The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-04-26


laborers better wages than they can AFFORD 70
pay them now. and still sell their products to
consumers at lower prices than are now
charged"
Concerning the internal revenue features OF
| the bill, the minority say: while we would pe
willing 10 repeal the internal revenue taxes on
| tobacco, in connection with reductions upon
other articles which the people are obllged 10
use, as was proposed in the bill which passed
| the last House, we can not agree to measure
which provides for the abolition OF any part OF
such taxes and at the same time increases the
| rates OF duty on cotton, woolen ana linen cloth
| ing and on earthenware, glassware, tapie cut
| lery and many forms of iron and steel whlch
| can not be dispensed with. Besides, about the
only substantial reason that can be urged 1oi
the repeal of the tax on tobacco Is the fact thn'
| the governmental supervision and control nee
essary to enforce its collection is constant
source of vexation and annoyance TO those en-
gagged in manufacturing that article. mere
reduction OF the tax from eight TO four cents per
pound does not dispense with this supervision
and control to any extent whatever, nor does II
diminish the expense of collection. The same
supervision, the same books and forms, the
same bonds, oaths and penalties and the same
number OF officials viii be required to collect
four cents per pound that are required to collect
The policy of placing farm products on the
dutiable list in order to give the farmer protec'
tion, is referred to as fallacious The minority
hold that it is impossible to protect the farmer
against foreign competition in his home market
because IL is claimed, he has no such compcti
tion.
Regarding the cut in sugar and the sugar
bounty the minority say: Last year the grades
of sugar which are now made free yielded 10
the Government S5i,S9i,1Sl, all of which is now
to be surrendered and the sugar industry is TO
become an annual charge upon all the people
who are engaged in other occupations, some OF
which are far more important and all of which
are fully meritorious as this one. In 1SSS,
which Is the last year for which we have com
plete returns, the sugar product in this country
was 80 S55,ST pounds, so that even II there
should be no increased production under the
bounty system the sum which the people are to
be compelled to donate each year for the sup
port of this favored industry will be s',59O,ooo'
or Sl13,0O00OO during the fifteen years.
But the very object of the bounty is to en-
courage the production OF this article, and its
advocates claim that in n few years it will re.
suit in domestic supply equal to the whole de.
mand for home consumption. In addition to the
home product we imported and consumed dur.
ing the last fiscal year a,7oo ,So9 pounds OF
sugar not above No. l6 in color, making total
annual consumption, including domestic and i'm.
ported, of 3,076277, 079 pounds and thcrefore-if
the system results as its advocates predict.the
annual payment out of the treasury will be SOL,
52S, 426, even without any increase in the amount
now consumed. We protest against the gross
favoritism and injustice Of such a policy ana ma
Government to tax the people who grow corn.
wheat, cotton, rye, oats and other agricultural
products for the purpose of raising money to be
given to those who produce sugar or any other
article. The bounty provisions contained In
this bill are confessions that the whole system
which it seeks to strengthen and extend is u
productive Industries of the country"
The minority state that in their opinion the
increase in the tobacco schedule, resulting
mainly from the imposition of a duty of So per
pound on unstemmed leaf for cigar wrappers,
will be SIG 3O5, ,g25 instead of Sg 75i 069 shown
by the tables and they are confident that an
analysis of the mportations of that article for
series of years past will sustain their position.
OF the effect of the proposed measure on the
revenue of the country the minority say: I'VE
do not mean to assert that the bill actually in.
creaSeS the customs revenue e65,OUD,OCO over
what 1t is under existing law. but that IL pro-
poses to impose upon the articles II leaves upon
the dutiable list, except sugar and molasses,
that sum in excess of the amount collected on
the same schedules last year. 1t places upon
the free list articles which yielded n revenue of
S6 039 96g during the last fiscal year and 1t makes
a reduction of S5i022, 1888 on sugar and mo-
lasses and these two sums, amounting TO S0O
g62 07g being deducted from the S65 900 900 leave
a net increase of more than 4,OOO0U in tariff
taxation under this bill
The report concludes as follows "In our
opinion, the exercise of a lust discrimination in
the selection of the subjects of taxation and in
fixing the rates of duty to be imposed upon each
would enable the Government to realize from
this source of revenue ample means for its own
support and at the same time greatly improve
the present condition and prospects OF all our
citizens who have invested their means or en-
barked their labor in manufacturing, mining
agriculture and commerce. While we would
gladly cooperate with the majority in the pass
age of any measure which would relieve the
people from unnecessary taxation. promote the
of our various industries and secure
ample wages and steady employment TO the
aborers engaged in them, we feel constrained
TO make an earnest protest against this bill,
because in our opinion it will not accomplish
any of those desirable results"