The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-02


The duty on sugar as placed in the bill
now pending before the Senate, may be
stated at one cent per pound, on raw sugar,
and one-eight of one cent per pound aodl-
tional on refined sugar. II this specinc
duty should be changed to an ad valorem,
as think would have been much better, II
will be found to be about 33 per cent. on
the value of the goods assessed. Under the
Walker tariff all sugars were made dutlaple
at 80 per cent ad valorem, but it must also be
borne in mind that forty eight years ago the
consumer paid twelve cents pound Tor
sugar, while at the present time he pays only
four or five cents per pound at the most, 1t
may be estimated that eight pounds of sugar,
when the Walker tariff was enacted, cost the
purchaser 81, while that amount OF
money will now buy twenty-four
pounds In other words, owing to the
difference In the value of sugar then and
now, the duty proposed by the Committee
ON Finance is but slightly more than one
third the amount imposed by the Walker
tariff, of blessed and glorious memory.
THE RECIPROCITY BUGABoo.
Speaking of the unparalleled and clearly
unconstitutional piece of legislation known
as the reciprocity clause of the Mckinley
bill, Mr.. voorhees, said
"Here is a tariff schedule containing five
articles of prime necessity to the American
people which are to be heavily taxed, and
their cost to the consumer largely increased,
at the mere will and pleasure of the Presl-
dent of the United States, whoever he may
happen to be, and as often as he pleases.
with the same stroke of his pen he can,
by virtue of this law, put tariff tax OF
three cents per pound on coffee, ten cents
per pound on raw and uncured hides. These
burdens, when imposed, as they are
authorized, will have to be born by
the American consumer and taxpayer,
and by no one else. The inhabitants
of the offending country against whom pro-
elimination is made are Indifferent or per-
haps amused spectators of our retaliatory
proceedings against our own citizens"
As to the whiskey tax, Mr.. VOORHEES, said
he would be glad to have made 1t $1.20 in
stead of 81. 10 per gallon, and he defended
the proposed extension of the bonded period.
THE INCOME TAX.
In regard to the income tax, Mr.. Voorhees,
said In part
'tThe proposition contained in the pending
bill to levy tax Of per cent. on all net in
comes Of corporations aid individuals in ex-
cess of 81 600 per annum is so just and eqult-
able towards the hard-working taxpayers of
meagre resources throughout the entire
country that not word in its defence Oh ex-
planation would seem necessary here or any
where else.
son all the wants and necessaries of life
the man of wealth, with a heavy income,
pays less rates of tariff tax, uneer existing
laws, than the laboring man or laboring
woman, whose wearing apparel is OF coarser
material, and whose household living
is supplied with cheaper goods
bearing Ess higher so rates OF .;ob.e duty y
all kinds and all incomes arising from them,
are exempt from all Government burdens,
remaining not only undiminished and un-
molested amidst darkened homes and fragrant
distress, but growing fatter, stronger and
more defiant as the days and the years go by
SIN considering an income tax the most ex-
traordinary and startling fact we discover
is the very small number of people to whom
it .alPE alpPlies !. ,.,.o,.o, panou,,o
in a recent communication to the Ways
and Means Committee of the House, es-
Inmates the present population of the
United States at not less than 65,000, 600,
and the the oo wealth ead OF the country at at
at $65, ,000, ,000, 900, or an average of ST GOO
per capita, If there was an equal distribu-
ton His further estimate, however. is that
so great has been the condensation OF cap
ital into the ownership of a small and power
full class that the tax here proposed on in
comes of over 81, 600 will reach only about
s., 600 individuals and corporations out of
more than &c, 100000
These figures may well give the country
pause. They recall the worst days of Rome,
and of other governments, both ancient and
modern, whose liberties were lost by the ac-
cumulation and power of wealth in the hands
of patrician aristocracies.
THE LEADING ARGUMENT AGAINST 1T.
eWhat shall be said of one of the leading
arguments against the enactment of an in
come tax! We are gravely informed that
such tax cannot be collected because of the
wholesale perjury which income owners will
commit In order to evade the law. If the
criminal classes of the country or those of
assumed respectability can defeat the enact
ment of laws by threatening to commit
crime in their violation, then, indeed have
we reached depth of degradation far be-
yond the hand or the power OF resurrection.
~ will believe nothing so infamous of the
Congress of the United States as its subnlis-
sion to threat SO atrocious, or an argument
SO revolving.
81 confess that I am shocked, inexpress-
ibly shocked, to be assured now by gentle
men of great ability and high position that
the principal property holders and income
owners of the UnitedStates are ready for the
sake of defrauding the government out Of a
small pittance to blacken their souls switb
the detestable crimes of false swearing, to
render themselves fit associates for thieves,
housebreakers, forgers and cutthroats in the
prison houses of this world, and to become
everlasting inhabitants of Hell In the world
to come"
THE WOOL TAX.
Taking up next the wool tax he declared
that If he believed putting wool on the free
list would hurt the farmers he would not
vote for the bill, but it was a matter Of
actual demonstration that free wool, accom-
panied by such reduced rates as can then be
placed on manufactures of wool, and which
are placed on them in this bill, is one of the
greatest blessings that can befall the farmer.
His peroration was as follows :-'Sir, this
is the birthday of Thomas Jefferson One
hundred and fifty-one years ago today he
came into the world the greatest enamel
pator of thought, philosopher of liberty and
teacher of the natural rights of man ever
known in human history. The blows he
struck for freedom, justice and equality
in government are resounding through
out the earth, and they will never
cease to be heard until the last
shackle of privilege and tyranny is broken.
Ten days before his soul took fight from his
mountain home he wrote his part
ing words to his own countrymen and to all
the races of mankind With this great
dying message before me, and in its spirit,
we take new courage and go on with our
work
"'An eyes are opened or opening, he said,
to the rights of man. The general spread of
the light Of science has already laid open to
every view Of the palpable truth that the
mass Of mankind has not been born with
saddles on their backs nor favored
few booted and spurred, ready to
ride them legitimately by the grace of
Cod Hail mighty message and hail its
speedy and certain fulfllment All hail the
corlnsels of Thomas Jefferson in this hour of