The daily gazette., 1883-05-29
BAYARD AND M'D0EALD
TARIFF VIEWS FROM EAST
AND WEST.
IMPORTANCE OF THE QUESTION.
Extracts from Letters Written by Sem
atOrs Bayard and McDonnld-The Next
National Cs.apatgn.
tNsw York world.

WILMINGTON, DEL, May %, 1885,
Joseph Pulitzer, Esq., Neso York: "The
more important the question the greater
the necessity in dealing with it gravely and
worthily, and everything like fnesse or the
appearance of hnesse or trick in dealing
with such an issue as tariff for revenue OF
tariff for the protection of certain classes
Of our citizens will greatly weaken the
party resorting to it," .s..
"Quite independent of the economy to the
Treasury and Incidental benefit to American
producers and manufacturers which is to
be affected by higher or lower rate of tariff
taxation, is the more profound question of
political right and power to lay any public
burden upon the entire people for the ben
eht, profit or protection Of private individ-
uals."
eff this claim be admitted as one of right,
then privileged classes do exist in this
country, and although titles may not be al
lowed by the Constitution, yet all the ad-
vantages and privileges of rank will be OBJ
tained without the name"
81 know of no position more impregnable
and upon which 1t is more important for
the Democratic party to form its lines, than
that public property cannot be taken for
private use under any pretext."
"The Constitution of the United States
and of every one of the States SO united
for public use only upon the rendition of
'Just compensation" to the owner-but
nowhere in this country and nowhere where
free institutions have recognition can the
sovereign power take public property for
private use or the private property of A to
be bestowed upon B with or without com
peusation."
"The only ground upon which anv iudi-
vidual can be deprived of his property is to
hos. klaa .tkHV 4 L.
an exigency arises he must (under our
guarantees) be first justly compensated.
"The form Of the exaction is immaterial--
as much SO as the place--and a tax collected
in the interior, or at a mans residence, or
at the seaport of entry and under Il tariff
law-an excise or a direct tux law-it IL all
the same, and to be justified must be in the
name and for the use Of the Government OF
the United States"
"With this principle ,nce laid down, the
rate Of taxation will he silly measured by
the public exigencies, aad such spectacle
as was witnessed at the last session of Con.
gress-of a handful OF men representing
private interests and conrrolling and mould
ing public Jaws of taxation to suit those in
terests-will never again be tolerated by
honest public sentiment"
"The excise system can be so arranged,
am sure, as to do away with the army of
spies and agents, and the detestable inquisi-
tion practised under present laws. A tax
upon the ascertained capacity of still can
be substituted for the host of political store
keepers and guagers and armed marshals
who now constitute the chief power of the
Radical party in many States And a SEN
sible reduction of the rate of tax to a true
revenue point would accomplish a vast re-
form and give great relief"
81 am convinced of the serious necessity
for change in our civil service system Of
removals and appointments
"The tree will grow and bear its natural
fruits, and If we continue to make mems
salaries and means of living dependent
solely upon the caprices and favor.of the
Executive branch we will see such men in
high Office as suit the ofice-holding class
and not the people, or their interest or
honor" "Yours sincerely,
IT r RAYARDV