Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1884-06-05

successful man before the convention"
CoINoIDENr EVENTS OF I'LL OMEN.
lin the absence ofany editorial COM
ment Of our own this week, we have
bethought that L would be agreeable
and instructive 70 our readers TO read
the comments ofour able contemporary,
the Daily San, Of Baltimore, on the
subject which heads this article. It
10 on q matter of vital concern to the
welfare Of the masses of the Ameri-
can people and is handled with very
distinguished ability. ut a curious
coincidence" remarks our cotempo-
rary, that the failure Of Grant g.
Ward and the success Of the republi-
cars in striking out the enactiDg
clause from the Morrison tariff bill
occurred on the same day." Both
were events Of III omen, the Sun goes
on to remark, presaging long con-
tinuance Of the evil from which the
country had begun to hope for q
speedy deliveranoe. It is seen that
the government, like the firm Of Grant
d Ward, is not going to content itself
with . conservative administration Of
the affairs with which il is entrusted,
but in the spirit Of the reckless spec
ulator will continue to extract from itR
victims large sums to be wasted in ex-
travagant expenditure. The meaning
ofthe vote upon the tariff bill is simply
this, that the republican party opposes
with practical nnanimity proposition
made BY nearly four-fifths Of the demo-
cratic strength in Congress in favor Of
a reduction Of the burden Of taxation
now weighing with crushing force upon
the people. This is certainly an
unanviaBis POsition f0rEry purity 10
take, especially in view of the fact
that q large proportion Of the taxes
are not needed. the surplusirevenus,
even during the present period ofbus-
mess depression, being over $780,.
100000 q year. A "pasty of moral
IDEAS" that pirates Of rights and
wrongs assumes to be the people
friend, and yet does not "loath to see
them overtaxed," may for time gain
tactical victories over the democracy,
weakened by the desertion of suppos-
ed Representatives, but in the end
with its present misguided purposes
il must assnredly encounter disastrous
defeat. As q party favoring high
taxes it puts itself in the position Of
the cdious hero of the story of Godi-
va, "the grim earl who ruled in Co
ventry," and who, "a thousand sum-
mers back, laid tax upon his town
that brought all the mothers, clamor.
ing, ''if we pay we starve." The dem
ocrats, on the other hand, may fairly
claim to occupy on the tariff issue the
position Of Godiva. who interceded for
the people. and, not without undergo
ings trying ordeal, took the tax away
and built herselfan everlasting name. "
Opposition 10 needless tax-such il
the winning policy Of the 1855 demo.
cratic Congressman who voted two
weeks ago to take away the taxes ad-
ded since the passage Of the Morrill,
tariff bill Of 1861, but were thwarted
by the republicans, with the help of q
petty contingent Of deserters. This
policy has encountered check, but
net an unmitigated defeat. II 10 al
indoubted defeat to the taxpayer
that is to ssy, to anybody who buyl
anything, but not = disaster which
cannot be remedied at the next cleo
ton. Its baleful effect upon do
niestic as well as foreign commerce i
more difficult to meet.
It is not surprising therefore thai
railroad stocks continued to tumbl,
in New York during the week Jus
past, even more than previously, des
pite the predictions to the contrar,
sent out BY protectionists the day aftel
Mr.. Morrisoa's proposition to reduc,
taxes and to promote commerce wa
defeated. It is for the democrats
who have taken the right side of til,
tariff tax issue as clearly as their op
ponents have taken the wrong side
TO persist at Chicago and in the com
ing campaigns in advocating ssrif
reform, until, like Godiva, they ''tAk,
the tax away to the extent justihet
by the needs Of the treasury, and s.
build for themselves an everlasting
name"