The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-09-16

be tue case to the extent it has re-
duced the sugar duty or tax. Su-
gar IS cheaper because the tax is
taken off, just as tin-plate, pig iron
woolen and cotton clothing and 9TH
er necessaries and comforts of life
would be cheaperif the custom tax
on them ~as reduced or repealed.
Still there is small duty on refined
sugar in common use of so cents
per 100 pounds which goes to the
benefit of the sugar trust, as sugar
is refined as cheapIy in this coun-
try from the imported free sugar as
abroad a tax, however, is1cyied
on the people, as a part OF this free
sugar policy of tho mckinley Bill,
to pay bounty of cents per
pound to American made sugar. 1t
is estimated that this tax this year
will amount to $4,000, 900. As
there is but one way in which this
s12, 900, 900 can be secured, and that
way is by taxing the people, it may
be put down as a partial set off to
the advantages of free sugar.
Summed up, the refiners get their
raw sugar free, but CONSUMERS of su-
gar pay protective tax to the su-
gar trust of so cents per 100 pounds,
and are further taxed to pay s12,-
100000 sugar bounties, which will
be increased, if the law stands, to
$4,000, 900 in few years.
Our correspondent will no doubt
observe that in their claim the re-
peal of the sugar duties by the Nc
Kinley Bill has reduced price of su-
gar, the Republicans admit that tar
iff duties arc tax and that they are
paid by the American consumer.
Some oftho more ignorant or bra
zen protectionists have hitherto
held that custom duties were not a
tax and that they were paid by the
importer. They give up this posi-
tion in lauding the advantages of
the reduction of the sugar tax by
the Mckinley Bill.
Another thing should not be lost
sight of. The sugar dnties, which
were revenue tax rather than a
protective tax, yielded the Treasury
about s50,OOO,OOO year. AS under
the raids of the Billion Congress the
surplus left by Cleveland has been
gobbled, and the revenues of the
government to-day are but little, if
sanyyitfexcess Of its increased ex-
penses, the revenue resulting from
the sugar tax must be made up
from some other source. Only in
one way can money reach the Treas
ury, and that is by taxation through
the pockets of the people. The
s5O,0O0,000 sugar tax that has been
remitted, causing lowering in the
price of sugar must therefore be
made good by some other form of
taxation. This will be absolutely
necessary if the increased scale of
pension appropriations is kept up,
and there is no purpose to reduce
them. Hence the talk of an income
tax.
The whole thing lies in a nutshell.
With pension appropriations in
creased to 100000 year, the
expenditures of the Federal gov
ernment in round figures may be
set down at s3OO,OOO,0OO. The
appropriations for tne current year
exceed this. The revenues from all
sources last year amounted to about
the same. Strike from this $50 600
900 taxes received from sugar,
1854, 100000 including the sugar
bounty and a big hole is left in the
national balance sheet that must be
filed up. There is but one way to
do that, and that is by taxation.
There is no royal roads to fill the
Treasury, but there arc plenty Of
royal roads and lots of fun empty
ing it,