Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-10-15

IL per cent; ira 20 1891 70 ISL Per cent. from
1891 to 1925 to 81 per cent, they then shrunk TO
1850 war tarr was imposed whose average
was s. per cent Its burdens were willingly
borne by the patient people Untold millions
OF money poured into the federal treasury and
the people gladly paid every exsction that was
made OF them, for they were told and believed
that when the war had ceased these taxes
would be reduced after proper interval; but
tnftead thereof they were increased until In
came the Mckinley act which levlss an aver
age Of 90 per cent federal taxation upor al in.
ports received into the United States
Citizens, for this enormous increase OF taxa
ton there has not been good and sufficient
cause In 1889. when the administration OF Mr..
Cleveland was closed one hundred millions OF
surplus money was in the treasury vaults
Every obligation was being met and extIn-
guished as il naatured Every creditor was be-
ing satisfied Debts bonds, expenses, PEN
sioners-Au men who had righteous claims
were promptly satisfied in their demands
Then came the election Of Mr.. Harrison and tho
Reinstatement OF the protective theory 1t en-
tered the hall OF legislation II outraged noer-
" by the rejection Of representatives who had
been fairly chosen in order 10 make room for
partisan majority, unSeating member after
member Of the house until il had secured itself
In absolute control in both branches 1t began
the most extravagant- the most shameful
course Of enormous appropriations that any
congress at any time had ever INDUCED in II
q lcClSlaIlO1L
with power, sfung TO madness by defeat and
looking upon the present the golden moment
OF opportunity freely voted away the surplus
and burdened the accruing income. For two
years to come the expenses OF your government
have been so swollen that 81. oo0 00o 900 is neces
sary for the payment thereof. This 81, Ooe OoQ-
600 is TO be met by taxation levied upon you and
your fellow citizens throughout the United
States Outraged and incensed by this profit
gacy, the people drove the republican house OF
representatives fror. power.
1t would be idle for in this Intelligent
audience TO discuss and dissect at length all
the items that went to make these prodigioas
and unwarranted appropriations They viii
not bear investigation They can receive
approval from a free and xirtuous people
Why, twenty five years after the close OF the
war. when all was in profound peace, when ex-
penseS had been drawn down by careful adj
ministration to the lowest practicable point
without embarrassment TO the governments or
wrong to any creditor, suddenly the incursion
OF the huns and vandals under Mr.. Reed
breaks down all barriers. set decency itself at
defiance and in response thereto the people
elected a congress. three fourths OF which was
democratic in name and in sympathy, three
fourths of which was pledged for retrench-
ment, economy and reform / know CT no rea-
son why the judgment of the people should be
reversed The fiat went forth last fall; ii is
in process OF execution now, and there should
be no halting in its righteous course until good
government economy and low taxation are IN
stalled as the great guides Of the peoples adj
miniStratlOn.
And monstrous as have been the direct appro-
priations made by this congress last past the
direct appropriations are but a part Indirect
debts have been settled upon the government
which your children will be engaged IN paying.
But enough of it. The solid, undisputed. ter
rible4 fact that q thousand millions of your
money has been voted from the treasury under
the prof1igate auspices of a single congress is
reason why you should not relax. but should
pursue the determined course upon which You
have At last entered The Napoleonic DECLARE
ton has been made that because sugar is free
the bitter dose OF partisan legislation is sweet
ened TO the taste Of the freeman The pill is
sugar-costed. and therefore you will swallow
il the more easily.
II it be true, as Maj Mckinley early said in
his speech which I have quoted before tha
the sixty million dollars OF taxes raised from
sugar was r tax upon the foreigner how can he
defend his law which gave that tax awsys This.
however only in passing. The fact Is that
while the tax was abolished sugar ii
increased tin and wool and other OF the
great uecessaries OF life in use by the whole
people The further fact is that you are COM
PEELED to raise this thousand millions in two
years. and you can only raise it by taxation
and by the expenditure of the surplus on hand
Taxation must be and is Inevitably increased.
and q change in object is not lessening OF its
burden 1t comes too with peculiar i'll grace.
for in addition TO abolishing the tax on sugar
the people are called upon to pay a great boun-
ty to those who raise ii within the United
States IN order that they may compete Win
foreign producers There Is no sugar raised
in Iowa; none in Illinois, in all the
great states of the northwest. TO
amount to anything A little is raised In
Vermont but the vast gift Of the sioooo,ooo OK
bounty goes TO the cane planters OF the south.
and you, the men OF the colder regions OF our
country, must pay on wool and linen and tin
and other things whose taxes have been in
creased TO make good not only the deficit IN
sugar tax but the bounty to be paid TO the
sugar producer. Were there constitutional
warrant for this course il would still be a most
ineQuitable proceeding What reason exists
why you. the corn raisers OF Iowa. should help
the cane raisers OF Louisiana in the prosecu-
ton of private industry No reason in the
world fellow citizens except that by glitter
ing delusion and fraud you might be imposed
upon, and that when you took cheaper sugar
home you might be induced thereby to forget
the greater plumber which is made in Its name
There are constitutional objections. however.
which to my mind overweight all monetary con-
siderations in this regard The granting OK
bounties by the United States government is .
new departure. II opens up unlimited field
OF plumber. Of combination and Of wrong. The
party which has broken through precedent the
customs of the nation and the constitutional
barriers to grant n DO unity OF $4,000 600 year
to the sugar rsisers, must be called 70 account
or next year your bounty viii have TO be exer-
cised in other fields and in broader directions
put il to you as men who love the country
and who wish to leave II unimpalreo and
stronger to your sons and daughters, that this
breach made by this bounty is one which must
be repaired, or through it will roll the whole
ocean of other bounties, with their corruption,
extortion and oppression
The democratic party is to-day standing In
front of that breach and trying to stay the tor
rent. II says that the constitution OF the
United States does not authorize such q prodi-
gal use Of the public money that bounty for
raising sugar is not for government needs. and
therefore Ii should and must be reprobased
with its whole school and rout OF kindred boun-
ties, which wait 10 see how this pioneer bounty
fares before they rush in and eat the treasury.
II behooves you all irrespective of party, 10 see
that Is returned 10 power who Is not
clear in opposition TO this bounty business.
And il il may be suggested. il was by Maj.
Mckinley. that some democrats may take nd
vantage OF this condition, il Is none the less
reprehensible and radically wrong The
publican party py the Mckinley bill has made
its final declaration Of purpose II proposes to
so enlarge the protective features OF our tariff
law to prohibit competition with for
eign nations and to raise in doing all Of
the funds necessary for the most extraFagant
purposes In other words il proposes TO mako
the expenditures OF the government meet lis in
come, whatever that may be, under this sys-
tenn The democratic party proposes to make
the income OF the government meet its ex-
penses. economically transacted Between the
two there is radical difference In principle