Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-23

ment had a little force Dill OF It's own Opef-
ated from England and not from Washing
ton. Your ancestors took the field against
this unjust taxation, and from out the
clash of arms there was born the republic
under which we now live. The tariff is a
tax, and as now enforced most unjust one.
The republicans tell you it gives the farm
ell home market for his products. This
means that the farmer may keep his pro-
them to market.
The tariff is undoubtedly tax, and a
tax means take, take, all the time, take it
out of your pockets, fOrcible contribu-
ton in which there is no back action, and
the republican idea is, the more the better
The Democratic idea is that only so much
tax shall be collected us is necessary tor the
needs Of a government, economically land
honestly administered.
In 1861 there was slightly disturbed
Government needed funds, and taxes alone
could furnish them, so the government lev
led what was known rs war taxes, they
taxed every living thing, taxed wealth as it
had never been taxed before, and this
is the only pleasant recollection L have Of
the war, they taxed checks and bonds and
stocks and railroads, and il anything eS-
capped it has not as yet been reported. But
the expenses of the government were enOr-
nous and more money had to be raised, so
they increased the taxes already paid by the
poor. The hat, the shoes, the SHIRT and
even the dinner pail. Wealth said we won't
stand these taxes. Labor said we can't
stand them, but the Government said grin
and bear it for awhile, only a while; and
you shall be relieved when the war is over.
1t has now been q years since the
war and yet the Republicans are
waging it more holly along that line
than ever. Each succeeding admin
istration sees another general rise on the
necessities of the poor, but not SO with
the rich. Every dollar of tax levied upon
wealth has been removed, yet the burden
remains upon the poor, resting heavier and
heavier upon those least able to bear it.
once had an idea that tariff taxes were
imposed by public authority, by Congress,
but it is mistake. These burdens are put
upon the people in the private rooms of the
Ways and Means Committee. Here the
representatives Of the different highly pro-
tected interests make their appearance.
Major Mckinley calls for figures, and each
tells what he wants for the interest he rep
resents, the only interest unrepresented and
that gets no consideration is that of the
people. Here let me digress a moment to
say that History will be bound to place on
record the tariff message Of Grover Cleve-
land as the most fearless and forcefuI ut
terance of the age.
A republican speaker once nearly took
my breath away and made me feel 1 did
their party great injustice, when he said, if
you do not want to pay the tax don buy the
imported goods. [ went Immediately to
acqualnt my best friend with this new plan
Of circGmventing the tariff, but he soon
knocked down my castle by explaining the
working of the tariff. He said an
article in England might cost SO cents
Government puts so cent tariff upon it
SO it must cost $1.0O here, made here it
costs IS cents, 5 cents added for the in
creased wages to our workmen, add for
and a good profit to the man
ufacturer and you may run it up to Is cts. =.
but as you cannot get it from abro ad at
less than dollar the manufacturer has a
pretty sure thing Of it at IS cents, still I'm
the foreign article, and so over
and above cost of production and fair
profit to laborer and the manufacturer
we pay 20 cents bonus into the pocket
of the protected manufacturer, and all this
W ithout buying the i'm ported article. Blu
the republican orator tells you he wants
TO PROTECT AMERICAN LABOR
from pauper labor. looked it up and found
the difference in the labor, costs and all. The
charges in the manufacture Of a ton Of steel
rails amounted to not more than four dol
lars, the tariff on steel rails is S13.44, pay
ing all difference in favor of labor and 9TH
Ell charges and then $9.44 into the pocket OF
the manufacturer, out Of mine.
They tell you the object Of the tariff is to
secure higher wages to the working men.
What has the tariff to do with wages? 1t
is a tax, it is enforced, how can it elevate,
increase, or enlarge? 1t don't operate on
wages at all. You had just as well tell me
a man who works in cellar is suffering
from sun stroke. [Laughter.]
The tariff never gets a chance at wages,
and it is good for wages that it does not.
The universal law of supply and demand
regulates wages. Working men have to go
into free trade market with their labor
all they have to sell, and buy under the Nc
Kinley bill all they have to use.
There were no strikes in democratic
days. Corporations were then restricted
to their proper uses. Neither were there
any trusts and syndicates-they cannot ex-
ist under Democratic rule.
The democrats propose repeal of the
prohibitory tax of 10 per cent. on
STATE BANK CIRCULATION.
Luis oteA Wtto d Wal uedSuIc dHu
was a bride to those who took the U. S.
bonds. They said to the banks, if you will
take the bonds we will make them the
basis Of the issue Of currency, OF stop the
State bank issues. The basis of the
National Bank system, is a public debt, no
debt, 10 bond, no deposit, 10 circulating
currency; as the debt is curtalled the
basis glows smaller and the currency
must lie curtalled, this would lie no
trouble to the Republican party, for they
could soon get up a new debt. This is not
in the line of honest debt paying democra-
cy. What is to prevent the States from
providing safeguards, so that our currency
will be plentiful and sound. which will