New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-18
RURAING QUESTION.


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 less felt by the
consumer and taxpayer than any other, is the
one Oh matches. He makes it the principal
topic of campaign speech, in which he urges
two things first that the Democrats be re-
tanned in power in Delaware; second, that the
tax be retained on matches.
But here comes a 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 denunciatlons or the match tax
which contain birthstone enough to run all tue
match factories in Delaware. He presided
over the late Democratic State Convention in
Hartford, and spoke for three-quarters OF an
hour principally about the inequalities and in
iouities of the match tax, for which, as for all
other temporal evils, he held the Republlcan
party responsible. There are Democrats III
Connecticut who have vague notion that
birthstone at best is but Republican lnven-
ton for the torture of Democrats, and no doubt
Galagher's fiery denuncatiOn of the match
tax kindled them into gsuch indignation that
it will be several years before they will be
able to draw match without curslng the Re-
publican party.
Now Gallagher wants the match tax
abolished. Wants it Nay, says 1T must be,
or blue ruin impends. The snort OF the " war
horse rings through the State from Stonngton
to Salisbury. "Up with Tom Waller and down
with the Match Taxi" He wants Democratic
rule. and the match tax abolished Senator
Bayard wants Democratic rule, and the match
tax retained. Gallagher, after opposing every
thing that has been done in the past twenty
years, from prosecuting the war to paying the
debt, prOnouncing each one IN succession the
death blow to flee institutions, has settled
down upon the match tax as the great in
strument for the oppression of the poor and the
kine-pin of political crimes. Bayard, OH the
other hand, says it is just the blessed-est little
tax that ever was invented. 1t makes tax
payer of a tramp, and while everybody pays
nobody feels it.
Between these two, who shall decide In
Connecticut the match tax must be burning
question. Were 1t not so, the war horse
would hardly have champed his bits three
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 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 Bayard
and @War Horse" Gallagher to assemble
themselves together somewhere on neutral
territory and agree, if possible, on COM
promise. They are not so very far apart. One
says the match tax is the most oppressive, cor
rupt. outrageous and villanous imposition
ever practsed upon free people; the other
says it is the most just and equitable, the most
blessed and benign method ever invented for
permitting citizens of all ranks to assist in sup
porting the Government without feeling it. 1t
seems as though little difference like that
might be arranged