The news & observer., 1897-06-06
ISSUE
Will He Betray the Interests of
His Own Constituents?
TOBACCO TAX ADVANCED
ON THE SOUTHERN GROWERS
AND MANUFACTURERS.
DEMOCRATS--POPULIST SOLID
Against the Proposed Robbery of the
People of North Carolina and
Other Southern States.

(From the Southern Tobacco Journal)
We particularly urge the tobacco
growers to action, because they can rem
der valuable assistance, and as their in
terests no less than those of the manu-
facturers are endangered, they should
unhesitatingly do all that lies in their
power for their own protection. An s.
cent tax means, beyond any doubt, lower
prices for the common grades of tobacco
which constitute the major part of the
crop, and which are already selling far
too low. Any man or paper that tells
the planters that higher tax will bring
with it higher prices for leaf, misleads
them, either Intentionally for political
ends or through ignorance.
Among the readers of the Southern To
bacco Journal are a number of tobacco
planters, prominent and influential men,
in their various sections of country, and
we ask them to take the lead in this mat
ter. We ask them to get up petitions or
eral halls of legislation, and get their
neighbOrs to write; and let their posi-
tions relative to the proposed increased
tax be known, and known at once Their
opposition will have a good effect, and
will well supplement the work that is
being done by the manufacturers and
a. ~
dustry.
An account of the meeting Wednesday
of the manufacturers at Washington. to-
gether with a hearing given their dele
cation by the Senate committee, appears
on another page, and it will be noticed
that the committee evinced a special de-
sire to learn upon whom the burden of a
higher tax rate would fall The spokes-
man of the delegation said truly that the
additional two cents would ultimately be
borne principally by the grower. What
impression this statement made, it will
be further observed, has not been dis
closed. Probably, coming from what
might be thought a wholly interested
source, it did not carry the weight it
should. The planters need be heard from
and that promptly. Let them speak out
in unmstakable language. They have a
right to ask, if not demand, that the al
ready meagre returns for their labor and
investments be not further cut down by
legislative enactments, and to require of
those whom they have sent to Congress
to stand staunchly by them, irrespective
of party politics or anything else.
The situation at Washington, so far
as we can gather, is this
The Senate Finance committee is de-
termined upon increasing the internal
revenue tax rates ON manufactu to-
bacco, snuff and cigarettes, holding-and
no other reasons are given-that the Gov
ernment must have more revenue, and
that tobacco the world over is recognized
as an article to bear heavy taxation. The
fact that this is a tobacco producing
country, with the greatest of tobacco
manufacturing enterprises: that growers
and manufacturers would be greatly in
jured by higher taxes, and that the pro-
posed rates would likely reduce the con-
sumption and therefore not yield any
more revenue than under the present
rates, are blindly ignored. Nothing may
be expected from this committee.
The Democrats and Popuhsts in the
Senate are solid against the proposed to-
bacco schedule, and they are able to
prevent its passage if two Republican
Senators will stand by them. The new
Republican Senator from Kentucky,
Mr. Deboe, will be true to his State and
it's principal agricultural product.
What will Senator Pritchard, of North
Carolina, do? 1t depends upon him. He
has declared that he will oppose higher
taxes on tobacco in caucus, but has not
committed himself to vote against his
party's measure in the Senate. Will he
sacrifice his people to his partizanship?
Or will he, like the California Republican
Senators who defeated the proposition to
put fruit on the free list, show that his
first allegiance is to the interests of North
Carolina?
Senator Pritchard should not he left
in any doubt as to sentiment of the peo-
pie in this matter! Write to him! Send
petitions to him, manufacturers, grow
arS leaf dealers and warehouSama