Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-10-18

tax urron the earnings of wealth or shall it all
| spring from taxes imposed upon consumption:
II is said this tax is odious-tnquisitorial All
taxes more or less odious and 1nqulsl-
toriaL Public necessity is the only justifica-
ton for any form of taxation. 1t has been
truly said: The necessities of govern
ment are the beginning and ending of just
taxation But you have been told that
this tax cannot be collected. This state
ment rests upon the assumption that men OF
wealth, the factors in the great marts, are dis
honest It assumes that men OF affairs Will
risk the pains and penalties Of perjury, rather
than disclose to the proper officer their annual
income. This assumption is not only an in
suit to American manhood. but is diSproved
I by the facts of history During the period OF
eight years extending from 1852 to 1870 the
revenues derived from incomes alone fell but a
trifte short of three hundred and fifty million
dollars l repeat the inquiry. is it not just
that some portion of the burdens of taxation
should rest upon the accumula tions of wealth,
and not wholly upon the articles of daily neces-
sitv +" h..,a. c~is.cc.lce: Inc expenditures OF
the national government are necessarily great,
and annually increasing with the growth Of the
country. The income tax is one of the meth
DDS devised by q democratic congress to meet
the imperative necessities OF government. Do
you desire its Immediate repeal? If so, elect
republican congress. repeal the income tax,
and thereby add thirty million dollars of an
nual taxation upon the articles of daily con-
sumption.
Il now ask your attention to q consideration
of other sections of the tariff bill which has
passed both the house and the senate and is
now the law of the land. l state to you, in all
! candor. that it is not all that desired. There
never was 4 moment that l would not gladly
| have given the casting vote in the senate in
favor OF the tariff bill as it passed the house Of
| representatives From the beginning 1 have
| been firm believer in the doctrine OF free
! raw material But it must not be forgotten
| that while the house of representatives con-
| tanned democratic majority of near one hum
| dred. our majority was but one in the senate.
| In fact with every state fully represented IN
| that body, there would probably have been no
| democratic majority at all The senate con-
/ tanned but fOrty-fOur democrats. and with the
! republican senators voting Solidly against the
! bill at every stage, it easily be seen that
/ in d body nearly balanced tariff reform had
| no easy battle to fight. At one critical mo-
| ment of the struggle the bill was only saved by
| the casting vote OF the presiding officer of the
1 senate. l have thus gone somewhat into de-
| tails in order that you may realize something
| of the difficulties under which the present law
was enacted. Recalling as l do the hos
/ tilty of republican senators to the tariff
! bill from the moment it crossed the
threshold of that chamber, 1 can only
| wonder that it ever became a law. Firmly be-
| lieving. as l do, that beneficial results must
| follow its passage. rejoice with you in its tr-
umph. and that the Mckinley law is no longer
! upon our statute books. In determining the
merits of the present tariff law comparison
should be made. not with an ideal tariff bill,
/ but WITH existing laW-tne Mckinney law IneQ
| in force. What then are some OF the contrasts
! between the law just enacted and the Mckin-
! ley law which it has displaced: Let me state
! few of them: The Mckinley law gave to the
sugar planters bounty of two cents per pound
! upon their product. This was to extend for
| a period of fifteen years from the passage of
the bill. 1t was paid out Of the treasury OF the
United States. and amounted during the last
! year TO the enormous sum of twelve millions
of dollars. The tarir bill just passed by q
/ democratic congress repealed this sugar boun-
/ ty. and removed from the statute books this
| odouS class legislation. 1t was enacted by a
| republican congress, and every republican
| senator and representa- tive voted against the
| bill providing for its repeal 1 submit to you
| now the question are you in favor of the re-
| enactment of this bounty: Is it your desire
that 1t again lind its place upon the statute
! book: If so. vote to return to the national
| congress the republican leaders who strug-
gled earnestly against it's repeal. You
! have seen in the papers in the past
| few days an account OF a convention of
sugar planters in Louisiana In which they re-
! solved to abandon their former political asSo-
ciates, and henceforth to support the republic
party. Why: Simply for the reason that
the republican lawmakers favored the sugar
| bounty which democratic congress has swept
| from tie statute books. If the new tariff law
had no other merit, this provision alone would
| entitle it to your warmest commentator.
But this is but the beginning. BY the new
| tariff law more than one hundred articles.
| placed upon the free list will detain you to
enumerate but Il few OF them. The tariff tax
| is now wholly removed from lumber, from salt
| from binding Irvine, from chemicals, oils and
| paints. Under the Mckinley law the tariff
] tax coal was seventy-tive cents per ton: the
| new law has reduced the tax to forty cents per
| ton. Upon iron ore the reduction is the same
| While earnestly desired the entire abolition
| of tariff taxes upon these necessary articles,
| yet it is a matter of congratulation that We
| have been enabled to thus reduce the tariff al
| most one-hah. This is long stride in the
| right direction. and it must not be forgotten
| that bills passed the house of representatives
| just before the adjournment of the late session
| of congress placing iron ore and coal upon the
free list.
Il will not weary you with further discus
sion of the details of this bill 1 cannot for
! bear, however. calling the attention Of the
| farmers OF Illinois to the fact that agricultural
implements are now upon the free list After
bitter struggle the tariff taxes have been
| removed and forty millions of dollars saved
annually to the American farmers by this pro-
| vision of the new tariff law alone. Is it your
wish that the tariff taxes of the Mckinley
law be again placed upon agricultural imple-
mentS and binding Irvine? Is this what the
farmers of Illinois desire: If so. you have but
to elect a republican congress and your wishes
] will be Rratitied.
| Now, feIow-c itizens, you have before YOU
! something of what a democratic congress has
| accomplished something of the manner in
which it has kept faith with the people. Tar
if reform has achieved no easy victory. Since
| the repeal of the corn laws of England, by
| which the people were permitted to eat un-
| taxed bread, the world has witnessed no such
| parliamentary struggle against monopoly and
privilege 1t is your battle that has been
fought, and you are the beneticiaries Of the
| victory which has been achieved. 1t has liter
! ally been q struggle of the people against the
| monopoly and greed foStered and made power
| full by more than thirty years of republican
! legislation. The combinations and trusts
\ <1F Aa,-o
| made possible by the high protective tariffs
| which have enriched the few at the expense of
the many. Under and solely because of high
| protection, colossal fortunes have accumulated
| which menace to our free institutions.
The men who control the trusts and unlawful
combinations against trade have been from
| the beginning the benefciaries of high tariff
! the determined advocates OF the Mckinley
law. The time had come, and fully come when
| such legis lat1on should cease The people SO
| decreed. By the popular edict, the republican
party-under whose evil auspices had sprung
class legislation and the trusts and conspiracies
which logically follow high protection-passed
| from power. 1t was not to be expected that
| the individual recipients of the benefits of pro-
lection would sit idly by when the attempt was
| being made to reduce the tariff, and lessen the
! burdens of taxation The struggle lo,,g
| and doubtful 1t was literally organized priv
| tlege, monopoly and greed upon the one side
and the unorganiZed people upon the other 1,
| repeat, that with the single exception 1 have
| struggle has never been known to our English
| spea king people
THE new tarin law is now upon the statute
| book He who runs NAV read that business