People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1897 — MR. ALLEN’S TARIFF SPEECH. [ARTICLE]

MR. ALLEN’S TARIFF SPEECH.

He Opposes High Taxes Upon the Necessaries of Life. Senator Allen has delivered a speech on his resolution declaring it to be unconstitutional to impose tariff taxes on the necessaries of daily consumption, in order to enrich certain favored classes at the expense of the masses. The Senator’s remarks were in the nature of a legal argument, showing the constitutional limitations on the taxing power of Oongress. He said: “I place myself on the solid and impregnable ground that under our Constitution Congress does not posses power to tax the people to enhance the private fortunes of the few, and that the full measure of the taxing power is reached when a tariff for revenue, with incidental protection, is imposed. Any other construction would lead to confiscation and incidentally to enforced repudiation, the two worst conceivable forms of anarchy and disorder in a civilized state; and such a deduction, when carried to its legitimate length, would lead to the subversion of all order and the rights of persons and property. We cannot serve the people and the money power at the same time. Their interests are deadly antagonistic. What is for the common welfare is against the trusts and the pools.” Mr. Allen spoke more than an hour, and at the conclusion of his remarks the resolution was referred to the finance committee— SilverKnightWatch* man.