Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-04-12

our workmen were employed, assumed
a different aspect and presented a
different question whea proposed now
with 4 large and growing treasury def
icit instead of Il surplus staring MS in
the face: with our industries paralyZed,
our manufactorieS closed, our workmen
Idle, and following upon the heels OF
one of the most disastrous financial
panicS in our history.
What WAS safe and prudent and
wise then. it would be criminal folly
~ attempt now. The present is no
time for partiSanShip and democrats
and republicans alike should strive t.
solve existing problems in Il spirit of
broad patriotism.
In the face Of the proStation ot
private industries he continued, and
in the presence of such Il paralysis of
general business Of the treasury deficit
attests, this bill as framed by its
authors and as passed by the house
seeks to double the deficit by discard
ing customs revenue and to fill the
void with an income tax.
The rest of his speech was given up
to the income tax question. and his
opening words defined his position in
uneQuivocal and forceful language, He
said:
Against such 4 scheme unncceS
sary. ill-timcI and miscellaneous sud
denly sprung upon the country in the
hour of its distress, undemocratic in
it's nature and Socialistc in its tendon
cieS-I enter the protest of the state of
New York. They utterly dissent from
any proposal to get revenue for the
general government 10y taxing incomes.
Their dissent is practically unanimous
and altogether implacable."
He intimated that the tariff bill was
constructed ON lines laid down by the
administration; that it was an anon
alouS state of affairs when the prcsi.
dent should be able to give congress i'll
formation as to what had occurred in a
committee of the house and said that
lin these latter days the distinctions
between the functions and the preroG-
ativeS of the executive department on
the one hand and the Legislative de-
IuElIlltIPl vi tllt' 'llitl wv NV SN'It w
he always observed. The truth is that
the first information which congress
had of the alleged details of the pro
posed bill was in the message itself.
But the SrangeSt part of this UNI
precedented proceeding was that in
fact that on the very date of the mes
sage. to-wit. Dec Il. 1893. neither the
,,l
the democratic members thereof had
agreed upon any income tax or upon
other internal taxation.
The senior senator from Indiana.
Mr.. Voorhees,, calls this allegation "A
noisy and rcsoundng charge Let me
tell him that it is not half as noisy
as the constant vituperationS we hear
on every hand from blatant donna
gugucs who are abroad in the land,
loudly inveighing against the wealth
of the country and imprudently de
handing its contiscation through every
means which their devilish ingenuity
can invent.
THE public should not be misled
into the belief that only those whose
incomes exceed $1,000 are affected by
this bill. This is a mistaken idea. In
the first place all those having incomes
less than $1,000 but more than $1,000
are put to the annoyance of making
sworn returns and they neglect 1t at
their peril.
"In the second place. it may reason
ably be apprehended that some por-
ton of the tax paid will reimburse 1t
self by an increase of rents. where the
income was derived from that source.
$50 poor tenants may be affected in
some degree as well as rich landlords.
The bill seriously affects the rights
and interests of building and loan as
sociations throughout the country in
corporated under state laws The SEN
ate amendments do not cure the de-
fects complained off,
Inquiring as to the source Of the de-
mand. he said: THAT nothing was
heard in its behalf on the part of the
two great political parties In the cam
paign of 1892 Neither the republican
nor the democratic platform proposed
any such method of raising revenues.
No prominent democrat or republican
suggested any such measure. Its APP
prevail was limited to the platform of
the newly-formed populist party, and
its Representatives in national conven-
tors.
He protested against the democratic
party being made tail to the popu-
list kite and denied the right of
democratic congress to make new prin-
ciples for the party not sanctioned by
its representatives n national conven-
ton duly assembled.
The substitution Of internal or di-
rect tax. for custom house taxation.
meant the reduction Of the wages of
American workmen to the European
standards. 1t meant that degradation
of labor: it meant the deprivation to
our workmen Of the comforts and lux
ur!es Of life, to which they have been
accustomed.
In outlining his position he said that
not 81 Of tariff legislation should be
imposed where it is not necessary for