Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-03-17
Saint Narg|s Beacon.
HIDDEN TAXES.

LII anyone had questioned me the
morning after the election last No
vember, ! should not have hesitated
to sag that the battle for tariff re-
form had been fought and won in
this country. II any other senti-
ment exists it is well to have such
meetings % this and say We mean
to make our victory permanent.
All history shows that the struggle
has ever been for O fair and just
system of taxation. II there be
difficulty in arousing some Of the
people Of this country to the enor-
nifty Of our Federal taxation, as il
Illustrated in the Mckinley bill, il il
because the system is an indirect
and hidden one. Look at the ap-
preparations made by Congress !
Look at the money flowing into the
Treasury! The billion dollar Con-
gress appropriated two out Of every
three dollars received by the Gov
eminent. II that statement does
not bring home to every citizen the
fact that We are laboring under Q
grievous taxation nothing / can say
will do 80.
The city and State tax persons
according to what they have, but
the United States taxes them ac-
cording to what they consume.
This question of the tariff is so
tremendous and may approached in
SO many ways that public speaker
is always perplexed in discussing it.
It has been well said that, sooner
or later in all countries, the power
of taxation has passed into the
hands of q few. 1t is against this
that the tariff reformers are con-
tending and will contend.
Hundreds of millions of dollars
drawn from the people are now add
ed to the prices charged for the ne
cessaries of life. When you exam
inc the Mckinley bill You will find
the tax grows heavier as the price
OF the article grows cheaper and
commoner. That is the principle
of protection. We are told that
the Mckinley bill is for protection
with incidental revenue. What is
the meaning of that phrase? It
means that the great taxing power
has passed from the whole people
into the hands Of a part Of the peo-
pie. Revenue is for the Govern
ment and protection for few.
How many are these private in
dividuals who own this taxing pow
er Of the Government Taking
the census Of 1880, we find there
were then in this country IL, 400, 900
persons engaged in some gainful
employment. That is to say, Of
the $4,000, 900 men, women and
children, one out of every three
was working and supporting the
other two. Nothing is easier for
an expert than to take up the GEN.
sus and the tariff bill and find out
how many OF these were engaged
in protected industries. Making
all possible allowances, 1900, 900
were engaged in industries whose
products were competed with by
foreign importations. Those abso-
lutely dependent upon foreign mar
kets and foreign purchasers num-
bered ], 600, GOO.
Does the tariff protect labor? Is
there any tariff upon labor ? Isn't
the tariff upon the products of la
Dor: The employers own the pro-
ducts and are protected by the tar
i1f. while there is absolute free trade
in the labor of their employees.
The employers and capitalists are
the taxing power. The power that
brings such enormous sums into the
Treasury has been actually surren-
dered to two or three hundred thou
sand persons, and they possess the
strength to tax all the remainder Of
the people of this country.
Heretofore we have had tax mp
on tinplate that was revenue. The
people paid it and their Govern
ment got it. But while the spoils
were being divided under the Nc
Kinley bill certain men said: eff
the price of tin-plate is run up to
s cents a pound we can establish
tin-plate factories all over the coun-
try" They did not dare to pass q
law to say the people should not
buy their tin-plate abroad, but they
passed one equivalent to that. They
said that all who brought their tin
plate abroad should be fined Q 2-1O