Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-04-26
THE DISLoYAL POLICY.
New York Tribune.

ury, $Il l,5S6,559 for the month of March.
This announcement from Washington
needs the explanation given the minori-
ty report on the Tariff bill, published
Tuesday. twenty-five years have elaps-
ed since the full amount of war taxation
ceased to be necessary. Half Of that
time Republicans have controlled legis-
Iation, and half of that time Democrats.
In eleven years, during which the Re-
publicans controlled, they reduced taxa
ton $780,. 2.5O4.663. But in the eleven
wears during which the Democrats con-
trolled they have reduced taxation only
S6.36S. .955.
OF course, there is a surplus revenue,
and Troublesome one, for the revenue
under unchanged tariff and tax laws
naturally grows with the growth of pop
uIation and wealth. The gain in popu-
latiOn is about per cent. yearly. The
revenue last year was about S3Il,O00,-
900; at 3 per cent. the natural increase
under existing laws would be about S1l,-
G00.000. Thus Democratic incapacity,
Democratic mulish refusal to reduce
taxes except by methods which help for
eign ard PROSTATE American industry,
and the consequent failure TO reduce
taxes in eleven years of Democratic con-
troll, involve surplus revenue of about
eleven times $l1, 100000, or $12O, 100000
yearly. That is the "con6ition" which
the President pronounceS a menace TO
our prosperity. 1t is the direct fruit of
intrusting the power for eleven years to
an incompetent and disloyal party.
Let no one think the word ''disloyal"
out of place. There is loyalty in the
matter Of tariff; loyalty to the needs of
industry, to the National development,
TO interests of our own country rather
than the interests Of foreigners, to the
fundamental necessities of seif-gov-
erning people He who strives to de-
grade American labor, be his motives
or binding prejudices what they may,
does in fact strive to degrade American
citiznship, to make the voting sovereigns
Of this country unfit for their trust
and duty. That is at the very bottom a
a disloyal policy, and it is naturally the
policy of the only disloyal party yet
known on American soil.
There is more behind. The Republi-
can party, with true patriotism, strove
to pay the Nations debt (created by
Democratic disIoyalty) as fast as public
welfare permitted. When any surplus
appeared, it was at once applied, as any
honest but indebted business man would
apply a surplus of cash on hand, to the
removal Of debt. Loyalty again de-
mands this; National burdens tend TO
degrade labor and citizenship, and to
embarrass the Nation in possible elner-
gencies of the future. Starting with
revenue of $520,000,000 under war
taxes, which natural growth in eleven
years might have raised $120,00O,00O,
that party cut eff of the S640,000,000 no
less than $685., 100000 in eleven years,
cut down ordinary expenses aud interest
to about $237, 100000, and so left about
$40,000,C00 yearly to be applied to debt
payment. This and any excess arising
it used promptly in paying debts and
the burdens of the future.
Democratic incompetence and disloyalty
not only to fail TO reduce taxation, but
fail to apply the accumulating surplus
to reduction of debt, lend it out instead
to banks or allow it to accumulate in
idlenesS, and call it condition" which
makes necessary the abandonment of
loyal policy with regard to foreign COM
petition.
This is the situation to which dis
loyal and incompetent party, for eleven
years controlling legislation and for
three years the Executive department
has brought the Nation. The Bond
Purchase bill, stripped of all its flimsy
disguises, is only tricky attempt to
cast upon Congress the responsibility for
Executive non-performance Of plain du-
ty under existing laws. The Mills bill
is simply an attempt to betray Ameri-
can industries, to degrade American la
Dor and American citizenship, for the
enrichment Of importers and foreign
agents, from whom there are expected
in return the money and the power to
secure Mr.. Cleveland's reelection, and
the retention of Democratic majority
III bOlis5 iCSoy CittOusSl eitS fOtC VI Iiilo
city, Jersey City, New Haven and
Bridgeport, with the entire South made
'solid" by disloyalty and fraud.
When disloyalty in another form open
ed fire on Sumter, citizens who loved
their country threw aside all minor diff
ferences, and united in putting down
the Rebellion. The form of disloyalty
which strikes at the industries of the
Nation and the dignity of citizenship
must be met by another union OF all who
love their country. The Democrat of
1861 Who wished to be patriot found
it necessary to join hands with RePubli-
cans, to vote for Republican measures
and Republican tickets, and thus TO put
down and punish the disloyalty which
controlled his party. Every man who
loves his country in 1888 is driven to
union once more for its defence. Minor
differences about methods the patriot
will now put aside. The duty of the
hour is to put down a disloyal policy
and partV,