Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-04
Discrimination Of the Mckinley
Bill Against the
Poor.
Reforms ard Economies Inau-
gurated by the Democratic
Administration.
From th4 Madison ID .1ocra .

n
listened to the speech by Attorney Cen
eral OConnor i'll the assembly cham
Der last evening. The stirring notes Of
the drum corps as it paraded the prin-
cipal streets recalled the citizens to II
remembrance Of the treat in store for
them and in spite Of the Indictment
weather the chamber was filled. After
music by Lucders' band, the president
Of the University Democratic club i'll
troduced the orator Of the evening with
a few graceful words. The members
Of the club greeted him with the u. w.
veil, and the audience with loud and
continued applause The attorney gen
eral spoke substantially rs follows:
'Since the time Of Jcffcr-
son no party has any cX-
cuse for existence except to protect
all citizens in their rights, rich or poor
Republicans claim that Jefferson fa-
forcd protection. Every student Of his
tory knows this To be false. Campaign
liars will probably be unable to see him
in heaven to make Il proper apology.
Our constitutions provide for changes in
national and state administrations.
The election this year in both state and
nation is ono Of the most important we
have ever experienced. The question
Of federal taxation is paramount. We
have two systems Of tax i'll this cOun-
tIy-dircct and indirect, the former for
state, city and county purposes, the lat
ter for the support of the national gov
eminent. The Indirect tax is collected
daily by Il horde Of revenue officers to
the amount Of 81 100000 1t is levied
on what man consumes Therefore
Indirect taxes are unjust to the poor.
They many times increase the cost of
commodities consumed by them. Thh
poor are bearing more than their share
of the burden Of the national govern
ment. Two years ago the republicans
claimed that the tariff was not 4 tax;
now they claim that the foreigner pays
it. | want to show who pays it. | will
call rs my first witness the greatest of
living republicans. the man who was
ANONYMOUSLY kicked out of President
IIarriSon'S cabinet last summer the
fallen plumcd knight, james G.. Blaine.
In his book, Twenty Years i'll Congress,
Mr.. Blaine says that the high tariff Of
1861 was enacted to rails. the price of
manufactured products | will call up
aS my second witness the Wisconsin
statesman who deposited stat" funds in
his pei bank ut Niroqua and loaned
them ont to the farmers 1T 10 and T.
per cent, our OK governor, Uncle .Jcrr'
lsuSk. Two years ago Uncle Jerry
asked congrc - fOr an appropriation Of
81 .5Oo per mile for cable wire The H.
quest was not granted. and ut the last
session of col %ITSS the bill WAS again
introduced But this time 10 asked
for $1,000 per mile instead of 81 300
When 1t WAS asked the Gauss, OF the
sudden and unaccountablc rise. he OK
planned that since the introduction of
his first bill the Mckinley bill had gone
into effect ana that This he'd raised ihr
price of cable wire 100 per cent In
stances might easily multiple d.
And yet the republicans will say that
the tariff does not increase prices
Every sensible man knows better than
the republican orators The story OF
the man who bought the increased
amount Of sugar for 81 after the re
moval of the tariff tax rs told by Sen
ator Spoonor in Milwaukee,, makes per
tlncut the inquiry, why would not the
prices Of other commodities be proper
tionally lower q if the tariff were re-
ducclt Let us suppose that some man
next December has saved SO to buy
his young son Il suit of woollen clothes.
He goes To the store and is surprised
when the clerk tells him that the price
of his clothes is now only 50. rs the
tariff tax on woolCnS has been repealed.
In such ease, would not This man be
much more rcioiccd than The man ut
Mr.. Spoonef'S grocery store? When he
found lie could clothe two children for
the money that formerly only clothed
one. would he not be happy:
Our present tariff laws are unjust and
oppressive. The tariff duties were first
levied i'll War times when tremendous
sacrifices We're being cheerfully made
and the country was in great need of
revenue. But they Were levied with an
express promise from President Lincoln
the greatest republican that ever lived,
that when the necessities of the war
had passed these taxes should be re-
duced.
We come now to the Mckinley bill.
and few of its determinations in IA
yor Of the rich against the poor may
be clearly shown. The republican
tariff legislators found a duty of 50
per cent. on cheap wooden goods and
raised II to lilo per cent. But on broad
cloth Which the lahorcr is accustomed
10 Wear in the fields Qaushterl they
found tariff of 80 per cent. and raised
It to only 90 per cent. 30 per cent. in
crease on goods consumed by the la
horer and only 10 per cent. on those
consumed by the capitalist. The tariff
on cotton velvet was raised from 10
to 80 per cent: on silk velvet they
found the tax 90 per cent, and left it
1T that figure in the interest of labor
Iney found cheap alpaca dress goods
taxed 1t 20 per cent. and raised it to
loo p"r cent, black silk dress goods ut
90 per cent, they left at so per cent.
Ihey put tax of So per cent. on COM
mon clay pipes and admitted meer-
Schaum free. They raised the tax on
ready made clothing from 35 to 50 per
cent, but they found uncut diamonds
free and left them so. Cheap wooden
shawls, which l have seen women and
girls Wear on the farm in the coolest
weather, We're raised to 135 per cent.
from IS per cent, but the tax ON prec-