Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-10
SENSIBLE TARIFF talk.

SENSIBLE TARIFF TALK.
An ex-governor Of Kansas, when
interviewed recently by the New York
Voice on the tariff questions, gave
utterance to the following plain and
forcible languages:
"Our whole tariff system is wrong in
principle, because it imposes its burdens
upon what we consume instead of upon
what we posses, thus compelling poor
ay-laborer to carry as great financial
load on the necessities of life (which
rich and poor alike are compelled to
have) "a il carried by the man who Il
worth his millions. All financial bur-
dens placed by our Government upon
the people should be measured, not by
their capacity to consume, but by their
ability to pay. A man who has $4,000
and no children is justly entitled to pay
ten times the amount of protection
that should be paid by the man with
only 81 900 and ten children; but under
our present tariff system the poor man,
with ten children, carries ten times the
laad-of pays ton times mere tax than
is placed upon his aope prosperous and
well-to-do neighbor. In other words,
the burden is placed upon the number
of children, and not upon the number
OF dollars possessed"
.What remedy would you propose
for this ipjastipe to the paore" was
asked.
"Why, would restore to the people
what believe to be God-given right
that is. to trade anywhere in this
wide world where they can buy the
cheapest without being compelled, Al
they row are, to pay tribute to a
favored few.
''If our industries need protection,
let it be given on such basis as would
be honest and just-a protection that
would protect the poor and do no injus-
tice to the rich. To illustrate:
"If the sugar industry deserves pro-
tectlon to the extent of three cents per
ea4na an sHgar, let it be given as a
bounty aiFeetly froH4 fhe United states
Treasury, and let the money to foot the
bills be raised by q levy upon the tax
able wealth Of the nation. This would
give to the poor, as we'll as to the rich,
sugar at three cents less per pound.
Thss the mi!lionaires in the United
States Senate, whsa they examined
theiF tax receipts and discovered, as
they you'd, that the burdens of pro
tsetion' have been shifted from the
pockets OF the poor to the pockets of
the rich would suddenly awake to the
realization that our industries are no
longer in their infancy-to be nursed like
a sick kitten at hot jamb. and fed on
catnip tea for all time to come.
''Out West it takes IS pounds Of the
fsrMeEls oats to buy II pounds Of trust
sugar, and IS pounds of his corn to buy
pounds Of trust binding twine; while
under the influence of the infamous
Dressed Beef Trust he is forced to day
to sell his beef cattle at least one-half
cent per pound less than the actHal east
of Preddnaetlop, while tAopsands of
~iners, after being Locked ont for
months, are starved in Of forged to 90
to work at whatever the bosses are dis
posed to give them.
1.-The politicians cry Of protection
under our present system has fooled
the people for the last time. Every
honest man is wiling that all legiti7
mata lnlaannstFFiles lannstFFiles shoAllfdi be PFoteeted
bnt let the protecti8n be fair and just.
Let the burden fest Apoa what We
possess. and not upon what We ean.
snme. Give the poor people fair
chance, and We will have fewer strikes
and riots and less starvation.
IAN equalization Of the opportunities
Of mankind to make living is what is
new, but just what our present system
prevents"