer TO sell the product of his
labor to any purchaser who offered the best
price. 1t involved the right of the husbandman
to utilize the fruit of his orchard instead of
leaving it to rot on the ground. 1t involved
the still more momentous question whether
the poor mans cabin should be indeed his cas-
tie, protected by the organic law or whether
it might be ransacked at any hour Of the day
or night by petty official dressed in lit
tie brief authority" in search of tribute for
an OVERLOOKING treasury. The people of
North Carolina cared little or nothing about
the tax on spirits or tobacco They would
pay it cheerfully if they could he spared the
and vexatious methods and ma
chinery of its collection. 1t was not ques-
ton las was often so triumphatly stated of
a choice between free whisky and free
blankets because the duty on blankets was
now practically prohibitory, and they would |
not be any cheaper if the excise on whisky |
was removed. |
Vance proceeded, with much detail, to |
illustrate the inconsistencies in the tariff, |
as bearing against the articles |
by the poor and in favor of those
by the rich. He declared that the
central theory of the tariff was iniquity, and
that he was opposed TO the whole thing, out
and out He should not vote to put any
hing on the free list the tax on which was
pure revenue; he should strive earnestly to
'educe taxation on the necessaries of life,
md he should discriminate in nothing except
against Injuries, and in favor of the helpless
md unprotectad