Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-24
man Bailey

w
CONGRESSMAN BAILEY.
This bill was framed with the avowed
purpose of protecting the manufacture
| ers of the United States against foreign
competition. and 1t is perfectly obvious
that If it accomplishes that purpose 1t
must result in compelling the consum-
ers of this country to pay more for their
manufactured goods, and for this reason
we think it should not pass. We rest
our opposition upon the broad principle
that congress was invested with the
power of taxation as a means of collect
ing from each citizen his fair proportion
toward the support of the government.
and that it is a gross perversion of that
sovereign power to employ as a means
of enabling favored class to levy I'M
just charges upon the great body of the
people. We believe that after contribut-
ing his proper share toward the main
tenance of the government every citizen
of this republic Is entitled to the full
possession and enjoyment of all he can
honestly earn. and we deny the right of
congress 10 make or enforce any regu-
lation which requires one man to give
any part of his honest earnings toward
encouraging the enterprise or the for
tune of another.
Bounties Eliminated.
mo man, however blind he may be,
would defend system of taxation I'M
der which the government first collected
the money and afterward distributed
It among its favorites. 1t is true that
the tariff act of 1890 ventured to this
but the disapproval of that policy was
so overwhelming and so bitter that the
advocates of protection have been forced
to abandon it. and they have not dared
to incorporate any provision for a d.
rect bounty in the present bill We
are unable. however, to perceive any
difference in principle between a law
which requires the government TO collect
the money and distribute it among the
protected industries and law which en-
ables these industries to collect the
money directly from the people. If the
government has the right to levy taxes
upon the people for the purpose of in
ducing men to establish unprofitabie
Industries or industries which can only
be made profitable by compelling the
consumers of the United States to pay
eXorbitant prices for their products.
then the bounty system is a more direct
and less complex way of attaining that
end. and at least has the advantage of
directness and simplicity.
The majority Of the committee seem
to think that the taxation can be made
blessing, and that the support of the
government. instead of being a burden
upon taxpayers, can be made to enrich
them. If this opinion is well founded.
then all the struggles for freedom which
have revolved around the question of
taxation have proceeded upon a false
theory, and the American colonists.
when they determined that they would
not submit to taxation without repre-
sentation, INDUCED in mistaken zeal for
liberty. The patriotic resolve of our
forefathers not to use goods upon which
Great Britain had laid an import duty
was wrong if the argument for protec-
ton is right. because according to that
argument the British importers were
really paying the tax over which the
American colonists went to war.
Encourages Lavish Expenditures,
Under the heading. THE bill encour-
ages eXtravaga Mr.. Bailey saws.
~ ipiio"S IL ildltCI VI course that
bill based upon vicious principle
must be injurious in its effects. and per-
haps no effect could be more per-
nicious than the extravaganza which
the bill encourages. The tabulated
statement embraced in the report of the
committee shows that the bill is expected
to raise s11300O.000 more revenue than
was collected in customs duties during
the last fiscal year. and yet, as is shown
by the same report, the difference be-
tween the government receipts and dis
bursements during that year was only
S25, 100000. 1t is well known that the
importations of last year were smaller
than usual, owing to the general depres-
sion that existed in all circles, but even
supposing that importations hereafter
can be kept at a level with the importa-
tions of 1895, the bill will collect from
the people more than $90,0O0,0OO an
nually above the requirements of our
present extravagant and wasteful an
propriations.
1T may be, however, that the ma
jority should not be arraigned for their
open encouragement of extravagance.
because it cannot be surprising that gen
tlemen who think that taxes are not a
burden shorld feel that money derived
from taxat on ought to be lavishly
spent. Nothing could better illustrate
the vice of the protective system than
the fact that there flows from it as a
direct consequence the habit of treating
the expend 'ture of public money as a
benefit rather than as a burden to the
people. 1t 'ould be cause enough for
complaint If the burden We're the only
result of the extravaganza, but in free
government extravaganza breeds ten
denotes of the most pernicious charac-
tiers. 1t not only teaches the people to
look to the government for the promo
ton of all kinds of enterprises, whether |
for pleasure or for profit, but it makes |
them impatient against public servants
who believe in economy, and who believe |