Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/222

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

The gentleman belongs to that class who be- lieve that by a system of taxation we can make the country rich. He believes that it is possible by tax laws to advance the prosperity of* all the industries and all the people in the United States. Either, Mr. Speaker, that statement is an absurdity upon its face, or it implies that in some way we have the power to make some per- sons not resident of the United States pay the taxes that we impose. I insist that you do not increase the taxable wealth of the United States when you tax a gentleman in Illinois and give the benefit of that tax to a gentleman in Maine. Such a course prevents the natural and honest distribution of wealth, but it does not create or augment it.

The gentleman from Maine and his associates, when dealing with a great question which must affect the business, the happiness, and the pros- perity of all our people, make statements which are inconsistent with each other and are cal- culated to deceive; and yet the gentleman pre- sumes to lecture this side of the House because, forsooth, we can not accept his conclusions thus arrived at.

But when we point to the impoverished farmers throughout the country, when we point to the strikes of laboring men for higher wages, when we point to the suspension of protected industries, — you say all this is due to threatened reduction of the tariff. You take credit that you are not entitled to, and you seek to avoid

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