The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-08
First of Series of Articles on
American Revenue Acts.
Colonial Duties We're the First
Levied i'm New World.
MANY RETALIATORY MEASURES
Virginia Passed Law to Pro-
mote Morals and Health.
Massachusetts First With Pro-
lection Legislation.


I SOIOnal
Since men have been selecting other
| men to govern them, or, upon the
| other hand, since men have been Sc
Letting themselves to govern other men
/ there has been one question that has
maintained supremacy over all others
| the problem of obtaining the revenues
| for governmental conduct In all
| cases, and in all times, the revenue
| has issued from the governed. There
never has been any question as to the
source-all governors have agreed upon
! that; although there occasionally has
arisen and will continue to arise, di-
versified ideas as to the best means of
obtaining the revenue.
In the natural course of human af-
fairs, the payment for government by
the governed is a just and equitable
proposition. 1t is government that af-
fords protection to real and personal
property, and, in it's true sense, govern
ment is merely the specialization of
the ideas of nation, made operative
by the actions of governors. History
affords no spectacle of a nation rising
against a just government. The pay
ment of revenues has occasioned
trouble only when the revenues were
subject to careless or illegal disposition
The internal eruptions of nations, with
scarcely an exception, have resulted
from questions of taxation, and the
problem of obtaining necessary reVe-
ing the balance of national harmony,
has sorely tried the energies of COVER
nors since humanity began to live in
congrega tions. And it is still a per-
picking question.
So far as the United States is con-
cerned, the problem of obtaining gov
ernmental revenues has fostered the
high protective tariff. The nature of
the country in its infancy was such
that the question of income presented
proposition exceedingly complex.
Manufactures were few, and imports
were necessarily large. The early
statesmen of the nation exercised great
sagacity when they proceeded upon the
theory that it were better to tax COM
modities at the time of their entrance
into the country than to levy duties
during the course of their distribution
among the consumers This theory of
indirect taxation, together with desire
to protect existing and contemplated
manufactures from foreign competition,
gave birth to tariff laws in the United
States. Duties had been levied since
early colonial times, but American
tariff history can be accurately ascer-
tanned as having it's beginning during
the session of the First congress, 17S9-
1890
The Most Vital Issue.
The various processes through which
the tariff has passed down to the pres
ent time offer a spectacle which easily
demonstrates it to be the most vital
political issue in the development of
the nation. 1t may be said of the
American people that the tariff has
been with them always. 1t has been
an important factor in nearly all of
the national political campaigns. There
have been instances when other issues,
of greater portent for the time, have
the tariff, but in COM
parison with it they appear as merely
feeting and exigent questions. The
tariff defieS definition in short space.
1t may be said that it is an intricate,
issue composed of a maze
of political thought and effort extend
ing from Alexander Hamilton to Oscar
Underwood.
If the tariff had a cemetery in which
to bury it's political dead, the names
of many illustrious statesmen would
be engraved on the shafts therein. The
one most readily called to mind, be-
cause of the recent political demise.
so to speak, of the victim, is that of
William Howard Taft. That gentle |
man may truly ascribe his departure |