The Democratic advocate., 1906-10-19
DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
The Tariff.

One OF the most important questions Tor
any people to consider and settle is that of
taxation. 1t is the highest function of
sovereign power to take money from the
individual for public use, and people in all
ages have been jealous of the exercise of
this power.
There are certain things absolutely es-
sential, to reconcile men to taxation.
First, that it is necessary to levy the tax,
at all. And then that there shall be no
favoritism; that all shall bear alike the
burdens of taxation. And lastly, that the
money taken by this arbitrary power shall
be judiciously and economically expended.
Now, when tax is levied by the State,
it is done by an act Of the legislature, and
the tax is direct, that is, it is laid directly
upon the property Of the individual, ac-
cording to an assessed value. 1t is called
direct tax, and the man knows just what
he is taxed upon, and the amount of his
taxes, and the purpose for which it is laid.
have referred to this familiar form of
taxation, to show the difference between it
and the federal taxation which we know as
the Tariff, which is collected at the Gus
tom House, upon nearly every article
which goes into our daily living. This
tariff tax is just as much tax as the
direct tax, but it comes upon us SO stealth
lily and insidiously that there is scarcely
man in the country who knows how much
tax he is paying to the federal government.
And there is the greatest opportunity, in
this form of taxation, to make favorites OF
certain corporations and individuals, at the
expense of the masses Of the people, who
really do not know what they are paying.
There is wide difference between the
Democratic party and the Republican
party upon the subject of the tariff. The
latter lays tariff tax upon the people, not
only to meet the expenses of the govern
ment, but also to protect and favor certain
industries of the country. The democratic
party, on the other hand, believes that
tariff for protection is iniquitious and un-
just, and that the federal government has
no right to take money out of the pockets
of the people, under the forms of law, ex-
cept that which is necessary for the con-
duct of the government, economically ad-
ministered
This is the impregnable position upon
which the Democratic party stands, and
upon which it is appealing to the country,
in the present congressional campaign, and
for which it is exerting itself to secure
control of the House of Representatives.
But some one may say, "What is the
use of the Democrats securing the House
of Representatives, when the President
and the Senate are Republican. Nothing
looking to tariff revision can be accom-
plished, they say. Well, now let us see.
If the House of Representatives shall be
Democratic, tariff bill will be formulated
and passed, embodying Democratic ideas
upon the subject. 1t will 60 over to the
Republican Senate, where it will be de-
feated. And thus distinct issue will be
made with the Republican party, upon this
vital question. The record of the Demo-
cratic House, and that of the Republican
Senate, will go before the country in the
coming Presidential campaign, and the
issue being sharply drawn, will be fought
out along that line. 1t is not the purpose
of this article to discuss the extravagant
features of the present Dingley tariff law,
except to say that it is the highest the
country has ever known, and the most
\ Aiectionable of any of the tariff laws en-
ctsol by the Republican party, and except
20 say fNrther, that the high protective
..,;e Of tie Republican party is the source
~fren which spring the Trusts and Monop-
olies which disgrace the country, and is the
source also of the monstrous combinations
which are dominating the country today.
The excessive revenues coming into the
treasury under the operation of the high
tariff beget extravaganza and corruption.
The fact is, the very extravaganza of the
Republican administration is made plea
for continuation of the high tariff, and
under it conditions are created that are
used to keep the tariff up to the top notch.
What we need is thorough revision of
the tariff by the Democratic party. Let
the Democratic party of the country do
its duty and we will have it.