The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25
ABLE ARGUMENT AGAINST ExCEs-
sIvR TAXATION AND EXTRAvA-
CANT EXPENDITURES.
TAXATION FOR PRIVATE INTEREST,"
Encourages BilliOn-Dollar ApprO-
criatiOns and Builds Up Trusts.
The Skilled American LabOrer
Can Hold His own.

Texas presented to the house tonight the
minority report on the tariff bill. The bill
was signed by all the democratic mem
bers of the ways and means committee,
and gives the grounds of their opposition
to the bill. 1t says:
This bill was framed with the avowed
purpose of protecting the manufacturers
of the United States against foreign conf
petition, and it is perfectly obvious that
if it accompishes that purpose 1t must
result in compelling the consumers of
this country to pay more for their man
ufactured goods, and for this reason we
think it should not pass. We rest our op-
position Oh the broad principle that con-
gress was invested with the power of tax
alton as means of collecting from each
citizen his fair proportion toward the sup
r,-t of the government. and that it is a
gross pervcrsion OF tnat sovereign power
to employ il rs means OF enabling
favored classes to levy unjust charges
upon the great body of the people. We
believe that after contributing his proper
share towards the maintenance OF the
government every citizen of this republic
is entitled 20 the full possession and en-
joyment of all he can honestly earn aid
we deny the right of congress to make or
enforce any regulation which requires one
man to give any part OF his honest earn
ings towards encouraging the enterprise
or increasing the fortune of another.
NO man, however blind he may be.
would defend n system of taxation under
which the government first collects he
money and afterwards distributes it., Ii
is true the tariff act of 1870 ventured to
this extent in dealing with the sugar
growers, but the disapproval of that pol
icy was so overwhelmingly bitter that ad,
yocates of protection have been forced
to abandon it, and they have not dared
to incorporate any provision 1or ulrect
bounty in the present bill. We are I'M
able. however, 20 perceive any difference
in principle between Il law which requires
the government to collect the money ana
distribute it among the protected indus
tries. and law which enables these III
dustries to collect the money directly from
the people. If the government has rhe
right to levy taxes upon the people ioi
the purpose of inducing men to csta aDlisn
unprofitabe industries and industries
which can only be made profitable by com
to nay exorbtant prices for their products,
then the bounty system is more direct and
less complex in attaining that end, ana
nj lenst has the advantage OF dlrectness
and simplicity. 1000,
The minority of the committee seem
,o think that taxation can be made Il
blessing. and that the support of the
government. instead of being burden
upon tax payers, can be made 10 ehrici
them. If this opinion is well founde
then all the struggles for freedom Whlcn
have resolved around the questlon OF taA'
alton are proceeding upon false theory
md the American colonies, when they lie
tcrmined that they would not submit &c
taxations without representation, INDUCED
n mistaken zeal for liberty. The patrio'it
resolve of our forcfathers not ito use good'
mon which Great Britain had laid m
imuort duty was wrong if the argument
for protection was right, because, accord
ing to that theory, the British importers
were really paying the fax over Wnici
the American colOnists went 10 Whr
There can not be found III the Wiue lu:,S'
of economic literature an authority
which. with rare and few exceptions only
serve to emphasize the general condcmna
zion. and when we claim that Il protective
tariff not only collects more for a gov
crnmcnt than is necessary Tor ITS ccohoih
;col conducting. but also enables favored
few to enrich themselves. it would be .
reflection upon the intelligence OF 1D'
American people 20 suppose that IL cal
escape their swift and sure condemna
ton , ,
Under the claim that the bill causes eN
travagancies, Mr.. Bailey says: !,
"It follows, as n matter of course, thai
bill based upon vicious principle mus
bc injurious in its effects. and perhaps
no effect could be more pcrnicnous thai
the eytroyagance which the bill cncOur
ages. Tabulatcd statement embraced II
the report of the committee shows Una
the bill is expected to raise S113,0OO,Oot
moro revenue than was collected Ill Gus
toms during the last fiscal year. and YET
as is shown by the same report, the di1
ference between the government recelpt'
and disbursements during that year Wa'
only S25,000,0O0. 1t is well known ina
importations of last year were smaiiel
than usual, owing to the great depression
that existed in all circles, but even sup
posing that imports hereafter can be KEEP
mt a level with the importations of 1876
the bill will collect from the people more
than S9O000.0O0. and add to the presen
extrayagance and wastefulness.
ST may be, however, that the majority
should not be arraigncd for their opel
encouragement of extravaganza, because
it can not be surprising that those wht
claim that taxes are not burden should
feel that money derived from them ough
to be lavishly spent.
"Nothing could better Illustrate the vice
of the proposed system than the fact tina
there arises from it, as direct cause
the habit of raising expenditure OF pub
lie money as a benefit rather than bur
den TO the people. il would he caus
enough for complaint if the burdens wer
| the only result of the extravaganza, bu
! it encourages cXtravagances of a mos
| pcrniciouS character. 1t not only cause
the people TO look for the protection 0
| all Find of enterprises against the publ
servants who believe in economy and VIII
believe that the public money should b
! jealousy guarded:
president jackson hardly everest
mated the danger of a surplus when h
i declared that it was more dangerous tina
a standing army, and yet dangerous a
! a surplus is, it is not so dangerous as tn
ex.ravagances which are always resorte
] 10 in order to prevent its accumulation.
1t can not be forgotten that many Q
thnao who now advocate n high tariff an