Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-08
WHEN SHERMAN TOLD THE
TRUTH.

Senator Sherman, who is regarded
by the Republicans "a their ublest
representative in the Senate, is OPP
posed to II reduction of tie tariff,
which no years ago pronounced un.
just, even when it was lower than il
is now, and is against the income tux
which he formerly pronounced tho
''fairest aud most just that could lie
levied He had been n member of
Congress tweaty years, ten years of
that time rs a Senator, when he made
the speech from which the following
extracts are tahen, and he therefore
spoke as man of mntnred mind and
with large experience lis legislator
and student of pnlitical economy. OF
the income tax and tariff he said:
Il repeat that tire maintenance of
the income tax is Oil absolute ncces,
, sity for any system of ,internax taxes
Ii the Senate and House should lie
termine after full consideration to
repeal the income tax, shall favor
the repeal of ill the taxes upon con
sumption that bear upon the great
masses of the people. i do not be
'lievc there is any such complaint
about the income tax. II i had my
own way would retain the income
tax at 5 per cent, making such motll
itications ms would afford the proper
exemptions; | would muiitain the i'll
come tax ut 5 per cent. upon all in
comes above S1,000, and then throw
OFT these taxes upon consumption
that do Cypress the poor, and do
take dollars out of the Golfers of the
people who earn them by their daily
work.
'There is no reason for any excmp
ton, except the fact that the incomes
OF those who receive less than
thousand dollars PEI .annum IRE ne
cessary for their daily food and daily
consumption. Tney pay taxes on
their consumption, when fully
makes up their shure of the 81 900
exemption
"Here we have in New York Mr..
Astor, with an income of millions de-
rived from real estate, accumulated
year after year by the mere family
pride of accumulation: and we have
alongside OF him poor man receiving
$1,000 year. What is the lscrimi.
nation of the law in that case? 1t is
altogether against the poor man. We
tax bis clothing; we tax his consump
ton. BY the laws of nature, the
laws of heat and cold, of hunger and
thirst it requires as much to feed The
poor man as it does the rich man.
No more dollars need to be drawn
from tho Golfers of Mr.. Astor to sup
ply his natural wants than are need
ed to supply the natural wants of the
poorest man in New York, except MS
to quality; and yet all our national
taxes are upon consumption aud not
upon property. . n We lax every
little thing that is imported from
abroad. Everything that he con
= sumes we call luxury and tax it.
and yet wa are afraid to touch the in
come of Mr.. Astor. Is there any
justice in it? Is there any propriety
/, 10 its Why, sir, the income tax is the
Only one that tends to equalize these
burdens between the rich and the
poor"
This is the language of Senator
John Sherman who is now opposing
every proposition he laid down in the
speech above quoted. Ii bis Ian.
guage was true then it is true now,
and it applies with even greater
truth and justice now. Senator Sher-
man also declared with indsputable
truth and with prophecy that he
has lived to see fulfilled, that: ga few
years OF further experience will con.
vince the whole body of our people
that systein of National taxes which
rests the whole burden of taxation
on consumption, and not one cent on
property and income, is intrinsically
unjust. While the expenses of the
National Government are largely
caused by the protection of property
it is but right tc call on property to
contribute to it's payment. lt will
not do to say that each erson con
sumes in proportion to his means
This IS not true. Every one must
see that the consumption of the ricl
does not bear the same relation to the
consumption of the poor as the in
come of the rich does to the wages
s or she poor. AS wealth accumulates
this injustice in the fundamental ba
SIS OF our syatem will be felt and
forced upon the attention of Con
gress."
Since the distir guished Repnbli
can uttered those words tho 10, a