Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-03
HARRIsoN ON THE sURPLus.


The Republican party got itself into
trouble by evolving a platform at Chi
cago, which declared i'm favor of the en-
tire repeal of the whisky and tobacco
taxes rather than abate one jot of the
protective system which robs the con.
sumers in order to pay bounties to the
protected monopolies. And now the
Republican candidate for president is
getting himself into further trouble by
devislng and recommending still other
methods for reducing the surplus with
out surrendering any part of the pro-
tectiye system, says the Kansas City
Star.
General Harrison admits that there
Is an enormous surplus, and i'm a gener-
al way has Endorsed the Chicago plat
form; but in order that there may not
be the slightest danger of repeating the
unnecessary taxes he urges two prOpo-
sitiOns with view TO "a reduction of
the suplus without any relief from tax
alton. These are: (D A return to the
states OF the direct taxes levied upon
them during the war, and % the pur-
chase OF bonds not yet due by paying a
large premium for the privilege. The
objections to both of these plans are so
obvious that they only need 10 be
stated to be recognized as valid.
During the war and for the payment
of the expenses of the war which the
customs and interal revenue taxes did
not cover, direct taxes were laid upon
the states. General Harrison suggests
that $50 100000 of the surplus can he
disposed of by renting these taxes.
The states which paid these taxes col
lected them by levying on property own
ers in proportion to their possessions.
If the taxes were returned to the states
now the benefits would accrue to prop.
erty owners who might be relieved OF
lOcaltaxatiOn tothat eXtent;nOt theprOp-
erty owners of twenty-four years ago
who paid them, but the property owners
of to-day. In the meantime the unnec.
essary taxes on the necessaries of life
and the bounties exacted for the pro.
tected monopolists would continue and
these outrageous burdens and extor.
tons would fall as they do now upon
the mass of the people-the consumers
in order that property-owners might
be relieved to some extent of local tax.
alton. How do the workingmen, the
small business men, the salaried and
wage classes of all kinds, relish Gen.
eral Harrison's proposition? How
would they like to abate in a large
measure the state taxes paid by rail
roads, the rich corporations and the
milliOnaires in order that the customs
taxes and bounties which they them.
selves pay on pretty much everything
they use and consume, should be re.
tanned i'm full?
.. The government does not owe any
bonds which come due for ten years
But General Harrison urges that the
bonds be paid, and that the government
give premium ranging as high as % pei
cent. for the rare privilege of paying its
debts before they are due. If this poll
cy were carried out the government
would pay its money over to rich cor
pOrations and trust companies and to
individyIdual millionaires, and extort
the money so paid from the masses OF
the people which would otherwise re.
main in general circulation. In Other
words, General Harrison proposes tC
exact an excessive tribute of more thar
100 millions year from the people in
order to divide it among the bond-hold
ers and money-lenders, and pay these
gentlemen a premium of nearly one
third over and above their just due in
order to maintain unnecessary taxa
ton.
The best friends of General Harrison
can scarcely fail TO regret that he ever
began Ito talk politics" in the pending
campaign.