Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-08-03
FOR CONGRESS,
H. X YD DOU G L A s,
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
HIGH OR LOW TAXES.

This is the question that the pending
campaign has to settle. The richest, proud
estand most intelligent people in the world
sixty millions of Americans--have been tax
ed by the government until the exaction of
the public treasury annoys them. The levy
is indirect insidious, difficult to be seen, If
the citizen who pays the blanket tax ex-
press his views and name the amount of the
tax, the citizen tax collector tells the objec-
tor he lies, or is ignorant, or is Il free trade
crank. The tribes of private takers, taking
advantage of the indirectness of the public
nl AZ per cent. on 1000 articles, swoops in
like Bedouins on the rear of the wage Garner,
deprving him of the small surplus left him
by the public policy
Hordes of immigrants, i'll qualified for
American lie, move westward in response
To the opportunity of relief for Europe. The
workingman beholds his wages decreasing
under the remorseless law of labor supply,
and is told by his employer that the only
hope of a retention of the present lowering
scale is through more taxes. The situation
dspleases the entire employed element in
manufactures and transportation. The vast
farming class, since the fall in wheat, has
begun also TO grow restive The issue ap
proaches The angel of America has thrown
the two great parties OF the country squarely
into opposition on the main question of high
or low taxes Democrats have cautiously
marched into the works captured by the
President. The Republicans must take the
open field and, under the banners of high
tariff, storm the bastions of better govern.
ment Save that this battle is about to join,
the American philosopher would despair of
is cUudy: But wi with the 55dttslas
and the drums beating, who can doubt that
the genius of high taxes, which has so long
enthralled and would soon ensalve the peo.
pie is about to be put to everlasting rout?
These are some general aspects of the
American situation which should not be
ignored The spirit of criticism grows.
Monopoly and trusts, in the abstract, no
longer lind open advocates or applogists.
The people are still paying the tribute, but
collection. Nobody, for instance, dare ex-
cuse the hard coal ring, nobody champions
the Standard Oil Trust, nobudy has been
dsinteresiel friend of the Western Union
Telegraph Company since that corporation
defeated and crushed its operators in 1888
In the abstract, rich and poor, old and young,
TOOL and philosopher, alike agree that things
are going wrong, and that trusts and mo.
nopolies are 10 blame for it. II the evils of
our INDUSTRIAL migratory, developing, in
ventive age could be crystallized, could be
made representative in one man, or one set
of men, that man or his coterie would go to
the gibbet as soon rs the American people,
with its stern character, could send him or
them thither But the man does not exist
who is 10 blame. The man does not live
who, in taking the advantage of the situ
alton, has done in most things aught but
that which all men would do IL they had
the chance. In Parsons and Spies the peo-
pie di>cerned true representatives ofa class of
people who would make the general status
worse The condemned Anarchists were
the apostles Of their faith. The people chose
them Tor the example, and it has not been
snid that any mistake as To men was made.
But the crimes of monopoly are Of more
elusive nature. Rich or poor alike search
for their perpetrators. Those crimes spring
from system that declares u tax to be u
blessing. The people, rich or poor, feeling
the construction OF false system are looking
for some outlet of their wrath-with eager
and anxious heart TO some leader, some par.
ty and some policy that will afford relief
The Democratic party under the leadership
of patriotic statesmen as solemnly pledged
To policy that must and will work re.
ductlon OF taxation and therefore afford re,
lief to the paraized taxpayer; the Repub
lican party is giving its influence and sup
port To the further existence of the present
ruinous system of taxation by which the
rich are growing richer and the poor poorer.
The great question, therefore, that is To be
determined in the campaign is whether we
shall have high or low taxation. The peo.
Pile have now the opportunity for determin-
ing this question for themselves