The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25


people. Tariff reform does not mean free trade.
4 IL means Just and equitable system of taxa
! ton, reduced in amount to the requirements
and necessities Of the government. Such
system of taxation would be protection. for the
reason that il would be just TO all classes.
But the present tariff that taxes common pine
lumber, that is used in the construction OF
humble homes. g per thousand feet and does
not tax satin-wood, rosewood and other hne
| woods imported and used in decorating the
homes Of the rich; that taxes
common window glass, G6 per cent; tinware
45 per cent; knives and forks 90 per cent. ;
! common dress goods 50 per cent; clothing, 90
per cent; furniture, 30 per cent; carpets, AZ
! per cent; flannel, 60 per cent; knit goods, oil
per cent; sugar, 70 per cent; rice, III per
cent, and the wagon and farming implements
OF the farmer and does not tax the income on
/ the securities of corporations, nor the income
OF the rich; that taxes those who are the least
I able to pay taxes and does not tax those VINO
are the most able to pay; that taxes the poverty
/ of the country and not ITS wealth, thereby pro-
/ tecting capital and depressing labor, IS not
1 entitled TO the name of protection and can not
/ long exist before the scrutiny OF Just and en-
! lightened public opinion.
A quarter of century has elapsed since the
/ close of the war and yet il is insisted that the
\ present war tariff, which was enacted during
I the war under the pretense OF raising revenue
/ 10 help defray the greatest war expenditure
I which the world ever Witnessed. shall be con-
/ tnued indefinitely. No person in or out oil
( congress pretended at the time of its enact
ment that it was for any other purpose than to
/ raise revenue, and all agreed that IL was in
/ tended only as a temporary measure, which Is
so expressed in the title OF the acts and had
] not the come upon us, no political party
/ or politician would have dared to propose such
/ an increase of the tariff. There was great
/ hurry after the close of the war to relieve the
\ corporations and incomes of the rich OF all war
\ taxes and it was done. Now, my country
/ men. do you not think that 1t IS
about time that the farmers and laboring
people were being relieved of at least
portion of the same war tax? You will remem
Der, my countrymen that during the last cam
paign, when the tatiff reformers advocated
reduction OF the average tax from ~ TO ~ per
cent, Ia reduction of only per cent? what a
torrent of opposition was aroused by the pro-
tectiOnists all over the country, and they
poured their money out like water to carry the
election and defeat the reduction. The pro-
teetionist and monopolist tell you, my farmer
/ friends that this war tax is a good thing for
/ you and a good thing for the business OF the
/ country. Then why not put the tax back
again on the corporations and incomes OF the
rich?
They tell you that high taxes are a good
/ thing for you but not for corporations and the
wealth of the country. The truth OF history Is
that prOtectionists took advantage OF the ex-
ctement OF the war times and the exigencIes OF
the war to procure the enactment OF a tariff
that would enrich them at the expense of the
people. It's enactment was not dictated by
patriotic impulses, but by avarice. Had the
motive for its enactment been solely TO raise
revenue to support the government during the
war, much lower tariff would have been
adopted. The present tariff was enacted to pre-
vent competition and not to raise revenue, as
the rate of duty fixed by the tariff that existed
prior to the war would have produced more
revenue during the war, and the revenue would
have gone into the treasury. The difference be-
tween a democratic tariff for revenue and a re-
publican monopoly tariff for protection Is,
that under a democratic tariff for revenue
the tax is levied and collected at the
custom-house and paid into the treasury, while
under the present republican monopoly tariff
the principal part of the tax is levied and col
lected at the shops and storehouses- of the mo-
nOpolists ana goes into their pockets. A demo-
cratic tariff for revenue is a tariff to support the
government. A republican protective tariff is
a tariff to support and build up private inter
ests. Every citizen should be willing to be
! taxed to support the government. No citizen
should be willing to be taxed to support private
interests to build up private fortunes The peo-
pie have been taxed ever since the war TO pro-
tect and support private interests and the re-
suit of such system has been to RAPIDLY aggre-
gate the wealth of the country in the hands of
the few. Prior to the enactment OF the present
war tariff, there were not twenty men In the
! United States who could be called milliOnaires,
and only one man worth over two millions,
and he had accumulated his fortune without
the aid OF protective legislation.
Now it is alleged by learned economists, who
have taken great pains to collect statistics IN
relation to the wealth of the country, that
there ore over twenty-five thousand individuals
in the country worth over a million OF dollars
each, and some of them worth as much as two
hundred millions, and that these $4,000 indi-
viduals own over half of the private wealth of
the nation. Estimating our present popula-
tion at only 60,000,000, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
dredth of the population own half of the pri-
vate wealth Of the whole country.
Now let us contrast the present distribution
of wealth with that which existed mp TO the
time of the enactment OF the present war tariff.
Our present form of government may be said
to have commenced when the constitution went
into force, or when the first president in
augurated, April 30, 1889, and from that date
to the enactment Of the present war tariff was
seventy-fve years-three quarters of a century.
During all that time there were not twenty in
dividuals in the country worth over a million
OF dollars each, the wealth of the country
being diffused among the people. During the
past twenty-five years-one fourth OF century
under the present war tariff, there have been
created millionaires by the thousands, the
wealth of the country has been concentrated in
the hands of the few, monopOlies, combines
and trusts have been built up, which control
the markets and dictate the wages of labor.
This rapid accumulation of great wealth by
the few, through special privileges granted by
the government, has created an inordinate de-
sire for riches. 1t is rapidly taking possession
of the public mind and threatens TO become
the ruling passion of the nation. ALI history
shows that when avarice becomes the ruling
passion of nation its days of usefulness to
mankind are numbered. Daniel Webster said
in one of his great speeches that liberty
not long endure in any country when the ten
dency Of legislation is to concentrate wealth in
the hands of the few"
The question of tariff reform should receive
the immediate and continued attention OF the
people. Neither party ties nor religious creed
should prevent the people from giving ii that
serious consideration that its importance de-
mands. The present tariff should not be al
lowed to exist until the reaction against it may
become violent to demand legislation
that will embarrass capital Capital should
not be wrongfully assailed nor uniustly leg-
islated against but capital can take care of
itself without special legislation in its favor.
Ii is the masses OF the peOple-the poOr-who
need the fostering care of the government.
Abraham Lincoln said in one of his messages
to congress: '"rhere is one point to which | ask
attention. IL is the effort to place capital on
equal footing with if not above labor in the
structure of the government. / bid the labor
ing people beware of surrendering a power
which they already possess and which, when
surrendered. will surely be used to close the
door of advancement to such they and fix
new disabilities and burdens upon them till all
of their liberty shall be lost" Again he says:
"l .abor is prior to and independent OF capital.
Capital is only the fruit of labor and never
could have existed If labor had not first existed.
Labor is much the superior and deserves much
the higher consideration"
The republican party of to-day is radi-
g.. II IL