Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-15


industry. But we would have the state
and national governments lay their ire
| mendous tax burdens on accumulated
! wealth and not on the living OF the peo-
| pie. Our taxes, local and national, ag-
grega;e over $500, 009 900 per year-a
! sum almost equal 70 the whole annual
increase of property which, after deduct
! ing the living expenses OF the people and
! taxes, is commonly estimated at ,000,-
| 900 600. To put the enormous tax bur-
| den on the wealth instead of on the labor
| Of the country will wrong no man, check
no industry, and tend strongly to
wholesome and just distribution of the
| annual net increase which labor and
capital combined produce.
| To effect this the tariff on salt and
sugar and the internal revenue tax on
tobacco should be utterely abolished, as
WIS the tariff on tea and coffee soon at
ter the war. They are all per capita
taxes, falling on rich and poor alike,
and are therefore alien and hostile to the
spirit of our government. The internal
revenue tax on tobacco 10 peculiarly OBJ
| jectionable and oppressive, rs it falls
| largely on farmers, who, considered as
| laborers, get the smallest return ~.tRIs
| their work, and considered as cap1f41is tn
! get the least return for their in yeetmsSF,
of any class in the United sts.ssSwe
| must go back too 10
RATIONAL TARIFF POLICY.
No such tariff a. Mckinley's was.
ever dreamed of before the war by tsSy
widest visionary. 1t is protectiopsfu9f
mad. Hamilton and jefferson, .Sfde IS
the poles asunder on most POLITICAL GUYS
tors, agreed about the tsTf. IEhe
two great parties they fedndedy anG
their successors down to fhis dB, have
accepted the principle Of shrlff for
revenue with incidental protectiOn-dif-
fering only in the extent Of protection.
The contention of the Democracy has
always been-uot for free trade-Dut to
extend this indirect help only to such in
dustries as really need it, and to reduce
il to the minimum consistent with tho
diversifcaiion and preservation OF home
industries-so that the people may have
the benefit of competition between home
ana foreign producers whenever prices
rise above fair and living rates in the
American markets. That is all the
aid the worklngman in protected
industries can get, no matter
how high the tariff be put; for
his wages cannot rise beyond the general
level Of wages of the far more numerous
and equally apt AID intelligent labOrers
in unprotected industries. The Republic
can party has now thrown to the winds
the principle OF ii tariff for revenue with
incidental protection as recognized by
both parties from the foundation of the
government. 1t has enacted a tariff for
protection only, making duties desguedly
prohbitory-thereby checking exchanges
with other nations, and leaving 63, 0O0,-
900 of consumers 10 be plundered by the
protected manufacturers who will as far
us possible hold prices just below the
level of the tariff wall.
The federal income and inheritance
taxes, which were repealed by the Re-
publican party few years after the
war, should be and l believe will be re-
stored by the Democracy. They should
be imposed in raising revenues by both
state and Federal governments. Such
taxes are levied and successfully col
lectsd in Great 3 itein, Germany aud
Switzerland. supplying large portion of
their public revenues. The: yielded the
United Safes about $50 600 900 per an
nun. Small incomes and inheritauces
should be wholly exempt; and the per
cent. of tax should be graduated SO as to
increase with the amount of the inher- |
tance or income. Such taxes are con- |
sistent with natural equity. They inter-
labor, and tend to check the evil ten
dency to
CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH.
Aside from the influence of Federal |
and state taxation, we must look to the |
states to check this phenomenal accumu- !
lation of wealth in the hands of the few.
Their powers cover almost the whole |
range of affairs which fall within the |
scope of government. To them the COR
porations owe their existence, franchises
and duties. Charges of railway COM
panies, and those also of tho corpora |
lions which furnish street railways, |
water, light and power III towns and |
cities should all be so regulated BIZ the
states as 10 rescue the masses from IN
due exactions. Philadelphia now saves
81 800 900 annually to her citizens by
owning and operating her gas works.
Wheeling saves her people ratably much
more. In England about third of the
cities and boroughs furnish light at
small charge to their people. In Ger
many about half. The charges for gas
By private corporations in both countries
are fixed st very low rates by law. BY
the exercise of unquestionable powers by
the states, such drains on the wealth of
the people by private corporations ought
to be greatly reduced.
The degradation of the masses in the
older countries which men who affect TO
fear governments by the people blame on
Providence, is largely attributable to
tricks of taxation by which the ruling
classes prey on the people. There the
masses are helpless. Here they are SUI
preme. God intended the dominion of
man over nature to result in tightening
human burdens and diffusinS human
happiness. The alarming fact that in
this government by the people our
splendid Industrial development is not
lettering the general condition of the
masses, but is building up money aris-
toorscy, demands the application of all
THE POLITICAL REMEDIES
We possess. The Democratic party was
formed by sud for the people. 1t be-
lieves in their ability and their divine
right 10 rule. 1. is not @ seeker of polit-
ical nostrums, but is not afraid to COM
bat new evils by use of legitimate pow
ers OF government. The issues and
prejudces which grew out of the war
have loug blinded the people to the inf
deity of the Republican party to their
interests. But the awakening has come
at last, and from every quarter of the