Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-10-01
Governor st. john ON the rarifr.

Whatever we may think of Mr. st.
Johns views on the question of pro
hibition, he seems to carry a very level
head on the question Of the tariff In
the course OF recent interview in Bos-
ton he said:
"Our whole tariff system is wrong in
principle, because it imposes its burdens
upon what we consume instead of what
we possess, thus compelling the poor day
laborer to carry as great a financial load
on the necessities Of life (which the rich
aud poor alike are compelled to have) as
is carried by the man who is worth his
millions All financial burdens placed by
our Government upon ths people shonld
be measured, not by their capacity to
consume, but by their ability to pay. A
man who has $40, 600 and no children is
Justly entitled to pay ten times the
amount Of protection that should be
paid by the man with only $1,000 and ten
children but under our present tariff
system the poor man with ten children
carries ten times the load, or pays ten
times more tax than is placed upon his
more 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 injustice TO the poorf'
why, / would restore to the people
what l believe to be God given right
that is, to trade anywhere in this wide
world where they can buy the cheapest
without being compelled, az they now
are, at pay tribute to favored few.
III our industries need protection, let
IL it be given on such basis as would be
honest and jnst--a protection that would
protect the poor and do no injustice to
the rich. To illustrate:
IF the sugar industry deserves pro !
lection to the extent Of three cents per
pound on sugar Let it be given as a
bounty direct from the United States
Treasury, and let the money to foot the
bills be raised by levy upon the taxable
wealth Of the nation. This would give
the poor, as well as the rich, sugar at
cents less per pound. Then the million
aires In the United States Senate when
they examined their tax receipts and dis
covered, as they would, the burdens OF
| protection have been shifted from the
pockets Of the poor to the pockets Of the
rich, would suddenly wake up to 3 reali.
zation that our industries are no longer
in their infancy, to be nursed ike = sick
kitten at hot jamb and fed on catniT
tea for all time to come
"0ut West it takes 80 pounds Of the
farmers oats to buy Il pounds Of trust
sugar, and rs pounds OF his corn to buy
2 pounds Of trust binding Irvine, whil'
under the influence Of the infamous
Dressed Beef Trust he is forced todsy t
sell his beef cattle at least one half cent
per pound less than the actual cost O
production: while thousands Of miners
after being locked out for months, are
starved in or forced to 20 to work a
Whatever the bosses are disposed to give
I them
"The politicians cry OF protection
under our present system has fooled the
people for the last time. Every homes
man is willing that all legitimate indus
tries should be protected, but let the pro
lection be fair and just. Let the burdei
rest upon what we possess and not upoi
what we consume. Give the poor peopl
fair chance, and we viii have fewe
/ strikes and riots and less starvation
An equalization of the opportunitie
Of mankind 70 make q living is what
needed but st what our p esent systez
lprsseIts.