The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-09-29
about one-third of one cent, land who, :"
he inquired. 'iS so mean. 30 penuriOuS.


about One-third of one cent, land who, ="
he inquired, ''is so mean, 80 penuriOuS,
so unpatriOtic as to begrudge One-third
of one cent when devoted to the develop
ment of the industries of the country ,
Whether or not there was anyone mean,
penuriOus and unpatriOtic enough to
answer Mr.. Reeds description, we may
be sure there was an abundance of people
ready upon any grounds to take one
third of one cent on every tin cup manu-
featured in this country. And one of
this sort was in congress, a representa-
tive from Missouri, MIR. +. &. NiedrinS-
hauS of st. Louis voted for this increase
of duty, this increase in the price of tin
cups, and then came home and started q
business which would enable him to
garner that increase. For whose benefit
did he SO votep For his own. lie was
not asked to so vote by the people Of his
state, but he recognized the profit that
the increased duty would yield to himself
as manufacturer and he voted to give
himself that profit. That congress was
full of men who either for themselves or
for their friends, expected to get third
OF cent on tin cups, cent or two on
each of a thousand other commodities,
and SO they had no trouble putting
through their bill. But when it came to
taking Off that increase, the situation
was very different. The 90, 900 600 of
people who paid the additional price
could not fill the lObbies with agents to
persuade or intimidate congressman,
they could not fill the columns of the
press with clamOrs of calamities to
come the interest of each individual
was too small for that, but the few
thousands who are getting the extra
price could afford to be there, and they
were there, and exhausted all the re-
sources Of the lobbyists arts to hold to
all, or as much as possible, Of the ad-
vantages they had gained. And SO it
always has been, and so it always will be,
while the governments powers OF taxa
tiOn are used to aid private interests in
any manner whatever. All the jobbery,
all the speculation, all the getting Of
something for nothing, which has been
connected with our tariff legislation. has
been on the side of increasing duties.
Every tariff scandal, from that which
attended the passage of the first bill in
1859 down to the present time, has been
Oh the side Of increasing duties or of
resisting reductions.
No congressman, no senator was ever
bribed or ever charged with being bribed
to reduce q duty. Whatever of cOrrup-
ton there has been. whatever of corrup-
ton has been attempted, has been by
the protected interests of the country,
and 1t has been employed always to OBJ
struct and to thwart the democratic
programme of tax reduction and never
to promote it. We need not be sur
prised, therefore, IL our progress is not
as rapid as we hope, but instead of yield
ing to the base and selfish interests that
oppose us at every step, we should take
heart to continue the struggle until We
have sundered every bond between the
taxing power Of the government and the
dollar, not q penny, is taken by the hand
Of the law from the pockets Of our peO-
pie except as it Is taken necessarily for q
purely public purpose.
Some of our populist friends are dis
posed to depreciate the importance Of
the tariff question to the people and wish
to draw attention to other topics.
The railroads of this country now re-
ceive about 81 1000. .0OO, 900 annually in
in payment of the services they render.
This is large sum, and it u 10 matter
of wonder that the people are interested
in the railroad question. They insist and
insist properly that the charges of the
companies shall be reasonable, that is,
that they shall reimburse the expenses
OF the service when economically render
ed, and more than this, they insist that
the charges shall be equal-the same to
all persons and to all localities, when
the service is the same.
The government expenses are now
about $500. ON, 600 per annum and must
I'M MT Isxr tsO ,-lx
half as much as the total of railway
charges. Is it not important that they
too, shall be reasonable in themselves
and equal in their distribution among
the peOplep
But they are neither. 1t takes nearly
million of men to render the railroad
service. Failly computed. not more than
UO, 600 men are required to render the
government service. Less than one.
fourth of the railroad force, but nearly
One-half the expense. This is because
the government charges are hot directly
imposed. The administration Of Oul
state governments is, as a rule, every
where economical. Taxation by the
state is direct. Ii expenses are increas
ed, taxation must be increased, and thu
people will see the increase in theil
annual tax receipts. Their represents
tives, therefore, do not and dare not In
crease the state levy except for the mos
urgent and obvious reasons. But whert
the taxes are indirect and concealed IL
the price of commodities and whert
there is besides powerful interes
favor of maintaining them ut u higl
point, there is an inevitable and well
nigh irresistible tendency to extrava
gance.
That the burden of this indirect taxa
ton is not equally distributed amOni
the people in the measure Of the benefit
they enjoy under the government is al
inherent vice of the system. Taxes upOI
commodities fall upon individuals in tn
measure of their use of those cOmmOdi
ties. They are not like our state levies
taxes upon accumulation, but are take
upon consumption, they fall not upOI
wealth but upon want.
The democratic party has, by an in
come tax, endeavOred to compensate 70
this, and in this endeavOr they hav
been opposed by the entire force Of tn
Republican party. The average annua
income of family of three in this cOun
try will not exceed $500. We do not Ia
that income. Not until man has eigh
times that income do We tax him, an
then only upon the excess, and only
per cent. If this was our only source @
revenue should he opposed the discrim
mating features of the tax. do no
believe in discriminating against any
body. And above all / believe that W
can not afford to exclude any, even tn
humblest, from his due share, alike i
the burdens and the benefits Of govern
ment. Every man should feel that h
has rights under the law and duties a
well. But the income tax Is not ou
only source of revenue, and as our otht
forms of taxation bear most heavil
upon the poor, the income tax afford
but a meager measure OF compensate
for the disparities they impose.
1t is denounced. however, as an il
QuisitOrial tax. So is every direct tal
That, however. cannot be q ground Z
objection with honest men. But peOpl
will evade it, we are told, and IT wi
IprOve to be promoter Of perjury. Whe
, q man tells me that confess l can M
disprOve his statement. lie prObabl
I knows himself best. But when l reca
how cheerfully the people of this cOul
try in humble life responded to the ca
lOf duty in time of war and yielded u
freely not only their property to the
obligation as citizens, but put the
lives to the hazard as well, and then al
r told by men with fair round belly al
good capOn lined" that they cann'
Yield a little of their OstentatiOn an
p luxury, can not surrender an occasions
bottle Of champagne, to the demands
I % conscientious citizenship, l am r
e NIL anN m