Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-06-29
THE GREAT POLITICAL ISSUE.
The Platforms of the Republican and
Democratic Parties Discussed by
David Il. Jones.
REASONS WHY TARIFF TAXES SHOULD
Be REDUCED.

50 that whatever light people are to
get concerning the matters to be sub
mitted to them in November next
must come before the issues are over
whelmed by partisan debate. The two
great parties are now face to face with
the people. Each has named its men
land announced its measures and to
NIL good citizens it should be a matter
Of cungratulation that personalities
are not likely To oyershadoW the eco
monte questions involved in the com
ing contest. My present concern is
NOT with the candidates Of either
party or the candidates Of my own
party l wish merely to say that |
know not where among the living Of
this nation two other men can be
found who embody so substantially the
business seriousness and patriotic SEN
timcut of this people. And now as to
the declarations of the parties as en-
bodied in their Platforms
As is most fitting in the decIara-
tions Of a party in power the chief
characteristics Of the Democratic plat
form are its brevity and its sobriety.-
Who that wishes well for his fellow
men can put his finger on a single par
a9raph that has not in it the hope and
the promise Of more just and equal
laws the only condition Of enduring
happiness and progress:
But it is the duty Of every demo
49,. rr..,tr..,,r, I,,4
is in him and in such way as all may
see the Light and walk therein. There
is but one serious question presented
in the platforms Of both parties, and
that is the question Of taxation. All
other questions likely to be discussed
are derived from this. The taxes col
lccted by the government are in excess
of its needs and the question is how
shall these taxes be reduced. The
Democratic party says, by reducing
the tariff taxes levied upon the nee
essarics Of life The Republican party
SAYS. by removing internal taxes i'm
posed upon whishey and tobacco. This
is the question and the only question
worthy of serious note Let us look
at it by first considering our Internal
Revenue system. About one third of
the revenue Of the government is de-
rived from this source. All students
of history know how difficult it is to
establish a Revenue system, and even
when established that it requires time
for ii to effectively serve the purpose
of its establishment, Our present In
tcrual Revenue system is thoroughly
established and there is no complaint
against its machinery. Does it seem
wise to destroy a government S most
effective as well rs its rcadiest means
of increasing its revenues in time Of
need: such time of need we all trust
is not near at hand. But we are daily
growing in our relations with the other
powers of the world, commercially us
well as politically, and when our In
tcrHatiOuaI relations are disturbed or
discontinued BIZ Il state of war our In
tpmal Revenue system would be the
only sources Of revenue from which
We could meet the ordinary and rN-
EXPENSES OF the govern
mcnt. Ii is true we could borrow as
we did during the war of the Rebel .
lion when the government seld IFS
bonds ut a heavy discount the same
bonds it is now redeeming at heavy
premium. The debt Of the United /
states at the close of the war was in
larger part than is known made up not
of the real cost of the war, but of dis .
count upon tnc bonds sold The