The representative., 1897-08-11

900 each-$5, ,OOO, 900, 900.
There are 5000 persons worth 1000,
900 each-$6, ,0O0, ,OOO, ,OOO
Twenty-four billion dollars owned b,
5000 persons!
Then he puts $4,000 people who owl
$5OO,OOO each, making $500, ,OOO, 900.
Thus these 24,60O people owned s3l.
SOC, 100000, or more at that time thar
one-half Of the national wealth of the
United States.
Startling as are these figures, the
work of creating and multiplying mil
l1onaires still goes on, and today the
people are confronted with a bill pro.
posing to levy $10O taxes and 5000 take:
and $500 taxes on $1OO worth of tn,
necessaries of life, not to raise revenue
and pay the debts of the government
but to raise revenue for the private
pockets of a favored class and to an
amount estimated at nearly $2,3O0, ,0O0,.
600 year.
Now, Mr.. President, what is all this
for-this building up of great fortunes
this enormous fund creating and null
tiplying millionaires? Have we not
been witnessing for the last few years
a thing that must be humiliating to ev-
cry lover of the institutions of this
country? Have we not seen the daugh.
ters of the millionaires, endowed with
money wrung by legislation from the
pockets of the forgotten taxpayers o1
this country, shipped to Europe like fat.
ted heifers and peddled for titles? What
a spectacle to see American women ex-
ported and sold like so many carcasses
OF mutton or fresh beef for titles forbid
den by the constitution of their country
to be worn within it's jurisdiction--ti-
ties to be at deadly enmity with it's in
stitutions! And yet we are constantly
beholding it.
fathers of the republic, bearing the
wounds and the blood stains of the Rev
olution, fought to secure their liberty
and the liberty Of their posterity? OF
what use was it for them to declare
that titles of nobility should not be con-
ferred In this country. It was natnral
that they should do so. 1t was the de-
mocracy of a free government that they
were creating-a free, popular govern
ment, whose whole power came from
the governed. 1t was a government OF
the governed, a self government, free
government, and there was no place In
our system for titles and titled classes
And yet we see, as soon as these people
get this inordinate wealth, their daugh-
ters are shipped over to Europe and put
on the market, hawked and peddled and
sold with American money to become
pr1ncesses and duchesses and countesses
and marchionesses, and we are here
levying upon the pockets of the poor
laboring people 5000 and $500 and $4O(
to enable these girls to make the triI
and buy titles.
If we are in favor of equal taxation
and of equal and just laws, why should
we not require the protected industries
OF the country, into whose pocket we
pour this enormous bounty, to contrib
ute money enough at least to support
the government that does it? Five pei
cent on $9,3OO,OO0,0OO would support
the government and give you nearly
$500, 100000. While we are creating
this enormous fund, nearly 81, 300, ,OOO,.
600 of pure bounty every year to build
up these enormous fortunes, can we not
ask these gentlemen kindly and conde.
scendingly to submit to a taxation Of
just per cent instead of 100 or $50 pei
cent?-From Speech of Senator Mills.