The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-09-07
Raising Revenue.
farmers.


The passage of a tariff bill such as the
German, Brice bill, would certainly undo
the Democrat party if it we're to be accept
ed as its finished work. The fight must
60 on until not vestige of protection is
left upon which trust can exist-CeciI
Democrat.
You may as we'll make up your mind
now as later, that this so-called Democrat
party will never make any better tariff
than the new job it has just finished. The
Democrat part is undone. There has to
be some five hundred millions raised an
nually to run the government, under the
Engagement of either of the old parties
The liquor monopoly is willing to pay in
a hundred and thirty millions for its pro-
lection and perpetuation the tobacco
monopoly is willing to pay in thirty or
forty more for its protection the national
banks are always ready to boss the Treas
ury and pay i'll but little toward defraying
the expenses of government. They con-
slider their advice to the Secretary and
President on finance worth great deal
more than the loan of the government
credit to them. The Pacific Railroads,
which owe the government upwards of a
hundred and twenty-five millions, say
they are not going to pay any money but
are willing to give their notes payable i'll
hundred years, bearing interest at per
cent, and Olney, the Attorney General
Uncle Sam has employed, is ready to
settle OH the railroads terms.
Before "free trade" is to be thought of
there must be some other means of raising
revenue for the government, and i'll con-
nection with the talk of free trade should
go plans for raising revenue other than
those now in vogue There are a great
many honest intentioned people who
believe there is no other way of raising
are several ways, however. The govern
ment could take the railroads by its power
of eminent domain, and at less and more
equitable rates for freight and travel,
raise all the revenue necessary to carry on
the government. 1t could take possession
of the telegraph and for less than it costs
the people in the monopoly hands now
holding it, could raise half enough rev..
enue to defray the public expenses. The
government could take the banking bus
mess in hand and for half what that bus
mess costs raise double as much revenue
as now expended in running our expen-
sive government. And independent of all
of these the single tax propagandists con-
tend that the unearned increment on land
if taken would not only be sufficient to
defray all the national government ex-
penses, but the states and municipal
expenses, without any tax being levied
upon any other property, directly or
indirectly
So it may be seen that there are ways
innumerable of raising tax or revenue for
the support of government, if all the old
plans were abolished.
When the great changes which have
been introduced i'll the last sixty years i'll
the manner of transacting nearly every
line of business are compared with the
system of taxation that was i'll vogue
under the old regime, the crudeness and
unfitness of the old system of raising
revenue for government purposes are
apparent. Those who attack the tariff
system of revenue should at the same time
point out the many other ways which
revenue could now be raised, and the
advantage to the public any of the new
methods would be, which revenues in
place of going into the public treasures
all go into the pockets of monopolists.
The people are paying these monopoly
taxes and deriving no benefit from them.
Monopoly is getting them. Let us take
them for public use and evict monopoly
turn monopoly out of doors.