The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-29

the whole people | can see no reason
why such a measure would not come UNI
der the late decision of Justice Miller. lie
stated as a fundamental principle OF law
that: ITO Law with one hand the power
of the government on the property OF
citizen, and with the other bestow IL on
favored individuals to aid IN private I'M
dertakings and to build up private enter
prises. is none the less robbery because 1t
is done under the forms of law and is
called taxation. Beyond cavil there can
be no lawful tax that is not LAID for pub
lie purpose"
The Sugar Bounty.
The act of the Mckinley bill granting
premium on sugar can only escape this de-
cision by a subterfuge of law-that pub
lie necessity exists to abolish the former
revenue while continuing to tax the peo-
pie to compensate the southern planter
and refiner for its removal. The sugar
bounty can only be le0aized by the as
sum ption that public necessity exists TO
produce sugar within our boundaries, not
witnstanding the fact that We can obtain
our sugar at smaller expense IN exchange
for our surplus agricultural products. IL
there is NO such necessity and l think
there are few who will claim there isl the
present payment of q bounty from our
-
ION favored individuals to bui d up prl-
vate enterprises and is none the less rob-
berry because done under the form of law"
1t is bat natural that this artificial form
of government protection will lead to a
perpetual contest between the different
interests Of society. When any one class
is in distress it will not hesitate to call on
the treasury for relief. The agricultural
ist taxed today to sustain manufactures,
tomorrow will ask for reversal of the
rule. The great interests of the country
will assume hostile attitudes toward each
other. They will ne involved In constant
conflict. Cur legislative halls will be
turned into veritable battlefields, on which
the agents of different industries will con-
test for the spoils of the treasury. Com
mittee rooms will echo with the voices OF
those seeking the government larRess. It
has begun by the government substituting
the industries; it will end by these indus
tries bribing congress.
But the third section of the bill in our
discussion, although first by long inter-
val in i'm portance, is that involving the
great economic questionable tariff. The
object OF the section is plain and unmis-
taxable and has been rightly specified by
its chief exponent, the chairman OF the
committee on ways and means, when he
said it was q measure to secure "protec-
ton with incidental revenue" 1t at
tempts to establish many branches of in
dustry without regard to our natural
consideration of the obstruction to
other lines of trade that must
follow any interference with the
natural laws of exchange. The
avOwed purpose is to tax every foreign
product, crude or manufactured, that is
or can be produced in this country with
out any consideration of the effect of such
tax on other classes of industry. When
the natural conditions and the genius of
our people have led them TO omit certain
things and TO do certain Others it APP
proaches them with this propositions Tax
yourself on a certain article of necessity
and our money kings will produce this
article here for the same price you paid
for it before you imposed this additional
tax. The work ought to be done here
even if its establishment costs twice or
thrice as much as it's benefits will amount
to. Therefore In our treatment of this
subject we are not concerned with the
principle of tariff for revenue with Incl
dental protection. This is a question of
an entirely different nature from that in
volved in the present discussion.
Before advancing to a consideration of
the actual results and consequences to
our foreign and internal trade arising
from the operation of the bill during the
past year, let us establish some general
principles with which TO compare our
observations.
What is the real object of exchange? II
is certainly the mutual benefit of the
parties interested. 1t is profit both to
him who sells and to him who buys.
Without exchange each must live and
work for himself alone If some form OF
obstruction should suddenly stop all trade
between individuals, civilization would be
impossible Life would scarcely be worth
the living. On the other hand, as ex-
change has tended toward the greatest
freedom, civilization and prosperity have
advanced in the same ratio toward the
highest possible development.
All this is clearly manifest between in
dividuals. The exchange of nations is
only the sum Of these exchanges between
man and man, and is therefore governed
by the same general law. Now if both
nations are benefited by free exchange
land if they are not the exchange will
soon stop, it is certainly wrong to hamper
it with legislation, An interchange of
articles should not be restricted to any
particular country. Commerce knows no
boundaries. No parallels OF either lati-
tude or longitude mark its limits. at
speaks a various language" Mr.. Blaine
well said in 1890, 1.-THE highest duty of the
United States is to enlarge its foreign
trade" With this principle in view, that
our best interests are realized by an in
creased commerce. let us ascertain if pos
sible if the Mckinley bill has been pro-
ductive of good or bad effects.
What the Reports Show.
From the consular reports of November
and December, 1891, and January and
February, 1892, have taken the follow
ing statistics, showing the decrease in the
imports from several of the most i'm
portant European consular districts
DECREASE IN 1891 AS COMPARED WITH PRECEDING
YEAR.
Leeds ......... IS 64s467 90
France ivol w
Berlin o'oio'ao W
Huddersfed 40 per cent
In almost every instance these changes
have been attributed by the U.
S. consuls to the Mckinley tariff bill.
What is the Interpretation OF this UMPIRE
cedented decrease in our commerce? In
the light of the economic principle that
we have just laid down, it is that our peo-
pie are deprived of the profits OF an ex-
change of commodities amounting TO
more than $l6,Oo0OOO. The champions of
- =. unta