The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1875-12-30

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he ought to be promptly ignored.
This would elevate political morals,
and raise the standard of worth.
The people want this. 1t is their
right, and they should insist on it.
Every party has enough honest,
sober men, to fill all places of trust
That blind party adhesion which
leads men to vote for knaves and
drunkards that they secretly detest,
is the bane Of good government, and
such as do it, are false to themselves
and traitors to their country. They
thus sink to the level Of him whom
they support. Men should rise above
this; should stand as wall of steeA
against knaves and drunkards. This
would do more for Temperance than
legions of praying. Crusaders.
The questions of Tariff and Cur
rency, we would have left to local
option, holding the legislator bound
to reflect the will of his constituency.
The past action of candidates should
be a secondary matter. Is he right
no,o !? should be the test, and is he
honest and faithful to his trusts ?
Wise men often change their opin-
ions, but fools rarely. Iwo2ld rath-
er make hundred changes than to
stand firmly scro',g, for the sake of
mulish consistency. He whose every
idea is crystalized, is fit subject for
burial. We want progressive, kUe
men, not bigoted fossils. So long
as we have growth and progress, we
must have change.
I think our Revenue laws and
manner of collecting, are in need of
emendation. The onerous tax on
whisky and tobacco bears too heavi-
ly on the poor, as they consume
these largely. No one thing has de-
veloped more villainy, more "cussed-
ness" than the tax on the whisky. A
principle which evolves such crop
of rascality must be wrong. Space
forbids our pursuing this idea into
detail.
Taxation of Incomes should be
made leading item of revenue. I
would have the rate increased large
ly as incomes swell running from
one per cent. up to twenty-five per
cent. This could not be unjust or
oppressive, and I would rejoice if l
should fall in the category paying
the highest rate Conviction of fraud
should work forfeiture of income,
and give the culprit berth in the
States Prison. State machinery for
the collection of revenues for the
General Government, would be a
wise and highly economic change.
These crude suggestions are simply
hints, open to criticism and emenda
ton. Every man of thought knows
that our national revenue system is
cumbrous and expensive beyond toll
Grafton.
The approaching Presidential race
is likely to be close, and it behooves
the Republican party to throw aside
all dead weights, repudiate all "dead-
beats, make a judicious, clear plat
form, announce in plain, ringing
terms the reforms and retre'ach-
meaats needed, and show that we
mean business by placing in nomina-
ton such representative candidates
as are not libel on our declaration
of principles.
It is but too common for Conven-
tions to put forth 'glittering gener-
alities," about which men have no
disagreements, and with these seek
to draw attention from the real gist
of the fight. We want no such by
brid actions as making "soft money
platforms and mounting "hard mon
ey" men upon them, as was done in
Indiana and Ohio by the so-called
Democracy.
Having promised thus much in re-
gard to the issues and character OF
the next Presidential election, we
turn our attention to the field in
search of the best representative
man, to be selected as our fag-bear
er. Amid the number who aspire to
this, each of whom has many friends,
and some good points, it is no easy
task to come to conclusions that will
satisfy all. This is simply impossi-
BILE. We do not all occupy the same
stand point, and cannot all see, ''eye
to eye" Every one has his favorite,
and it is only by comparing and
compromising, that harmony can be
had. Our candidate should be ayai
fable. The highest degree of acquire
ments, without availability, is moth
ing. Availability alone makes fitness
operative. We have in our mind
man who, we think, combines ability
and oyaiLability He has acknowl-
edged talent and large experience in
craftsmanship; is of a ripe age;
was born in the humble walks of life;
has risen through his own vigorous
intellect, and is the architect of his
own fame He who comes up from
the masses, being of them, is more