The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-01-21
CHEAPER NECESsARIES OF LIFE.

'N'' NV
character of the internal revenue taxes
is all very well. Ii is only II rcitcra,iom
OF the democratic position in oppo-
sition to inquisitoriaI laws, and to
laws which require a great many
officials to execute them. GA these
grounds, if there were ho evils
in the tariff to he remedied, ali demo
Gratis would join TO abolish the excise
axes.
But this is not the case, and the
country is brought iace to face with
two evils, or three evils, we may say
first, the fact Of a surplus revenue VI
Sl4O,0OO 900 per anuum, which drains
the very lite blood from the arteries of
business, and imposes heavy burdens
on the poor; second, the unjust, IN
equal, burdensome provisions OF the
tariff, with its three thousand taxed
articles, and its excessive additions TO
the prices of the uecessaries OF lite;
third, the excise taxes, which are OBJ
jectionable from Il political standpoint,
but which are laid upon ~luXuries.
Is it not true, as the president says
in his message, that il is Il condition
that we have to face, and not a theory I
The expression is decidedly teIicitous,
SO much SO that many republican Jews
papers, notably the Chicago Tribune,
the Pioneer Press, the New York
Evening Post, the New York Times
and Harper's Weekly indorse this par
ticular assertion and the message
unreservedly. The question is no!
free trade, but lair trade; reasonable
protection to be permitted to continue
as the incident of fair and equitable
taxes arranged primarily tor the pur-
poses of revenue, but SO adjusted rs to |
comply with h last democratic plat
form, in caring for the manufactures OF
the country, not i'll response 10 the
rapacious demands OF mOnopOlies or
monopolists, but in accordance with
fairness to the capitalist and honesty TO
the laborer.
How is this to be brought about?
The republicans say by wiping out
the excise taxes. The democrats to |
this reply no. Not that il would be
unwise to do this under certain circum-
stances, but because this is not the
proper time. The reason why it is not
is not far to seek-the tariff taxes are,
many of them, Onerous; the excise
taxes are not; the tariff taxes, many
of them, are high, and imposed upon
nccessaries of life; the excise taxes
are not oppressive, they are placed
upon luxuries, with which the poor
may dispense, and which are in but a
very limited sense necessary to COM
fort and life.
The democratic policy, therefore, is
a common sense and philanthropic one.
1t seeks to relieve the mass of the peo-
pie from unfair and e~xtravagant taxa
ton upon articles that people must
have, and TO retain the taxes upon lux
nries.
The position that because the presi-
dent is u democrat he Is less devoted
to the welfare of America and Ameri-
cans than if he were II republican is an
impudent assumption based upon par
tisan malice and continued for an un-
patriotic, d~emagogic effect upon those
who are presumed to be toe ignorant
to inform themselves. There is fair
room to differ upon questions of politi-
cal economy. There is no excuse for
the brutal indictments made against
the patriotism of Grover Cleveland, or
the 4,S74,986 American citizens who
voted for him in 1884, or the 5000, 600
who will vote for him in 1888, if James
g.. Blaine is the candidate against him.
The last democratic national plat
form contained this sentence:-"We
are opposed TO all propositions which,
upon any pTcterL, would convert the
general government into n machine Tor
collecting taxes to be distributed among
sAfN StobSS III thO ltiLCIl5 lltlcDI.' /
Those democrats from the south who
have adopted the republican practice
of voting for every bill that has an APP
preparation in il, should read these
words and ponder them well before
they vote for the Blair abominatiop,
which has been rightly designated a
hill tn npnmOip nanH,con,u g, IL.
southern states. Bob Toombs used TO
boast that in his eighteen years in con-
gress he had never voted for an appro-
priation for his district. If we had
many men like him, instead OF the
kind who II not con the make" for
themselves are expected 10 be ION the
make" for their districts, il would be
better for the morals of the country.
What with Il certain decision OF the
supreme court of the United States,
and the rapacity. for money which is
setting ut naught true principles of
public policy we are sadly in danger OF
drifting into Il condition where the
AIDu sIlul' IDI SlOdl, |
will come to be considered as an
antiquated relic OF barbarous ages,
and which will have given place to the
more progressive one OF, go tor
everything in sight!"
The st Louis Presbyterian copies the
article contained in last weeks ~IntelIi-
gencer on the cxpunging from the fir;
draft OF the Declaration OF Independ.
ence the arrangements of George III
for the enslavement Of the inhabitants
of Africa. The PRESBYTERIAN then
says 1--WE are curious TO know why
this severe arraigmmeDt OF the slave
trade was omitted from the final draft
of the constitution Declaration Of indie
pendence). Do the debates OF that
congress or the record of those times
throw any light on this pOint?" The
best evidence we have in answer TO
the Presbyterian's question is that OF
Mr.. Jefferson himself. In his memOirs,
edition OF 1879, page Is, he says
"rhe "pusiilanimous idea thai we had
friends in England worth Keeping
terms With, sill haunted the minds of
many. For this reasDE those passages