Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-17
THE ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN,

In national affairs the absorbing
question at the present time is that of
tariff taxation. When Congress met
in December last the condition which
confronted it was redundancy or
or surplus of revenue, collected in
such manner as to greatly burden
agriculture and other industries. This
surplus has been reduced by extray-
agant appropriations, and by the pass
age of the Mckinley tariff bill, which,
while it greatly increases the burden
of taxation to toilers in general, it
singles out the sugar planters and
bestows upon them direct bounty
almost equal to the legitimate price of
their product. This is not equity.
Revenue should be raised by i'm
posing the least possible burden of
taxation, not the greatest. And the
sugar planter has no right to receive
d DOlluo VI GHO CcHto OlI CfclS pouAo
of sugar he produces, while the man
who carries n.mixed farming is left
to shift for himself. But what most
directly concerns the people of this
state is the fact that in the passage OF
this unjust measure, the L. S. senators
from Wisconsin, by their voices, votes
and influence, opposed the in terests OF
the great majority of their constit,
uents. Senator Spooner, especially
was the champion Of the beneficiaries
Of high tariff taxation, and notably in
the case Of lumber and binding Irvine
rendered them most effective service
Now, the great state of Wisconsin
ought to be represented in the L. :
senate by men who would favor legis-
lation opening new markets for more
meats, flour, dairy products and other
commodities of which America pro-
duces a surplus, instead of Legislation
tending to close the markets now open,
and to increase the cost of nearly
every article of necessity except the
products of the farm.
In state affairs, too, the real issue
is also an economic one. During the
last twelve years the cost of the state
government has nearly doubled, in
creasing from about one million dol
lars to nearly two million dollars.
The state treasurers, while receiving
the handsome salary of five thousand
dollars annually, have, in direct vi
olation of law, appropriated to their
own use the interest upon state funds,
which interest in the aggregate
amounts to over S350,000. This abuse
the republicans in their platform,
promise to correct so far as the future
is concerned. But if the coming
state treasurers will not be entitled to
the interest, neither are the past and
present state treasurers who pocketed
and are now pOcke:ing it; and the
law in the case should be enforced to
recover it if possible.
Upon the school question as falsely
put by Gov. Hoard and the republican
party press there is no issue. All
parties republican, democratic, pro-
hibition and labor, are staunch sup
porters of the public schools, and
earnestly desire their welfare, and any
assertions to the contrary are not wor-
thy of credence by rational and well
informed citizens.
The real contest, therefore, in state
and nation is between one party
pledged to a policy of economy and
lower taxation, and another party of
well known extravaganza and favor
ing the increase of taxes already far
too high. Can reasonable men hes
F, N.,t., - Y, 4 l., E.