Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-14
TARIFFFOR REVENUE.
An Inquirer Wants to Know Who
Pays the Tax, and is Prompt
~ Told.
Old Straw Threshed Over For
The enlightenment Of The
Free Trader.
A Farmers Ready Reply to Reck-
less Orator-He Knew
What His Shirt Cost.

In "a recent issue of a prominent re-
publican daily there was an editorial de-
nouncing the tariff for revenue tax scheme
as grievious burden upon the consumer.
It was said, that, at former schedules, as
per the democratic ideal, American con-
sumers would have paid on the four ar
ticles (tea, coffee. molasses and sugar., a
tax of nearly S100,000,000. On sugar
alone, American families actually paid
last year nearly $4,000, 000-a tax of S.
per family. This tax vas levied, not upon
the wealth or income, but upon the con-
sumption of the people; not upon their
abilities, but upon their needs And thus
the paper goes on giving only one side of the
case. These partial statements are apt to
lead the minimizing into some fallaclous
reasoning. Ali taxes ale evils, but some
are greater than others, and the American
people have come to the conclusion that
they must be reduced to the minimum.
Twill the editor please answer the fol-
lowing questions:
"Do not the consumers pay the tax In all
cases?
"If the consumers are taxed for any other
purpose than that of obtaining revenue for
the support of the government, is it not
unjust taxation?
FIf taxes are levied for the support of the
government should they not be SO imposed
that they can be collected?
SIS a system of taxation that ope1 ates to
prevent the government from getting all
the receipts derivable from it wise and
equitable system?
us not that method which imposes
duties on articles that must be imported,
nearer justice and equality than that which
compels the consumer to pay an increased
price for necessaries, and from which the
government receives little or nothing?
''Is not the tax on woolens and tinware
as much a tax upon the consumption
and needs of the people as that on sugar?
''If wealth escapes and the burden falls
| chiefly upon the masses in the one case,
why not in the other?
Then, if taxes are laid for the support
| of the government, and the consumers pay
them, ought not every cent raised by taxa
ton go into the Golfers of the govern
ment?" A. u.
A. G.. opens up the whole tariff question
by his inquiries, but to briefly respond to
| them, we say in answer to his first ques-
| ton, ''Do not the consumers pay the tax
duty in all cases?'' No! Certainly not
A hundred examples might be given of
this. A short time ago the duty (tax A.
G. would call it, on nails was 2 cents per
pound and yet you could buy them in
Pittsburg for 81 cents. A. G.'s theory
would imply that if the tariff were re-
moved nails could be purchased at half
cent per Mound, an impossibility. Sena-
| tor Eaton of Connecticut (democrat), used
to tell of free trade speaker who one day
singled out farmer standing at the end
of the room, and said to him, You. my
friend, leaning against that post yonderr;
you are a farmer | presume Yes, "
! said the man. s'Y Oh are voting with this
party that putting tariff ON the articles
you use, | presume. That what
am, " responded the farmer. "Well, let
me say to YOU" yelled the orator, 'that
you paid tariff tax ON the very shirt on
your back of five cents yard. 81 guess
not said the farmer, not at all confused.
for b gosh I only paid cents yard
for the truck in the fust place.
1t seems scarcely necessary to answer
the other questions asked by A. g.. and he
will forgive us for saying they are very
crude. Every little while many an enter
prising city gives literally to secure the
location of some manufacturing enterprise
in her midst. She does so because she
sees an ultimate advantage in so doing.
The city if iG gives. or the citizen if he
gives, do so because they see that by tax
ing themselves they can gain correspond
ingly. If the city gives 100000 to an
enterprise which brings back a million of
benefit, the taxation imposed is not un
just So with duties which protect and
| build up our various industries.
3. 1t is wearysome to thresb over the
old straw which A. G. lays before US, but
word or two IN answer to the rest Of his
quiries A duty on any article we con-
sumo and which we cannot produce in
quantities sufficient to supply the demand
is a tax. We cannot produce sufficient
sugar, coffee or tea, to supply the
home demand, therefore the duty upon
those articles was tax, and in consequence
the republican party removed it. We did
not (mark the difference betwee did not y
and cannot we did not produce
enough tin to supply the demand, conse-
quently the duty will be a tax until such
time as we can under the impetus of the
| tariff develop our own tin mines and
decrease in the price of this commodity,
as it has been in every other instance. And
even now, let us remind A. G., tinware at
retail has not increased in price. He can
buy tin cup as cheap now as he could
lest May; the fractional increase of duty
does not fall on the consumer. but upon the
retail dealer, and in year the latter will
reap an advantage which will we'll repay
him for the trife less profit he now en-
joys.
To close let US say that no single case
can be mentioned where the tariff On an
article has increased its cost when once we
reach point where our own manufac-
ture1s were able to supply the demand. On
the contrary there has been a decrease in
hundreds of cases which can easily be
cited.