Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-28

| collected than is necessary for the wants ol
| the Government. economically admin
| istered; Aecond, that no duty De imposed
| upon any articles above the lowest rate that
| will yield the greatest amount of revenue;
I third, that the maximum tax should be i'm
posed upon luxuries: fourth, that the lowest
tax should be upon the necessaries of life;
| nth, that the duties should be 90 imposed
As to operate equally tbroughout the Union,
discriminating neither for nor against any
| class or section. It must not be forgotten
| that so great were the benefits to the people
| from the tariff LEGISLATION have just men.
| parties concurring. the tariff was again re-
duced until the average rate OF duties was 10
per cent.
The decade and half extending from the
passage Of the low tariff law of 1S46 to the
beginning Of our civil war, has been truly
called the golden period Of our history. The
cost OF the necessities of life had reached the
minimum, and at no time in our history was
family. The farmer, the mechanic. the day
laborer alike realized the beneflt OF low tax
alton; A benefit whyf simply for the reason
that It lessened the cost Of iood, Of clothing,
Of every article that conduced to his COM
tort. Our factories did not languish. The
fires did not go out in our furnaces. The
as a's ICELAND n
labor was , not lessened, nor was It's value
Increased Taxes During the War.
As I have shown, the average tariff tax at
the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 was
but 10 per cent. To purchase munitions Of
war, to arm and equip soldiers and meet all
Of the expenses incident to the great strug-
gle, required large sums of money. Tariff
taxes were largely increased. The Morrill,
tariff bill was passed. Our Government was
In the throes of war, struggling for its exis-
tence, and but little heed was given by the
people to the fact that duties under the new
manufacturers. but burdensome to the peo-
pie. But this was not all. By subsequent
increase by successive Republican Con.
crosses the average rate Of duties reached
II per cent. This was the average rate Of
tariff taxes when the Mckinley bill became
the law.
Let us refer for moment to other sources
OF revenue provided in the early days OF the
by Congress known as the internal revenue
system, by which enormous sums flowed
into the Treasury. Under this system taxes
railroads, upon express companies, upon
banks and bank circulation. A large part
Of these taxes fell heavily upon those who
arm of the law was. in the hour Of
the Governments need. laid heavily
upon the great corporations, upon
tn the wealth avn of of mt the country. In a
incomes alone. In many instances this tax
was paid by those who had amassed large
fortunes out of the war. In single year
turers alone. This was the very essence of
justice, for the reason that the manu- 'ac-
Iurers had in many instances grown enor-
mously rich, because Of the high tariff which
protected them against competition. In a
single year the aggregate OF internal rev.
en- ue ,axes paid into the Treasury exceeded
$500, 900 900.
Reasons for Internal Revenue Taxes.
Where are the statutes imposing these in
ternal revenue war taxes? With but few
exceptions swept from the statute books
while the nation was yet groaning under the
burden enormous debt. One OF the rea-
sons given at that time for the high protec-
tion to manufacturers was the percentage
they were required to pay out of their earn
ings as war taxes, aggregating in single
year the sum have mentioned. With the
war closed, a Republican Congress relieved
the manufacturers. from this taxation, and
added TO their profits and to the burdens of
the people, by increased duties. 1
the sSss sbe Of Espesas these sSs
war no longer demanded their con-
tinuance. But why did not the
Republican Congress repeal the war taxes
the mechanic, upon the laborer,
upon the great mass of our people? Why
was not the war tax reduced upon the neces-
saries OF lifeY Mny sns %n1iiy sy remeve the tax
upon the tools OF the mechanic, the imple-
ments Of the farmer, upon the food and
clothing Of the poorf Why remove from the
and leave him the power to tax the con-
sumner AZ, go, so per cent upon hats, upon
shoes, upon blanket a. upon clothing7
But this is not all. The. projected classes
growing year by year stronger and more
powerful with the protection afforded them,
demanded of tho 'Fifty-drst Congress yet
higher duties. As 'infant Industries" they
hna far f1,o ina Wi
moderate protection given BY Mr.. Clay.
Later they had demanded the higher duties
imposed by the Morrill, tariff, and that of
session OF the Fffty-first Congress their de-
mand was in substance for prohibitory
tariff.
Obi ,ct Of the Mckinley Bill.
The response to this demand was the pas
age by Republican Congress OF the Nc
Kinley bill. The avowed object of this bill
was to check importation. Its purpose so
to increase the rate Of duties, as in many in
stances to exclude absolutely foreign goods
from our markets, and thus by cutting OF
competition, enable the home manufacturer
without let or hindrance to fix the price OF
his wares. In a word, the Mckinley law, by
its prohibitory features gaveits bene1ciarfes
a practical monopoly, and enabled them in
fact to levy an additional tax upon the con-
sumer, to the extent that the duty had been
increased. Was this legislation demanded
by the peoplef Was It in their INTEREST," Was
IL not class legislation Of the most odious
legislation as enriches the
few at the expense OF the many? Tie Amor
ican people unmistakably set their seal OF
condemnation upon this bill. Slowly but
surely they have become convinced that
"protection does not PROJECT" them.
Is 5san e 1 " Whs az hs
mands is both ioreigp and home market
for the products Of his farm. It 10 mockery |
to tell him he is protected against the corn
and wheat products OF the old world. While |
he is compelled to sell in the open markets |
of the world, he should be allowed the poor |
privilege of buying what his necessities re- |
projected classes Of bis own country. To |
the mechanic and laborer no less than |
to the farmer protection has proved
a aslusion and ,a.,an snare: In no ,hs in,
farmer additional market for pound |
OF meat or busiei of grain" Has it in |
single instance given to the mechanic or
tariff adds largely to the cost of articles nec-
essary to the comfort of the wage Garner. |
How has he been benefited Has it in |
benefited his condition Recent events CON- |
nected with the most highly projected es- |
of this country sadly attest |
the fact that high protective tariff affords fi
by daily toll. 1t was never intended to
benefit them. Long enough has the wage |
Garner been deluded by the cry that high |
tariff means high wages. Tariffs have no
sffects upon wages, except to diminish their
power. The higher the tariff the |
less the purchasing power OF the wages |
Wages are governed by the great law of sup
Div ana demand. Ii the claim of the pro-
.ectionist is we'll founded, why have not |
wages increased, as tariffs have increased? |
why constant reduction of wages in the |
most highly protecled establishments in the
and2
What fha McKJulev I-w Has Dome
To the toiler the Mckinley bill has "kept |