Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-01-05
REFORM CLUB'SWORK
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

Its Labors VIII Not Cease Until the Chi
cago Platform Is in Force and Better
Methods Of Taxation Adopted-Objec-
tiOns to Tariff. Income and Other Taxes.
President E. Ellery Anderson. of the
Reform club, of New York. has just pre-
sented his report at the annual meeting
of that organization. Mr.. Anderson dis
cusses the silver question, the antisnap-
per movement in New York, the reasons
for the opposition of the club to D. 3.
Hill. the tariff and the nomination and
election of Grover Cleveland.
The club spent during the year over
S44, 900 in tariff reform work; $30, 900 of
this was supplied from individual sub
scriptions and $4,000 from dues of nom
resident members. 1t may be mentioned
for the benefit of protectionists that the
dues and contributions were paid by
Americans and not by Britishers, though
the club would have been glad of the
opportunity to invest Golden club gold
in their work of education. Mr.. Ander-
son says:
This work was carried on continuously
through speakers and lecturers, through
the constant distribution of tariff reform
articles, which. through the western
press agencies, appeared in over 1900
newspapers and reached very large
number of readers, and through the in
strumentality of its own publication,
Tariff Reform.
Your committee feels that great
step in advance has been taken, and that
in the battle that has been fought for
principle in 1899 the Reform club has
held the right of the line and has con-
tributed its full share to tho result which
has been achieved.
Much, however, remains to be done.
On some of the principles involved there
is substantial accord. Free wool, free
metal ores. free lumber, free coal and
free salt commend themselves to all tariff
reformers We all agree that duties
which serve as bulwarks for trusts and
monopolies, such as the fifty cents per
hundredweight on refined sugar, while
the raw material used by the refiners is
on the free list. should be repealed.
1t would seem to be absolutely neces-
sary to impose taxes upon many articles
with view to obtaining the highest
possible amount Of revenue from them,
which we would gladly see taxed much
less if there were less need for revenue.
1t is probable that no adjustment Of
tariff rates upon articles now dutiable,
whether high or low. could produce a
sufficient increase Of revenue to meet the
necessities of the federal government
during the next three or four years. In
view of this difficulty several different
solutions have been proposed. 1t has
been suggested that the tax on whisky
should be increased. II such an in
creased tax could be fully collected, and
il it could be made to apply to all whisky
in bond at the time Of the passage of the
act, q large additional revenue might be
obtained from this source. but all the
experience of the past shows that very
high taxes upon whisky cannot be
thoroughly collected, and that they open
the way to enormous frauds.
1t has been proposed in some quarters
| to tax raw sugar. tea and coffee, which
are untaxed by the existing tariff. But
to this many earnest tariff refor1ners are
opposed as u step away from free trade
rather than toward it, while they agree
that free trade. though it may be yet
long distant. is consummation desirable
to be attained.
The only alternative in the way Of ac-
tual taxation which remains appears to
be IN income tax. which again meets
great opposition on account of the gross
frauds upon the revenue which have al
ways abounded under every income tax,
especially in this country. The only re-
naming alternative, so far as we are
aware. is the issue of deficit bonds to an
amount sufficient to cover the deficiency
which has been caused by the wanton
and corrupting extravaganza of the pres
ent national administration. To this, Of
course, there are serious objections not
necessary to be dwelt upon.
Upon one point the opinions of the
committee are unanimous. Whether the
reform of the tariff results in increasing
|
it ought to and must succeed, without
delay or evasion. upon the lines pre-
scribed by the Chicago platform of 1892.
Every increase of taxes made by the Nc
Kinley law must be absolutely repealed.
All raw materials must be admitted free
of duty, and all partially finished mate
rials for manufacture must be admitted
at very low rates of duty. No duties
must in any case be retained at rate
higher than that which will produce the
largest revenue to the government and
the least reveGue to protected individ
uals. The promises made to the people,
which they have Relieved and upon tho
strength of which they have restored
Grover Cleveland to national leadership.
must be fulfilled to the list letter with
ont the smallest unnecessary delay
Many Ingenious efforts viii he made
to obstruct the work Of tariff reform.
And even after Such reform is secured
by favorable legislation the American
people will need to be constantly edu-
Gated. year after year. as to the imp0r-
tance Of maintaining that which has been
achieved and of going forward in the
same direction. 1t is therefore the pur
pose of your committee to conduct an in
telligent discussion on the subject of pro-
posed legislation affecting our system Of
taxation. We propose to conduct this
discussion by means of our periodical is
sues of Tariff Reform and by regular
contributions to the press. We shall also
endeavor, if the opportunity is afforded
us, to conduct series of lectures in
which the subject matter of correct tax
alton will be fully presented to the peo-