Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-16
HANNA's REVISED TARIFF VIEWS.

!
tariff as a revenue producer and the
proc positive that the protected
trusts sell their goods cheaper in the
free trade markets. of the world after
paying the freight than they sell the
same goods to the American consumer
in the protected" home market, the
hlgh tariff prophets are beginning to
come down off their high horses all
along the line. We have already quo
ted Andrew Carnegie's practical adj
mission that the tariff as it stands is
simply fraud on the American con-
sumner and that we to-day can and dc
undersell the world in foreign markets.
The latest admission on this point,
however, comes from no less a per-
sonage than the head and front of the
high tariff party and boss of the ad-
ministration, Marcus A. Hanna, him
| self.
On account of the failure of the
| Dingley bill Mr.. Hanna admits that
the war taxes will not be repealed. He
says, and his language is highly in
teresting:
I'VE must have new revenue measure
So far as I am concerned, I favor putting
duty on tea and coffee. The revenue for
the support of the government must be
raised in some way and the indirect (the
tariff is the best way, according to my
idea. When the people do not realize
that they are paying a tax there is no
complaint
There we have it in cold blood:
WHEN THE PEOPLE DO NOT RE-
ALLIE THEY ARE PAYING A TAX
THERE IS NO COMPLAINT"
What world of confession is in that
one sentence!
1t is, first, an admission of the very
thing that all the tariff shouters and
organs in the land have so strenuously
denied in the past, namely, that the
tariff is a tax on the American con-
sumner.
Second, it is an admission that it is
an insidious tax that although burden
some does not appear since it is con-
cealed in the price of the goods
Uharond h,r +l-~ s'r,-.-A~~+>l,, a n-:oa,
trusts to American consumers.
Third, Mr.. Hannas statement is an
admission that the money thus wrung
from the people does not go into the
treasury, but into the pockets of the
l. mi ic 10 Ivy
prohibitory, as in the case of the Ding
ley bill, while the people are plundered
or taxed, right and left, it is chiefly
for the benefit of the trusts and not
enough of this heavy tax finds its way
into the treasury to run the govern
ment In such case the tariff is for
the benefit of the trusts wholly and
solely and while it fattens them by
permitting them under form of law
to put their hands into the pockets of
the people, it defrauds the treasury of
revenue, and additional taxes, such as
the present war taxes, must be sad
died on the people to conduct the gov
eernment.
Probably the most astonishing fea-
ture of all is the cheek, the unlimited
gall these tariff robbers display in
frankly admitting the whole scheme
of plumber after they have worked it
for all there was in it!
Its all over now" they say blandly
to the American people; 1--WE admit that
we have been regularly fooling you
| during the past quarter of a century
SHINING you alive, in fact. 1t was a
| gold mine, but we've worked it out;
we're rich, and, we'll, we don't mind
now letting you into the secret of how
the trick was done, because you can't
recover anything from us, you know. >
Thus the monopolies that have regu-
larly plundered the American people
toss the stocked deck to their dupes
after impudently showing how the
skin game was worked and ask then
what they are going to 90 about it!
Thus, Mr. Hanna would now re-
wise the tariff by placing it on reve
nue. basis, which his organs have hith
erto called free trade" This must b.
done to recoup the failing revenue
and to that end. the big high tariff
boss wants to shift the indirect" taxes
onto the articles of import that are no
controlled by an American trust, sucl
as tea and coffee, which taxes on tn
dinner table must therefore of necessit,
all go into the treasury.
Thus dies the greatest fraud tina
ever was perpetrated upon the Ameri
can people-that which sailed unde
the false title of Protection to Ameri
can labor!"
Hanna has spoken. Great is Hanna
Great is humbuggery!
With what will the political fakir
J gull the people next?
, Wetzel-old, reliable Wetzel-was
badly neglected county in the late cam
+ paign. Her Democratic majority Q
649 with very little effort could hav
. | bapn doubled The Democracy thor