Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-03-05
Mr.. wilson in Neac Jersey.
;, n;.nnleh 70 he Bnltimore Slm.

SDcctdi Dispatch 20 the BdalmWe o"''
AtTaylor's Opera House, in this city, TINS
evening. the Hon. VIM L. Wilson, OF west
Virginia, delivered an address upon, The
Great Political Issues of the Day" under
the auspices of the Democratic Society OF
New jersey and the democratic executive
committee. The audience, which was large
and appreciative one, included many promi-
nent citizens ofNew jersey and ladies. The
sneaker was accorded an enthusiastic re-
ception.
Mr.. Wilson said the last Presidential cam
paign was fought on the question oftaxa-
ton. and its result was such as has never
brought peace, but only an immediate and
more earnest renewal of the struggle. In all
the history Of free government, all the great
contests of freedom have been fought on this
self-same question. When Mr.. Burke de-
Tended the resistance of the American col
onies to the stamp act, he truly said that
with the colonies, as with the country from
which they drew their ideas and principles,
the love ofliberty fixed and attached on the
specific point of taxing, Liberty might be
endangered in many other particulars with
ont alarming them Here they felt its pulse,
and is theyfound that heat theyiudged them
selves sick or sound.
False and interested teachers have long
lulled the people with the pretense that the
leYerisb and excited pulse oftaxation in this
country is symptom not OF discase, but of
Astounding health, but the distress of the
people, with their clearer knowledge, has
at last unscaled their eyes to their true condi-
lioE. During the past ten years the federal
government has received into It's oTn treas
urv S3. COG. 000. 600 in taxes from the people,
while its actual expenditures have been less
than Ss,G00,0Q0,0Q0 The governments
share of the surplus exactions was thus more
than ten hundred millions, while the share
allotted to those whom the government had
taken into partnership with it in taxing the
people vas even large.
Unless all the teachings of thepast, unless
all the maxims ofiberty are false, no coun
try, especially no free country, can pass
through such an experience without having
IFS prosperity impaired and its liberties
scathed These were the two great Politi-
cal issues with which the speech dealt. In
treating the first Mr. Wilson said that we
speak of our existing rates of taxation as
war taxes. and in a historical sense this is
auc When the armies disbanded and the
people were reneyed GQm their support the
protected industries quietly took their place,
and the taxpayer had felt no tightening of
hi, burdens. But in more present and
pregnalt sense these taxes may now be truly
called war taxes not rs referring 10 war
ended a-quarter ola century ago, but to one
now fragrant. q relentless, suicidal war on
commerce. Our material prosperity today
iauuuishes rs we are told, from overproduc-
ton of the products, polh Of agriculture and
manufactures. For this overproductiOn
there are but two remedies-commerce and
trusts.
The democratic party proposes commerce.
which. ia the language of Mr. Hamilton,
would viyify and inyigorate all channels of
industry and make them flow with greater
eopiousness and activity. The republican
party by lis policies, if not its words, pro
poses trusts, whereby these same channels
will be stilled into stagnant aud noisome
pools.
Coming to his second division, the effect
fiscal errors on the liberties ofthe people,
Mr.. Wilson said that the chief and most
threatening injury is the widespread and
growing corruption Of the ballot. "When
YOU reverse the whole theory of our govern
meut and change it from being a guardian OF
liberty and protector Of property into a
distributor Of wealth; when you give it the
power of dealing out riches and poverty you
hold out 10 selfishnes, and greed temptations
for gaining control of the government that
inevitably and speedily lead to purchased
elections and corrupt ballot Iii idle to
preach against it. It's no less idle to legis-
late against it. The prize is too great and
profitable The statute books may bristle
with pains and penalties. These will be
either openly defed or craftily nulliticd and
avoided There can be no sure and trust
worthy ballot reform in this country until
we have secured tax reform. But that is no
argument in favor of delay. The present
method ofvoting readily lends itsclfto both
intimidation and bribery. The burglar
knows the combination and can rifle the safe
at will and with little risk. We must
change the combination even upon a reason
able prospect of temporarily battling him,
and the Australian system ofyoting seems to
combine the best means vet devised for pro-
tecting and keeping pure the franchise. As
long as the greater outlay in buying an cleo
ton can be retrieved by brief possession of
the government we cannot hope that even
this system, successful as it may be in the
country from which it comes, will entirely
circumvent human greed. But iftax reform
in the long run must be the sole condition of
a pure ballot it Is no less true that ballot
reform to-day seems the only road to
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