The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-08-20

business any more money than an econo-
mical administration of the Government
required. Congress thought differently.
1t maintained that heavy taxation made
the country prosperous, gave better en-
plovment to labor, ond activity and sue
casS 70 all busineve enterpri>cs. We
think it great outrage to take from the
people their earnings to buy unmatured
bonds which call for a small interest, pay
ing an enormous premium when money
commands much larger interest to meet
the private obligations Of the people.
We think it still greater wrong, and
would characterize it as an Infamous out
rage, to tax the people to supply the
banks with money to lend to those from
whom it is taken for the sole benefit OF
these corporations. We endorse fully
and without reserve the opinion OF that
eminent jurist, Judge Cooley, in his chap
ter on constitutional limitations. tie
says: Constitutionally, a tax can have
no other basis than raising revenue tor
public purposes, and whatever govern
mental exactions have not that basis are
tyrannical and unlawful. Cincinnati
Enquirer.
In 1851, with free wool, our wool
growers received As cents per
pound for wool that now brings 80 cents,
and let me state that in 1857, we had
that great :" industrial depression which
followed Buchanan's election, and here
the force of circumstances asserted itself,
governed by the following conditions.
The great slavery question was the all
absorbing topic at that time the busl-
ness men, and the statesmen of the coun-
try, knew that the conflict for the free
dom of the slaves could not be long de-
layed, and with this impending fear bust
ness was neglected, capitalists would not
invest in any enterprises, and "thlngs
went to the dogs" while preparations
went on for the final struggle, at last pre-
cipitated by the election Of the immortal
Lincoln During the war tax was lev
led, by act of Congress, upon all articles,
no matter what kind, whether in the shape
of raw material, or goods manufactured
from it, instituted for the successful pros
ecution of the war, by the northern forces.
Now recollect that this tax was increased
in several instances, during that time,
from 1861 to 1865, for the purpose Of war
revenue, and after the war was over, it
was still retained for the purpose of pay
ing off some of our enormous war debts,
with no idea of keeping it up continually,
but on the contrary, fixed determination
for its gradual reduction from time to
time General Grant, in one Of his mes
sages to Congress during his first term,
urged a reduction upon some OF the taxed
neceSsaries Of life, for the benefit OF the
masses. and to take some of the burden
from their shoulders. Congress re-
sponded, but how: BY an increase in
import duties. In The midst OF the great
civil war, our average tax on imports was
81 per cent; now it is a. per cent, and
we have had peace for - wears past, and
our taxes are noW - per cent. higher
than at any time during the war;. +.
b. in Fibre and Fabric.
Stealing pennies is usually considered
a pretty mean act, though we suppose
that there is not much difference in the
matter Of dignity, whether the thing
stolen is a penny or million of dollars
Trusts are usually organized, however, for
big game. But the salt trust is cent
concern. The ordinary individual will
continue to salt his food without being
much Inconvenience by the rise in the
price of salt. But the great heightened
gentlemen who compose the trust will be
gathering up the farthings here and there,
and the pennies from the larger consumer,
and the dollars from other consumers, and
chncking them into their capacious
pockets, and the aggregate, as the old
lady said, will be "qute a few" dollars.
There are consumers who will have to
pay noticeable extra sum for trusted
salt. But it is very misleading to con-
slider matter Of this kind upon the basis
of what it takes from the individual
That is the tavorite plan which the Irvine
trust adopts to make it's robbery pleasant
to the grain grower The fact that the
salt trust is intended to get more money
for salt than salt IS worth, should always
be kept distinctly in view. The trust is a
dishonest scheme, aud it is a scheme that
promises rich reward or the rich gen
tlemen who have conceived it would
never have gone to the trouble of per-
fpcting it. The salt trust will fleece the
people out of thousands and millions be-
fore it gets through with them, unless the
life is choked out of it. Now if an indi-
vidual consumer should not be robbed of
more than ore cent, but the people Of his
town, as a whole, should be robbed of a
hundred dollars or five hundred dollars,
there is just that much less financial abii-
ty in his community. The salt trust has
nOssesso6 itself Of mOnav that shoul6 h.,