The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-10

measure OF public duty in ready submission
to their will. 1t follows that candidate fo
this high Office can never forget tha
when the turmoil and the strife which
attend the selection of its incumbent shall bt
heard no more, there must be in the quiet
calm which follows complete and solemn
self conservation by the peoples chosen
President of every faculty and endeavor tc
the service of confding and generous nation
OF Tree men.
Our scale of Federal taxation and its con.
sequences largely engross, at this time, the
attention OF our citizens. and the people are
soberly considering the necessity of measures
OF relief. Our government is the creation OF
the people, established to carry out their de-
signs and accomplish their good. 1t was
founded on justice and was made for free,
intelligent and virtuous people. 1t is only
useful when within their control and only
serves their will when regulated and guided
by their constant touch. 1t is a free govern
ment, because 1t guarantees to every Ameri-
| can citizen the unrestricted personal use and
enjoyment of all the reward of his toll and
or all his Income. except may be his
| lair contribution to necessary public ex-
! pense. Therefore. it is not only right, but
the duty OF free people, in the enforcement
OF this guaranty, to insist that expense
should be strictly limited to the actual pub
lie needs. 1t seems perfectly clear that
when the government this instrumental
lty created and maintained by the people to
DO their bidding, turns upon them, and
through another perversion of its powers,
| extorts from their labor and capital tri-
| Dutes largely in excess of public necessities,
the creature has rebelled against the creator
and the masters are robbed by their SER
| wants.
The cost of the government must continue
| to be met by tariff duties collected at our
custom houses upon imported goods, and by
| internal revenue taxes assessed upon spirit
nous and malt liquors, tobacco and oleomar-
| garine.
/ suppose it is needless to explain that all
| these duties and assessments are added to
| the. price of the articles upon which they are
| levied, and thus became tax upon all those
| who buy these articles for use and consump-
| ton. l suppose, too, it is well understood
| that the effect of the tariff taxation is not
| limited to the consumers of imported arti-
cles but that the duties imposed upon such
articles permit corresponding increase in
price to be laid upon American productions
Of the same kind, W hich increase is paid by
all our people as consumers of home sproduc-
tions and, entering every American home,
constitutes form of taxation as certain and
as inevitable as though the amount was an
nually paid into the hand of the ax-gatherer.
These results are inseparable from the
plan we have adopted for the collection of
our revenue by tariff duties. They are not
mentioned to discredit the system, but by
way VI DlCluC6 W buC SbdJtLlbub bI1db every
million of dollars collected at our custom
houses for duties upon imported articles and
paid into the public treasury represent many
millions more, which, though never reaching
the national treasury, are paid by our citl-
zens as the increased cost of domestic pro-
ductions resulting 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 charges TO the
necessities 0f nnriOhf and nQ0nOmi0aI nd-
mlnistration Of the government, seems to be
perfectly plain, The continuance, upon a
pretext of meeting public expenditures of
such a scale of tariff taxation as draws from
the substance of the people sum largely in
excess of public needs, is surely something
which, under governments based upon JUS
tice, and which finds its strength and useful
ness la the faith aud the trust of the people,
ought not to be tolerated. While the heavi-
est burdens incident to the necessities
OF the government are euncomplaininglyb borne
light burdens become grievOus and intoler-
able when not justified by such necessities.
Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation,
and yet this is our condition. We are an
nually collecting at our custom houses and
by means of our internal revenue taxation
many millions in excess ofall legitimate
public needs. As consequence, there now
remains in the national treasury surplus
dence could be furnished that the people are
exorbitantly taxed. The extent of the
superfiuous burden indicated by this surplus
will be better appreciated when it is sug-
gested that such surplus alone represents
taxation aggregating more than one hun
dred and eight thousand dollars in
a county containing 10000 Inhabitants.
Taxation has always been the feature of or
ganized government the hardest to reconcile
With the peoples idea of freedom and hap
piness. When presented in a direct form,
nothing will arouse popular discomfort more
quickly and profoundly than unjust and un-
necessary taxation. Our farmers, mechan-
les, laborers and al our citizens closely scan
the slightest increase in the taxes assessed
upon their lands and other property and de-
mand good reasons for such increase. And
yet they seem to be expected in some quar-
ters to regard the unnecessary volume of in
sidious and Indirect taxation visited upon
them by our present rate of tariff duties
with Indifference, if not with favor. The
surplus revenue now remaining in the treas
ury not only. furnishes conclusive proof of
unjust taxation, but its existence constitutes
separate and independent menace to
the prosperity of the people.
This vast accumulation of idle funds rep
resents that much money drawn from the
circulating medium of the country which is
needed in the channels OF trade. 1t is
great mistake TO suppose that the conse-
quences which follow the continual with
drawal and boarding by the government of
the currency of the people are not of imme-
date Importance to the mass of our citizens,
financial tranaction.
& In reviewing the.bad effects ofthis accumu-
lated surplus and the scale of tariff rates by
which it is produced, we must not overlook
the tendency towards gross and scandalous
public extravaganza which a congested treas
ury induces, nor the fact that we are main
tanning, without, excuse in a time of pro-
found peace, substantially the rate of tariff
duties imposed in time of war, when the
necessities Of the government justified the
imposition of the weightiest burdens upon
the people.
Divers plans have been suggested for the
return Of this accumulated surplus to the
people and the channels of trade. Some Of
these devices are at variance with all rules OF
good finance; some are delusive, some are
absurd, and some betray, by their reckless
extravaganza, the demoralizing influence OF
a great surplus Of public money upon the
judgment of individuals. While such efforts
should be made as are consistent with public
duty and sanctioned by sound judgment, to
avoid danger by the useful disposition of the
surplus now remaining in the treasury, 1t is
evident that, If its distribution were accom-
plished, another accumulation would soon
take its place if the constant flow of redund-
ant income was not checked at its source by
reform in our present tariff laws.
we do not propose to deal with the con-
ditions by merely attempting to satisfy the
people of the truth of abstract theories or by
alone urging their assent to political doc
trine. We present to them the proposition
that they are unjustly treated in the extent
OF present federal taxation, that, as result,
acondition of extreme danger exists and that
i Is for them to demand a remedy and that
oe1ense and safety promised in the guaran-
tee OF their free government We believe
that the same means which are adopted to
relieve the Treasury of its present surplus
and prevent its recurrence, should cheaper
to our people the cost of supply in their daily
wants. Both Of these objects we seek in
part 10 gain by reducing the present tariff
rate upon the necessaries Of life.
we fully appreciate the Importance to the
country OF our domestic Industrial enter
prlses. Ia the rectiication of existing
wrongs, their maintenance and prosperity
should be carefully and in friendly spirit
considered. Even such reliance upon pres
ent revenue arrangements as have been in
yiteq OF encouraged should be fairly and
justly regarded Abrupt and radical changes
which might endapger such enterprises and
pendent upon their success and continuance
are not contemplated or intended.
But we know the cost of our domestic
manufactures and products in increased and
their price TO the consumer enhanced by the