There is a larger view of the question. While you begin to tax the agricultural products of the country, you open the door to that great experiment. If the Senate is ready to march in that direction, I will not say whether I am not ready to march also; but the Senate should not commence the experiment without considering where it leads. In this whole bill you do not tax a single agricultural product. Why, therefore, make an exception of cotton? If you begin with cotton, where will you stop? Must you not also tax hemp, flax, and corn? Why not? Not that I am in favor of such taxation; but where in principle are you to stop? Sir, I put these questions as a warning to Senators.
The original proposition from the House of Representatives was amended by substituting “one half cent” a pound, instead of “one cent,”—Yeas 30, Nays 10.
TAX ON SLAVE-MASTERS.
Speeches in the Senate, on Amendment to the Internal Tax Bill, May 28 and June 6, 1862.
While voting and speaking against a tax on cotton, Mr. Sumner was anxious to tax Slavery, and this he sought to accomplish by a tax on those who pretended to hold slaves.
May 28th, he moved the following amendment:—