The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-10-25
A Burning Question.

Here seems to be confusion. Senator
Bayard, of Delaware, stumping that
State for the Democracy, says that one
of the most harmless of taxes, one that
produces more revenue at less expense
and is felt less by the consumer and tax
payer than any other, is the one on
matches. He makes it the principal
topic of campaign speech, in which he
urges two things: 1st, that the Demo-
Gratis be retained in power in Delaware;
I'd, that the tax be retained on matches.
But here comes flaming stump orator
from Connecticut named Gallagher, who
is chairman of the Democratic State
Committee and calls himself ian old
war horse" and he devotes himself to
denunciations of the match tax which
contain birthstone enough to run all the
match factories in Delaware. He prcsi-
ded over the late Democratic State Con-
vention in Hartford, and spoke for three
quarters of an hour principally about
the inequalities and iniquities of the
match tax, for which, as for all other
temporal evils, he held the Republican
party responsible. There are Democrats
in Connecticut who have a vague notion
that birthstone at best is but Republi-
can invention for the torture of Demo
Gratis, and no doubt Gallagher's fiery de-
nunciation of the match tax kindled
them into such indignation that it will
be several years before they will be able
to draw a match without cursing the Re-
publican party.
Now Gallagher wants the match tax
abolished. Wants it? Nay, says it must
be, or blue ruin impends. The snort of
the "war horse" rings through the State
from Stonington to Salisbury. "Upwith
Tom Waller and down with the match
taxp He wants Democratic rule, and
the match tax abolished. Senator Bay
ard wants Democratic rule, and the
match tax retained. Gallagher, after
opposing everything that has been done
in the past twenty years, from prosecu-
ting the war to paying the debt, pro-
nouncing each one in succession the
death blow to free institutions, has set
tied down upon the match tax as the
great instrument for the oppression of
the poor and the kiDg-pin of political
crimes. Bay ard, on the other hand, says
it is just the blessed-est little tax that
ever was invented. 1t makes tax.p
er of a tramp, and while everybody pays
nobody feels it.
Between these two, who sha decides
In Connecticut the match tax must be a
burning question. Were it not so the
"war horse" would hardly have champed
his bits thrce-quarters of an hour over it
But between Gallagher and Bayard the
attitude of the party with regard to it
seems little in doubt. In behalf of q
great many thousand Democrats, whose
pipes have gone out and who are wait
ing to know what is to be done with the
match tax before lighting up, we beg
Senator Bsysrd and "War Horse" Gal
lagher to assemble themselves together
somewhere on neutral territory and agree
if possible. on a compromise. They are
not SO very far apart. One says the
match tax is the mos: oppressive, cor
rupt, outrageous and villaneous imposi-
tion ever prscticed upon free people;
the other says it is the most just and
equitable, the most blessed and benign
method ever-invented for permitting cit
izens of all ranks to assist in supporting
the Government without feeling it. 1t
seems as though little difference like
that might be arranged.-New York
Tribune.