Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-03-05
i S4ECIAIoh AND GENERAL ADvERTISER.-
Mr.. Wilson in New Jersey.
THE ELOQUENT WEST vIRGINIAN TALKS FOR
TARIFF AND BALLOT REFORM.

THE ELOQUENT WEST vrReINrAN TALKS FOR
TARIFF AND BALLOT REFORM.
Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
TRENTON, N. j., Feb. 26.-At Taylor's
Opera House, in this city, this 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 Com.
mittee. The audience. which was a large
and appreciative one, included many promi-
nent citizens of New Jersey and ladies'
The speaker was accorded an enthusiastic
reception.
Mr.. Wilson said the last presidential
campaign was fought on the question of
taxation, and its result was such as has
never brought peace, but only an immedi-
ate and more earnest renewal of the strug
gle. In all the history of free government,
all the great contests of freedom have been
fought on this self question. When
Mr. Burke defended the resistance Of the
American colonies, 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 of liberty
fixed and attached on the specific point of
taxing. Liberty might be endangered in
many other particulars without alarming
them. Here they felt its pulse, and as
they found that beat they judged them-
selves sick or sound.
False and interested teachers have long
lulled the people with the pretense that
the feverish and excited pulse of taxation
in this country is symptom not of disease,
bit oh1 LII Al
of the people, with their clearer knowledge,
has ct last uusealed their eyes to their true
condition. During the past ten years the
federal governments has received into its
own treasury So, 600, 600, 600 in taxes from
the people, while its actual expenditures
have been less than - 600 000, 900 The
governments share of the surplus exaction
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 was even
larger.
Unless all the teachings Of the past, xn.
less ali the maxims of liberty are false, nc
| country, and especially no free country,
| csn pass through such an experience with.
| out having it's prosperity impaired and its
| liberties scathed. These we're the two
great political issues with which the speech
| dealt. 10 treating the fist Mr.. Wilson
! said that we speak of our existing rates OF
taxation as war taxes. and in historical
sense this is true. When the armies dis.
banded and the people were relieved from
| their support the protected industries
quietly took their place, and the taxpayer
had felt ro tightening of his burdens. Bat
in more present and pregnant sense tbese
| taxes may now be truly called war taxes,
not as referring to war ended a-quarte1
of q century ago, but to one now fragrant,
relentless, suicidal war on commerce.
Our material prosperity to-day languishes,
as we are told, from overproduction of the
products, both of agriculture and manu-.
features. For this overproduction there
are but two emedies-commerce and
| trusts.
The Democratic party proposes com.
merce, which, in the language of Mr..
Hamilton, would vivify and inviGlTate all
channels of industry and make u6Eaa flow
with greater copiousness ana aots1iiy. The
Republican party by it's policies, II not ita
words, proposes trusts, whereby those same
channels will be stilled into stagnant and
nosome pools.
Coming to hia second division, the effect
Of our fiscal errors GA the liberties of the
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 government and change it from being
a guardian of liberty and protector OF
property into distributor of wealth; when
you give it the power of dealing out riches
and poverty you hold cut to selfisbness and
greed temptations for gaining control OF
| the government that Inevitably and speedi-
| ly lead to purchased elections and cor
rupt ballot. 1t is idle to preach against it.
1t is no less idle to legislate against it. The
prize is too great and profitable. The
statute books may bristle With pains and
penalties. These will be either openly de-
| fed OIL crafty nullified and avoided There
can be no sure and trustworthy ballot 10.
| form in this country until we have secured
tax reform But that is DO argument in
favor of delay. The present method Of
voting readily lends itself to both iutimida-
ton 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 reasonable pros
pect of mporarily battling him, and the
Australian system of voting seems to com.
bine the best means yet devised for pro-
tectipg and keeping pure the franchise. As
long AS the greatest Outlay In buying an
election can be retrieved by q brief possess
sion of the government we cannot hope
that even this-system, successful as it may
be to the country from which it comes, will
entirely crcumvent human ingenuity
sharpened by human greed. But if tax
reform in the long run must be the sole
condition of pure ballot it is no less true
that ballot reform to day seems the only
road to tax reform, or indeed to any of
chose great reforms for which the Demo-
cratic party is fighting" The speaker
continued at considerable length, and was
frequently applauded.