Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-11-29
Equality Before the Law.

| tue only plea Vi JuSuuCdllOu the ItepuDllCun
party had in 1861 for waging war against
provision in the organic law for peaceful
dissolution of the Union, and as it was the
imperative duty of the government to en-
force the observance and execution OF the
laws OF Congress throughout the Union it
should not be dissolved by force of arms.
1t will also be remembered that after
millions of dollars had been expended and
thousands of valuable lives sacrificed to
carry out this determination, and two or
three years had elapsed since victory had
| perched upon the banner of the Union; the
roar and smoke of battle had rolled away,
and an armed soldier could not be found
within the limits of the United States, ex.
cept those in the service of the government,
the Republican leaders in Congress DELHI
erately and in cold blood declared the Union
dissolved to the extent Of denying ten or
eleven of the Southern States representation
in Congress and the right of local selfgov-
eminent until they should accept such terms
for the same as the representatives of the re-
naming Statesi in Congress assembled should
dictate to them Meanwhile, not only the
property and personal liberty, but even the
lives of the people of these lacerated States
were put at the mercy of military chieftains
until their conditions should be complied
with.
President johnson in his message vetong
this so-called reconstruction act, declared
that six hundred years no people speak
ing the English language had been sub
jected to such absolute servility." But the ex-
cuse tor this tyrannical usurpation of power
was the purpose of securing to all the peo
pie, without regard to race or color, or
former condition of slavery, equality be.
fore the ldao
The sequel proved however that their real
object was to secure to the support of their
party class of voters entirely incapable of
exercising the right of suffrage judiciously
and which could be marched up to the polls
on election days by Republican ring mas
;ers and voted solidly for their ticket
But let us see how they have secured to
all our people equality before tie Ian. When
it was no longer necessary that the reve-
nues of the government should be kept up
to the war standard, they left taxation on
all the actual necessaries of life untouched
or made 1t higher, but abandoned the taxa
ton of banks, railroads and incomes, and
to great extent articles of luxury which
only the wealthy class can afford to in
dulge in.
But not only in this way have they dis.
eliminated in favor of the rich, but so far
as the the necessaries of life, such articles
as the laborng class of the people are com
PEELED 10 buy are produced in this country,
the excess of cost to the consumers to which
they are subjected by the high tariff upon
like articles ofimportation is so much money
in the pockets of the wealthy manufacturers
in this country. But they claim that this
benefits the aborers in the factories and
mines of the country, when everybody
knows that the price of labor, like that of
every thing else, is regulated by supply and
demand, and instances are constantly oc-
curing where wealthy manufacturers are
importing foreigners to compete with our
home people in order to reduce their wages
But suppose, for the sake of the argument,
we admit their claim.
Elk Commissioner Coleman asserts that
the laborers on farms outnumber all others
by twenty to one; but to be liberal and fair,
suppose we assume it is ten to one. Then
ten farm laborers are taxed and one man
working in factory is also taxed in order
that the latter may receive higher wages
than he would if our tariff duties were re-
duced to the revenue standard, which all
experience has shown TO be sufficient tor
purposes of protection, even when our man
ufacturing establishments were in their in
fancy.
In 1912 tariff of 30 per cent. proved suf.
fcient to put the finances, commerce and
home industries of the country in flourish
ing condition. What then do we want with
a tariff OF AZ per cent to sustain the gigantic
establishments of our day? 1t enables few
to amass large fortunes while the toing
masses are being reduced to poverty.
would submit to thoughtful and unpreju-
diced readers the question: Does this look
like equality before the law, or does it look
more like partnership between the gov
eminent and a privileged class? And if in
order to hold their grip and rvet their
chains upon us, when it was proposed by
the Democratic House 0i Representatives TO
reduce the tariff to an average OF A. 40 per
cent. Republican politicians set up the
scare-crow of free trade all over the coun-
try, what would they call the tariff Of 1912
an average of 30 per cent. | say rivet the
chains upon US in view Of the fact that it is
impossible for any people to long maintain
their Independence when the masses are
demoralized by hardshps and restitution.
| am aware of the fact that the expression
equality before tie tdao is applicable and gen
orally used in different sense, but those
who have the welfare of the laboring masses
at heart will not fail to apply it in the
formulation OF any system of taxation. I'm.
equal taxation, or taxation without repre-
sentation, was the chief firebrand in the
camp of the American colonists. A free
people will only consent to be taxed will
ingly and cheerfully when it is upon fair
and Just basis and confined to the actual
needs of the government for revenue In
other words, they will cheerluly part with
so much of their incomes and earnings as
they clearly understand to be necessary to
support government which secures to
them a peaceful and quiet enjoyment of the
remainder. But when millions are extorted
from them unnecessarily to go partly into
the pockets of the favored few, and partly
into an overlooking national treasury as a
temptation and prey to INSCRIPTIONS and
vicious law makers and public officials the
people become restless, and it seems TO me
the imperative duty Of every man who sees
clearly such result growing out Of the
settled policy of the 50 called Republican
party to raise his voice against it in the
hope that we may thus secure TO ourselves
and bequeath to our posterity equality betore
tue laao and all the blessings Of civil and re-
ligious liberty.
Respectfully submitted by
TUOs WATERS of s.