Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-24
THE EVILS OF WAR TAXES.

has been shown to De faVOraOle to tue | growth of socialism and promotive of dis | content among the working population Of the country. It is the inevitable result of the continuance, long after the exlgenc1es of war that gave rise to have passed away, of system of taxation whose natural and logical effect is the unequal distribution of wealth and comfort. It was not intended that the war tax should be prolonged be yond its needs, and Mir Morrill,, the author os the tariff act of 1861, said: "This is in- tended as war measure, temporary measure, and we must as such give it our support" But the system has been favor able to capitalists and monopolies. and their influence has controlled national legislation for it's continuance.
 There is no country on the face of the globe where there has been more un- equeal distribution of the fruits of indus try than in the United States for the last quarter of a century, and this as direct result of the high tariff Capital has had un equal opportunities and unfair advantages, and as result a few men have been en- abled to make abnormal gains at the ex pense of the masses. The wealth of the country is concentrating in the hands of a few. and the rich are growing richer and the poor are growing poorer. It is the natural result of the republican policy that has repealed the internal tax on manufac- lures, the tax on railroad receipts, the tax on insurance and express companies, the tax on bank capital, the tax on bank de- posits, the tax on bank checks and the tax on incomes. These were the taxes that fell on the rich man, and they were swept away by republican congresses. The result has borne fruit in the creation of colossal fortunes for the favored ones. An estimate has been made of the wealth conditions of the country which show a singular state ot affairs. There are in this country five persons who who are worth $1O,000, ,000 each, one hun dred who are worth $5 1000, 900 each, two hundred who are worth $3,000,OO0 each, five hundred who are worth 1000, GOO
 
 900 each; whence it appears there are i 1885 persons who are worth about $3,0OO- GOO. 900, or more than twice as much as all the money in circulation. About thou sand railway magnates, principally bankers and corporation presidents, control $25- 900 GOO 900 more. The entire waalth of the country is about $45, ,000, ,00O, 900, and less than three thousand men control more than half of it.
 Such is the result of the high tariff i'm posed when the extraordinary expenses of the civil war necessitated the raising of large revenues for the support of the government and the preservation ot the Union. Can such vicious policy be prolonged without danger to the country danger of popular revolt and social rev olution. This everlasting grinding of tie poor, this unblushing discrimination and unjust distribution of advantages, must lead eventually to social disturbance and disorder. If the scales of justice are not balanced by the peaceful methods of legis-
 lation this country may yet see reproduced 1 the horrors of the Commune and the red flag. We must have lower taxes, lower taxes on the necessaries of life and the comforts of existence; we must have more equitable division of whatever benefits there may be in the tariff system In this way alone can we hope to keep content among the breadwinners who are now borne down by burdens almost too grievous to be borne.
 President Cleveland and the democratic party offer policy that is calculated to
 create a better state of affairs. A tariff adjusted more nearly to a peace basis,
 which leaves ample protection for labor and capital, is the democratic policy, and
 it goes without saying that such a policy is
 best for all interests concerned. This
 policy should be endorsed by the election of Cleveland and Thurman.
 Those who recognize and appreciate the evils of the existing tariff and are desirous of a remedy will vote the democratic ticket l in November