The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-29
H ONLY ISSUE.

THE ONLY ISSUE.
Mr.. EDITOR THE party press is
magnifying into great Importance the
tariff and a strenuous effort is being
made to satisfy the people that this
alone is sufficient to call out all party
zeal pro and con Does one party pro
pose to collect less revenue by tariff
taxation than the other? No, sir. That
is not the issue. They both propose to
collect the same Or about the same
amount, but one proposes to collect 1T
in a different manner from the other.
They don't propose even to collect from
a different class of citizens, one
from the other. About 800 millions of
dollars is the amount needed to be col
Iected by tariff taxes. This both par
ties propose to collect. One party
proposes to collect it 50 as to bear less
burdenSOme on the poorer classes. The
other proposes to collect 1t so as to
afford protection to labor and the
poorer classes. Each promise some
great good to the poorer classes for
they have votes not by collecting less
but by the manner in which it IS col
lected. This now is the only issue on
which the party press is bowling in
order to divide the people. Is 1t sutti-
cient to attract the attention of an in
telligent man?
A few more party strokes and every
item of protection to agricultural prod
ucts will be wiped out. They are
wrangling 0 to take the tariff from
wool and the bounty from sugar. Then
agriculture will be free from all pre-
tense of protection. Then agriculture,
being half, must bear the burden Of
this system. About three-fOurths of
tie remaining half, professionals, mer-
chants and labOrerS of Il certain class
cannot share in this protection, there
of u population directly assisted at
the expense of the seven eighths.
What about the non-prOtective side?
No better still. You have the same
amount to pay and nobody protected.
1t is a dOg-in-the-manger policy. To
collect 300 millions Of revenue so as to
protect no one will throw, by the ne
cessity of the case, the burden upon
the ne~ceSSaries used by the masses
and the whole weight Of this tax will
fall with a double force on the poorer
classes, and the seven-eights who had
to bear the brunt for the benefit of the
O~ne-eighth will now bear a greater
burden for the benefit of no one. The
whole tariff system of taxation is a
humbug, a delusiOn and a and
any viaW of the question is q humbug
and a delusiOn. There can be nc JUS
tice nor right eliminated from any
view you may take of it.
If you take WattersOn's straddle on
which Cleveland was elected in 'S4 the
same difficulties arise. If you take a
high OF a low tariff, a p; elective or
non protective, the problem works out
the same way; the same answer is
given; the masses pay the taxes and
the classes are comparatively exempt.
The masses pay no less under one sys-
tenn than under another, because the
same amount is proposed to be raised
under any system. This makes the
issue between the parties of no conse
quence to the people. 1t is not worth
to them a moments thought.
That there has been foul discrimina-
tiOnS and favOritisms shown no one
doubts, but all this depends on the
honesty of Congressman and not on
the party in power, for one can be as
dishonest as the other.
Since these are the facts in the case
and the tariff issue is of no cOnse
quenCe to the people as they get no
protection from it and needs must bear
the burden till the whole is repealed, it
becomes the duty Of every honest party
journal to espOuse the cause of the PEG
pie as set fourth by the highest author
ity of the people and stop their clangor
and sweet lamentations about a PEG
pies party. The people have com
menced to think and you cannot divert
their minds by a loud noise nor whip
them by c%onjuring up great calamities
if they do not take your advice.
The only basis on which the parties
plead to the people to be allowed to
patriOtism-that each is necessary to
the elevation of the republic. This
they both claim. They prOpOse moth
ing else-they promise nothing else
but honesty and patriotism. They are
certainly beautiful in these character
istics. But we are inclined to put more
faith in the people than in any party.
They should come over to the people.
They should come at once. The foun-
datiOn on which they stand is a vision
and a dream-nOthing tangible-nOth-
ing instructive, They are as madmen
beating the air, and the only effects
their antics can have are to divert the
minds of the people while they are be-
ing robbed. In this respect they are a
wonderful success. They can accom-
pllsh nothing. They are so divided on
every issue of Importance they can do
nothing for the country but mischief.
They are half and half on silver, half
and half on national banks, half and
half On an income tax.