Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-10-12

"A1AANEh tucrc hFo eueclo tucro
must b preceding causeA The hrtt
always follow the latter. At present
severe distress rests on every part Of
the ropubno Capital Is either volun-
tarily idle or Il has hidden away,
20 that II 4 not in the market for any
purpose at any reasonable prioa- Labor
Is piteOualy pleading for employment
and impatiently waiting an answer 10
its crY. Causes for this unwonted oon-
dition there must be, and Il should not
be diffioult to discover them They are
not found In the fact that nature has
been Diggsrdly in her gifts, for never
in the history Of the republic has the
earth yielded moro generously than
within the past twelve mouthS They
arc not found in q lack Of capacity and
disposition In the people to consume.
They are not found in the operation Of
vicious laws, enacted by the democratic
party, for the reason that up TO seven
months ago the democratic party has
not been in power for thirty-two
years The causes exist somewhere,
and BY honest endeavor we propose to
point them out
During the rebellion IL became nee
esssry for the United States govern
mont TO provide immense revenues.
In the mighty throes through which
the republic was passing the people
wero not only willing, but anxious to
bear the very maximum Of taxation.
To preserve the life of the nation they
were not only willing TO give up their
substance, but TO lay down their lives
Tho leading republicans of that day
Thaddeus Stevens, John Sherman and
Senator SMorTill-who had charge Of
the matter of providing the revenues,
in the presentation Of the measures
which increased tariff taxes apoliget-
ically stated that no other purpose
than the preservation Of the union
would warrant such exhorbitant tax
alton Mr.. Stevens, the leader of the
house of representatives, distinctly de-
clared that the tariff bill was war
measure, and MIR. Morrill, was equally
emphatic and distinct in saying that
the great occasion was the cause, and
the only sufficient cause, for the Inn
mcnse impost duties imposed While
Mr.. Sherman was not as pronounced as
either Of the other gentlemen, he was
uuequivocal in the declaration that
increase in taxes was demanded by the
exigencies OF that hour. So they were,
and the people cheerfully submitted to
them.
!! Here we may remark that It is not
able fact that In the operation of these
laws the government derived large
,-evenues, and 1t is equally fact to be
noted, that the manufacturers Of this
country took advantage Of the rise in
all classes Of goods, and doubled and
quadrupled the profits which they had
deemed sufficient in their business pre-
'vious to the breaking out Of the rebel
lion. It also may be truthfully noted
that many of the manufacturers took
advantage Of the necessities of gov
ernment and imposed upon u worthless
fabrics, so indifferently made both as
to material and workmanship, that the
government was defrauded, and the
soldiers of the country cheated into
nakedness. ~
! But, let us return to our hunt for the
causes OF the present distress. At the
close OF the war It was hoped that
those measures and policies which were
the outgrowth Of the struggle would
be set aside, and that legislation would
be enacted to relieve the people
Of the burdens of taxation which they
had uncomplainingly borne. In this
they were not gratihed. On the con-
trary, In the year 1s67-two years after
the close Of the war-the doctrine Of
/, protection for projections sake" was
.inaugurated, and the congress Of that
year, instead Of lessening the tax bur
dens, increased them- The pernicious
doctrine Of protection for prOteotion's
sake" was not satisfied with the al
most prohibitory character of many Of
the then tariff duties. They had tasted
blood, and, like the daughters of the
horse-leech, they cried for more.
This infamous system Of taxation
reached its elimination In the passage
of the Mckinley bill" Never have the
people Of any nation on the earth given
up in taxation, In the same length of
time, as large an amount of money as
have the people OF the United States
These taxes are not shown in the re-
ceipts Of customs by the government.
That shown there was enjoyed by the
government True, much Of the reve-
niue has been expended In wasteful ex-
travagance; bat still 1t went into the
government Golfers and was spent by
the government But the custom reve-
nues are but tithe of the tax paid by
the consumers of the country. For
every dollar received by the govern
ment six have been paid to the protect
ed Industries On this forced contribu-
tion OF the people the manufacturers
have grown enormously wealthy and
the consumers have grown correspond.
ingly poor.
The cause Of the present depression
has its origin In the immense taxes i'm.
posed on the people by the tariff laws
In the vicious legislation which throws
around manufacturing vocations the
protecting care of the govern
mont, and leaves the most i'm
portant industry chat OF agri
culture) to struggle along without gov