The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-05-16
DEMOCRATS AND THE NEXT CON
GRESS.

GRESS.
The Democratic party stands pledged to ad-
vocate the lowest taxation practicable, consis-
tent with the revenue wants of the Govern
ment In every campaign the shibooleth
motto of the Democratic party has been low
taxes" The Republican battle cry has been
thigh taxes" In the coming campaign of Is
"a there is not the slightest probability that
the policy of the Democratic party will
be changed. The cry will be
low taxes economy retrenchment. 1t
will be supreme folly for any man, no mat
ter how brilliant or profound he may be, to
anticipate the position of leader in the
Democratic party il, in the matter OF taxa
ton, he does not proclaim himself,unequivo-
cally hostile to high taxation. Upon this
one proposition the Democratic party plants
itself, and by an unwavering adherance to
it, will win the fight. The people
are tired, disguised and indignant
They have been taxed and swindled to build
up colossal fortunes for individual and cor
porate monopolies, and, while thus out
ragged and burdened, they have been told it
was for the good of the country and for the
benefit of the Government Early in De-
cember, seven months hence, the Forty
eighth Congress will assemble. The House
of Representatives will be largely Demo
cratic. The fact is proof that the country
is opposed to the Republican policy of
high taxation, opposed to prohigacy made
possible by system of taxation by which
vast surplus revenue has been collected and
suuaudered. This surplus has been extorted
from the people by policy fagrantly at
war with their interests. Is it to be supposed
for an instant that. when the Forty-eighth
Congress assemblies, the Democratic
members will commit as their first
act, political suicide, by electing as
speaker, a man known to be the
champion of high protective taxation?
Such proceeding would be something more
than folly; it would be crime. 1t would
be throwing away the victory achieved in
1882 upon platform demanding reduc
ton of taxation. 1t would be the most
shameful qualification that ever disgraced
any party. 1t would be the basest treason
to every profession of the Democratic party
and of every pledge the party made
to the tax-burdened and tax-cursed
people. To assume THAI The
Democratic majority In the Forty-eighth
Congress will be guilty of such treachery is
too preposterous to warrant contradiction.
The St. Louis Republican, in discoursing
upon "the coming trial of Democracy" re-
marks THAT in the action of the next House
of Representatives the country will look for
the Democratic National platform of 1884
and in the action of the Senate it will look
for the opposite platform" With regard to
the practical questions of the day" the Re-
publican thinks they are''few and simple-ao
few that they may be disposed of in single
bilL" There is says the Republican, mo
dispute about the currency; no dispute
about Indians, pensions or foreign policy;
happily, there is not single Constitutional
issue before the country" The question to
be settled relates to 1.-THE large excess Of rev.
euue annually pouring into the Treasury.
This surplus for the current fiscal year lis
estimated at S120, 900, and for the next
fiscal year is $119, 900, oOo-and the actual
surplus will exceed the estimate in both
cases-and that too. after paying out $780,
500, OO0 for interest and $1O2, 60O, 900 in pen
sions each year." This surplus revenue"
says the Republican, must be reduced;
and to reduce it taxes must be taken OF the
people" How? Right here is where the
two parties differ, and the Republican Gays:
The Democrats believe in large reductions Of
the revenue, and insist that these reductions
should be made so as to bring the largest meas
ure of relief to the whole people. The Repub-
lieans. on the other hand, will not make any re-
ductions they can possibly avoid, and in making
them will attempt to give the relief to favored
classes In the new tariff and revenue bill passed
By the late Congress, the Republicans took of
about s45 600 taxes-from whom? Banks.
bank depositors. matchmakers, the manufacturers
of patent medicines and cosmetics. and tobacco
consumers. They do not think any further re-
ductions ought to be made In the next Congress,
and they will oppose them II proposed. but II the
reductions must be made. they viii endeayor to