The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-07-17
-. N. 7, Herald. 18th inst. -.
rhe Pennsylvania ReuubIicans,

A broad smile will: ripple over the
country as everybody reads that the
Pennsylvania Republicans yesterday de-
clared for "a distribution Of the sur.
plus" :" Z, .ss~i,
And yet 1t Is not q matter to smile
over. II, as many philosophers and
thoughtful people believe, there is "com'
munism in the air, here is certainly the
first really important step toward "gen.
eral divide," taken by q political Con.
yentiop, which seriously and officially
demands that the Government shall con-
tinue to force from the people more oi
their earnings than it needs, and, distrib-
ute what it does not spend "smong the
States, according TO Popuishen" THAT
is to ay,divide it, not among those Who
paid il and who had earned 1t, but ON an
entirely different method.
The Pennsylvania Republicans de.
maDd continuance OF the extreme pro.
tectionist policy. 1t is not so strange
that, being thus welded to system
which is essentially commuaistic, snas :
much as its aim is to tax the whole for
the benefit OF part, they now 60 Q step
further in commuuism by demanding the
redistribution Of the surplus"
We. do not, of course, suppose that
the members of the Convention meant
communism What they really 'desiie e
is such lax laws as will, they see, pro-
duce more revenue than the Government
needs; and to secure these .bnrdensome
and unequal tax laws they are willing to
distribute the surplus" among the States
Ito, adopt, that is to say, the fundamen-
tel theories Of communism. We hope
the Democrats Of Pennsylvania will
have brains enough to ask their oppo.
nents Why there should be surplus to
divide in this rank commuuistic fashion !
Why the Government should take out ol
the peoples pockets more OF their earn:
ings than,it ueeds,and then give the sur.
plus away2 -.
The Ohio democrats declared that the
revenues ought to be 'limited to, the
necessities Of the government economic
ally administered !" The Pennsylvanis
republicans demand q system of-higt
and exorbitant taxation, forcing from
the people much more than the govern
ment needs, and then propo5e that the
surplus shall be s.tiistributed among The
States" where 1t would be wasted, o.
course for the State governments. aft
as ready to waste public m6hey rs Con
gress when it passes river and harbol
job or q pension job. Te say that th,
Harrisburg Convention did not NEAR
communism is to say nothing. Grea
and .misehieyous changes 10 society and
in government have ofteness beer
brought about. notify men who desiret
such changes, but -by-menNho ignorant
lY pet on foot movements ,thesinevi.abl'
and ruinous consequences, of which. the,
did not themselves foresees .-e,.-: -,
The Conventio n farther demanded
that Congress- shall proyide i9f. the "fgl
redemption" of the trade dollar, thu.
making itself. innocently sno doubt, th,
tool Of Tie spectators who ,are bdyiBs
this coin at heavy discount i1ahes shop'
that Congress will provide "full redemp
tfon" for it. 4:.sa ;a'e
Farther, the Convention declared. an
equivocaily for civil service reform
which is an apt commentary on the re-
mark Of one of Colouef Qlay's men tt
q Herald reporter. tha. tie PeInsylvanil
independents bolted the ticket LAST yea
| because Senator Cameron refused to dI
vide the patronage with them, .Is 'alst
gravely and quite hefceiY demanded
economy and honesty ID the State ad
ministration, and that In the face of tn,
| Republican Gas Tfus. POPULATIONS il
Philadelphia, the republican scandals in
Harrisburg and the long continued NAL
odorous history Of their party 10 Che
State, which gave to the country tb,
cant phrase Of Addition, division and
silence"