Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-17
MIR. .GRAYON TIE LUMBER TAX.

NJ The interesting debate in the United
5 States Senate, April 7th, upon the item
X 10 the Tariff bin imposing tax of 50
y per I, 900 feet on white pine lumber, in |
which Senator Gray actively partlci-
2 pnted, Is thus reported in the Con-
9 grsssional Record:
~ Mr.. Gray. Mr.. President, l do not
know that any apology is necessary for
anyone who rises TO discuss this very
Important question Of the imposition Of
~ tax on one of the great pecessaries of |
Sdife which this schedule presents to u.s. |
\ 1t is one Of those three things which
I the Senator from Nebraska tMr. Allenl |
q we'll said constitute the elementary |
h6cesearies of human we'll being g-food, |
+ clothing and shelter. But neverthe- |
lsss, will say that am not disposed |
\ n trespass upon the patience of the |
8epate except in very brief fashion.
know very little about the details |
Of prices and the wages that concern
this great subject, but have thought |
x great deal of the underlying principle |
\ shat governs a tag like this, and that |
5 must apply, il principle is to apply at
K ell. to tho imposition OF a burden upon
one of the necessaries of life There
ought to be something to justify it /;
and yet we have sat here for these two
or three days and we have not heard
: single word from those who propose the
tax in defence of its imposition. We
4 have heard no explanation of why this
4 great staple, which concerns the trade.
Z and business, and comfort of the masses
4 Of the American people, should be
taken from the free list where it now
q 10, and placed upon the taxable list.
nkxa
Epoonerl, who has just taken his seat. \
has made very interesting speech in
regard to the supposed discrimination
which the amendment offered by the
+ Senator from Missouri (Mr. Vest)
a would make in regard to white-pine
4 lumber in which he is specially in
terested as a product of his own State.
agree with him in that: but oc.
y cupy what he admits is the logical
position of being opposed to tax upon
lumber at all. In regard to that feel
deeply; and in regard to that l believe
that too many protests can not be made
on behalf OF the American people.
4 Mr.. President, here We have heard
+ time and time again one Senator after
\ another arise, not to defend this tax,
not to explain why this burden should
~ be placed upon the backs of the Ameri-
0Au DcOpl6g but dElbb duu DOHbblDRlN
v atate that in their own States the
bounty of nature had giver them large
tracts of valuable timber land, that
n Idaho had more timber than the States
Of West Virginia and Wisconsin and
Michigan put together, that North
Carolina has great tract of valuable
n white-pine timber lands; and so we go
on and hear from time to time of these
N great bounties of nature that Gud has
given to this fruitful and blessed land
OF ours, and then that is supposed to
make the groundwork and justification
" for putting barriers between the people
and access to those bounties OF nature.
OF what benefit are the hundreds
of thousands of acres of white pine
timber lands in North Carolina to the
struggling, hard working masses of
this countryif they are not to enjoy
the natural advantage which CONNER
cial activity and enterprise will give
them in order to avail themselves Of
that bounty, but are to climb over a
tax that is to enhance the difficulty of
getting at what they want Why should
" We undertake here to tell these 10, 600. :
900 OF American people that "You are
to be held back from these great timber
supplies necessary to build your homes
in order that the fortunate owners of
+ the lands upon which that timber
grows may levy an additional tribute
upon you in order to increase their own
we'll being and their own fortunes?"
Upon what theory of public morals--I
will not say political economy-can
such tax be justified?
Mr.. President, in this time of unrest
and social uphoaval we hear great
deal in denunciation of the private
ownership of land at all. II, sir, it is
to be defended, it cannot be defended
upon the ground that there is any right
in those who have that ownership to tax
the great body and mass of the people
before they shall enjoy the bounties
that nature gives through that land.
LII they are fortunate in owning timber
tracts, il valuable revenue or income
shall accrue to them, all right, but why
seek by legislatioptto make it harder, &c
make it more difficult for the toiliug
masses of this country to enjoy this
bounty than it would be under natura
conditions, untrammeiled and uninter.
fered with by the hand of legislation
The Senator from Wisconsin spoke
moment ago about the owners
of this white pine land in his owr
State. and said with good deal of elo
quent interrogatory, Why should the,
not be allowed to do with their owr
what they choose ami not be interferet
with by legislation? Why should mo-
those who own the white pine timber
land of Wisconsin, who had bought i
and paid for it and built up towns ant
cities and accumulated great wealth
va and PAID taxes on it, he asked, bl
allowed TO cell it and not have that sal,
deferred until the Canadian forests ART
exhausted?
Nobody wants to interfere with th
owner of white pine timber land, o
the owner of any other timber land, il
doing what he pleases with his own
but, l retort, Why should not the mil
lions anu millions of people who US
white-pin timber be allowed to d.
with their own what God Almight
gave them the right to do under natura
conditions, and that is. spend it wher
they can get the most for it? VIII
should they be restrained by the mower
ful hand Of legislation from buying th
timber across the Canadian border, O
anywhere else where it has been allowe
to grow, in order that they may pa
tribute to the owners Of the timber Ian
in Wisconsin and Minnesota?
Now. who can answer that question
Who can undertake to say why an
the 70. 600, 600 OF other people in thi
country who have honestly earned th
money in our pockets shall be restraine
. ka. "a