Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-11

force only for the period Of i've years.
 1 submit to you now the question, do you desire the immediate repeal of this law? Did republican senators and mem- ber5 represent your interests when they voted against this law? You must bear in mind that the aggregate wealth of this country exceeds the enormous sum of S6o,- 900, 900 ,000. The question ask you now Iia, whether it is not just that portion of the revenues necessary 10 meet the ex- penses of the government should be col ieced from the earnings of the vast sum hays mentioned? In other words, shall governmental expenditures be met in part by tax upon the earnings of wealth, or shall it all spring from taxes imposed upon consumption? It is said this tax is odious --inqui ,itorial. All taxes are mora or less odious and inquisitorial. Public necessity is the only justification for any form of t,xation. It has been truly said, 9Th necessities of government are the begine ming and ending of just taxation.p But you have been told that this tax cannot be collected. This statement rests upon the assumption tbat men of wealth, the factors In the great marts, are dishonest. It as. sumes that men of affairs will risk the pains and penalties of perjury rather than disclose to the proper officer their annual lnconie. This assumption Is not only an insult to American manhood, but is dis proved by the facts of history. During the period of eight years extending from 1862 to 1870 the revenues derived from incomes alone fell but trifs short of $50 ,000 ,000. 1 repeat the inquiry, is it not just that some portion ot the burdens of taxation should rest upon the accumulations of wealth, aud not wholly upon the articles Of daily necessity to human existence? The ex penditurcs of the national govern meut are necessarily great, and annually in- creasing with the growth of the country. The income tax is one of the methods de- vised by democratic congress to meet the imperative necessities of government. Do you desire it's immediate repeal? If so elect republican congress, repeal the in- cume tax and thereby add $50 900 ,0J0 of annual taxation upon the articles of daily consumption.
 now ask your attention to a consider ation of other sections of the tariff bill which has passed both the house and the senate and is now the law of the land. state to you in all candor that it is not all that desired. There never was a moment that 1 would not gladly have given the casting vote in the senate in favor of the tariff bill as 1t passed the house of repre- sentatives. From the beginning I have been firm believer in the doctrine of free raw material. But it must not be forgot ten that while the house of representatives contained democratic majority of near 100, our majority was but one in the sen- ate. In fact, with every state fully repre- sented in that body, there would probably have been no democratic majority at all. The senate contained but forty four demo- cra.s, and with the republican senators voting solidly against the bill at every stage it can easily be seen that in body so 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 senate. 1 have thus gone somewhat into details in order that you may realize something of the difficulties under which the present law was enacted. ha ifVy of h. lican senators to the tariff bill from the moment 1t crossed the threshold of that chamber, can only wonder that it ever became law. Firmly believing, as do, that beneficial results must follow 1t pas- sage, rejoice with you in its triumph and that the Mckinley law is DO longer upon our statute books. ln determining the merits of the present tariff law com parlson should be made, not with an ideal tariff bill, but with existing law-the Mckinley law then in force. What then are some of the contrasts between the law just enacted and the Me- Knley law, which it has displaced? Let me state few of them: The Mckinley law gave to the sugar planters bounty of cents per pound upon their product. This was to extend for period ol fifteen years from the passage of the bill. It was paid out of the treasury of the United States, and amounted during the last year to the enormous sum of SIP ,OO0 ,000. The buT LII ulu JuSt paSbeu Dy OeIuOcratlC con- gress repealed this sugar bounty. and re- moved from the statute books this odious class legislation. It was enacted by re- publican congress, and every republican senator and representative voted against the bill providing for it's repeal. l submit to you now the question, are you in favor of the re-enSctment of this bounty? Is it your desire that 1t again find it's place upon the statute book? If so vote to return to the national congress the republican lead CTS who struggled so earnestly against it's repeal. You have seen in the papers in the past few days an account of a conven tion of sugar planters in Louisiana, in which they resolved to abandon their former political associates and henceforth to support the republican party. Why? Simply for the reason that tue republican lawmakers favored tue sugar bounty which democratic congress has swept from the statute books. If the new tariff law had no other merit, this provision alone would entitle it to your warmest commendation. ss
 But this is but the beginning. By the new tariff law more than 100 articles, highly taxed under the Mckinley law, are placed upon the free list. l will det in you to enumerate but few of them. The tariff from salt, from binding twine, from chem icals, oils and paints. Under the McKin- ley law tho tariff tax on coal was 75 cents per ton; the new law has reduced the tax to 40 csnts per ton. Upon iron ore the re- duorion is the same. While I earnestly de- aired the entire abolition of tariff taxes upon these necessary articles, yet it is matter of congratulation that we have been enabled to thus reduce the tariff almost one half. This is a long stride in the right direction, and it must not be forgotten that bills passed the house of represent ntatives just before the adjournment of the late ses- sion of congress placing iron ore and coal upon the free list.
 A democratic congress has given to the country .ree wool. The importance of this, both to inanus&c ufer and consumer, cannot be uveistied Certain grades of foreign wool were .. absolute necessity to the completion of the finished producC 1t home. The man uluc. ursr being th uB sup