The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-04
o. ,. BUELL. PRESENTS HIS VIEWS


On the Tariff, and How to Avoid the
Evils of Direct Taxation Under the
Constitution.
ST. ANTHONY PARK, Mimi, June g.
Editor Representatives. desire to enter
protest against one of I. DIS objections to
free trade and direct taxation, and his
claim that tariff for revenue" would be
better.
l. Tariff taxes necessarily tax men about
equally, regardless Of their wealth, their
ability to pay or the benefits they derive
from government. The poor man with
large family pays about as much as the
millionaire, and it is impossible to frame
a tariff that will tax the rich anywhere
nearly in proportion to what they ought
to pay. tariff which should exempt nee
essaries of life and tax only Injuries would
raise money enough to pay for maintaining
the custom houses, which cost us about
S., 000, 600 a year.
2. Any tariff necessarily leaves untaxed
for federal purposes all the great million
aires of the country, except they must
buy the taxed articles to eat and drink
and war. This the poorest laborer must
also do. All the great mine owners, Rock
efeller and his Standard Oil combine Have
meyer and his fellow thieves of the sugar
trust, Carnegie and the rest of the steel
rail trust, all the railway magnates, all
the timber thieves, as well the honest
forest owners all the spectators in city
lots and farm lands, all those classes who
are now enjoying the privilege of legally
robbing the people, would, under any tariff
ever devised be absolutely free from taxa
ton on their millions worth of monopoles.
No tariff is possible that will reach these
people. How would they fare under direct
taxation? Take the direct tax bill intro
II1no hvyI Toe Moo, 0f CoJi
fornia, and supported most eloquently by
Johnson and Harter, Of Ohio, Tracey and
Warner, Of New York, and Jerry Simpson,
Of Kansas. Under that bill the revenue
would be "apportioned' among the states,
Of course on the basis of population, but
would be levied in such a way as to
exempt entirely every person whose prop
erty is worth less than $4,000, and on hold
ings above $4,000 all buildings and improve
mentS were also exempt Thus the entire
burden would fall on the large holders and
even then only on the bare land that they
monopolized. Millions of dollars worth Of
this land, although located in the West, is
owned by Eastern monopoliSts, who owe
their wealth to the fact that they charge
us poor Western devils for using the earth.
Can there DE any question that direct tax
of this kind would be better than the
tariff? Isn't it plain that such tax is
the best tax possible? Isn't it the only
way to get at those who monopoliZe the
! "earth and the fullness thereof and thus
roll in wealth produced by the sweat of
other mems brows?
This is the direct tax that we free trad
ers ask for, and it is this direct tax that
is favored by four-fifths of the plain people
of Minnesota, regardless of party.
This tax will do more than give us free
dom of trade and relieve us of the out
rageous burden of McKinleyism. 1t will
also knock out the land grabbers and fore
stallers who neither use the earth them
selves nor let any else use it, except
at enormous tribute. Yours for freedom
and justice, C. j. BUELL..