Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-03

Even the Free Trade Herald Of Boston.
the heretofore INSCRIPTIONS advocate of
Clevelandism, as though fully aware of
the wisdom of Mr.. Blaine's Paris declara-
ton In favor of the retention Of the whis-
key tax, says:
This tax on whiskey has been called IAN
odous relic of the civil war" 1t may be a
relic, but it is not an odous one to the great
body of the American people. On the con-
trary, it is the least burdensome tax ever paid
by the American people, and the tax that the
largest majority of them unite in believing
should be continued.
The tax on whiskey is the tax of all others
agreed upon by the common consent of the
civilized world as the tax that should be
levied. 1t is tax which Europe and Amer
lea alike have decreed should first of all be
levied. In no nation but our own has there
been proposition to repeal it. In any Euro
pean nation the proposition to repeal it while
the taxes were kept upon the necessares Of
life would endanger revolution"
viii Cleveland back out win he seek
refuge in some side issue, or boldly go
ahead tearing up his bridges behind him
These are the inquiries in the air and on a
thousand tongues. He backed down on
the rebel flags, and threw on Ia subordinate
the responsibility of issuing the order for
the return of the lcgacieS of Union valor.
But he has fairly crossed the bridge on the
tariff issue and planted his flag on the
rampant of Free Trade. He cannot cast
the responsibility Of the message on sub
ordinate, for his own name il attached to
astc praise of the British newspapers,
public and manufacturers. To now at
tempt to retreat or dodge would be even
more fatal than to advance bravely keep
ing step to the music of the Golden Club.
If Randall and the Democrats of his school
should by force of dogmatic assertion and
threats incline him to temporizing and
compromising line of action, then Waiter
gans of British interest would be after
him, and could Justly accuse him of weak
ness in the spinal column. There is danger
before him, and there is peril in the at
its serious and comical aspects.
There is great astonishment all over
Great Britain and Ireland at the announce
ment last week in the Dublin Gazette of
sweeping reductions in Irish rents. The
thing was so absolutely unexpected that
not a single London paper had an editorial
comment the following day, since nobody
knew what it meant. People are little wiser
now that the whole day has passed. In
effect the decree reduces all judicial rents
In Ireland by an average of IA per cent,
which makes an annual reduction in the
rentals of the island of about 81 SOC, 900
II this is added to Is IL per cent. already
scaled off by the Land Commissioners, the
result is the humiliation since 1881 OF
$4,000, 900 in the capitalized value of Irish
land. As a matter of fact, the deprecia-
ton in the value of English agricultural
land during the same period has been
much greater, but it has been done by
natural causes and not by legal enactment
The whole essence OF the Government
Irish policy was to protect the Irish land
lords by force from the action Of these
natural causes. Hence such sudden
swinging blow from the protecting hand
Just at the time. too, when the coercion OF
the Nationalist Is most severe, strikes the
Irish landlords like thunderbolt. Their
Dublin organs fill the air with shrieks and
curses, and the Tory echo in England will
be almost as fierce.