Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-09-21


This principle has been universally
recognized as fundamental one by
judicial tribunals of the last resort
The courts, in announcing It, have
time and again, declared that when
taxation is prostituted TO objects
not connected with the public in
terests It ceases to be taxation
and becomes plumber; and that the
transfer Of money from the owners Of
II into the possession of those who have
no title TO II, though 1t be done under
the name and form of Q tax, ls uncen'
stitutionA for all the reasons which
forbid state Legislatures and congress
to usurp any other power not granted
to them The supreme court of the
United States years ago. expressed the
principle In these words:
ITO lay with one hand the power of
the government on the property OF the
citizen, and with the other to bestow 1t
upon favored individuals to aid private
enterprises and build up private for
tunes, is none the less . robbery be-
cause II Is done under the forms of law
and Is called taxation" "There
can be no lawful tax which Is not laid
for public purpose"
But despite this principle which Is
thus incontrovertibly established, the
leaders OF the republican party still as
sert that there can be no limitation of
the uses for which the power of taxa
ton can be exercised, and boldly and
defantly maintain that the power to
tax Is the power to absolutely destroy
one citizen for the benefit of another
aye, to destroy ten thousand citizens
for the benefit of one.
The law which bears the name of the
republican governor Of Ohio, which was
passed by republican congress and
received the signature of a republican
president, and which is now declared
to be the successful embodiment of re-
publican principles, presented for the
first time in the history of our
government naked and undisguised,
the question whether taxes shall be
imposed for the payment of the ex-
penses and obligations of the govern
ment, or for the purpose of creating
and maintaining manufacturing estab-
lishments owned, operated and con-
,trolled by private individuals, private
corporations, trusts and syndicates.
The Mckinley tariff law took effect
on the 9th day of November, 1890 The
receipts of the government during the
fiscal year which ended on the 30th day
Of June, 1890, exceeded its expenditures
BY nearly sl60, 1000, 10000.
The official reports of the secretary
of the treasury show that this excess of
receipts over expenditures was equally
great during the two or three years inn
mediately preceding the year 1890.
These reports further show that, at
the very time the Mckinley bill was be-
ing prepared, and when 1t was enacted
into law, the estimated surplus for
the then current year, which ended on
the SOth day of June, 1891, under the
revenue and other laws in force at the
time such estimates were made, would
be fully as much.
The people then upon every principle
of justice and right, ought to have been
relieved from taxes to the extent of
this surplus. An application of the
doctrine that unnecessary taxation is
unjust taxation would have required
the revenue of the government to
be reduced, by a reduction of taxa
ton, to a level of its expenditures.
But, bound hand and foot by the man.
ufacturers and monopolists, who were
interested in protected industries
already existing, and were desirous Of
entering upon new and untried expert.
ments in the Establishments of new
| industries, under the stimulus of ex.
cessive bounties bestowed by the gov
ernment, the republican party, by the
enactment of the Mckinley law, in
creased, not decreased taxation.
Admitting that a reduction of more
than $4,000, 10000, per year, in the
revenue ought to be made, the republic
an congress with the sanction of 9
republican president, attempted te
compel such reduction, by SO increas
ing the rates of duty upon imported
goods as to prohibit their importation
The protection of favored enterprises
was made to override all public pur
poses; and, In this attempt to diminish
the revenue, and aid such enterprises
by such increase of duties, additiona
taxes to the amount of more thar
$65, 600, 900. 90 per year were imposed
upon articles that are absolute necessi
ties, essential to the daily comfort ant
we'll being Of the people.
Take, if you will, woolen goods al
an example. The average increase IL
the rates of duty upon these good
made by the Mckinley act was twenty
five per cent; the per cent of in
crease in the duties themselves wa.
little over thirty-seven pc
cent; and the average rate o
duties, as advanced by the act
upon woolen and worsted goods
including carpets, was in round mum
bers, nine-two per cent This mad
the increase upon these good s14, IS,
COS per year, and the whole tax upol
them $50, ,055, ,S37 per year, estimates
upon the importations for the fsca
year 1S90-the year Immediately pre-
ceding the passage of the act, and tn
avowed purpose of it was to obstruc
the importation of such goods, an
thereby enhance the prices Of domesti
articles of the same kind.
Do you ask me how, or in what way
these taxes can inure to the benefit 9
homo manufacturers, and affect th
value Of their products to their profit
The answer is plain one. By givin
to them the almost exclusive contrt
of the markets in this country for thei
goods.
The duties upon the imported mana
features Of wool, and II is 80 in the cas-
of all other foreign goods upon whic
tariff duties are laid. whore like good
are manufactured In this country, pr,
, tact the home manufacturers Of sue