The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-09-08

national Democracy and to declare
that Notwithstanding this decision OF
the great national tribunal upon
federal question recently promulgated
in the most authoritive and solemn
manner, they in their wisdom saw nj
to decline to approve OF such declara-
tion and send forth WHAT'S equivalent
to an instruction to their represent
tatives in congress TO disregard the
will of the national Democracy as
thus expressed ard to again reopen
a question already decided by q trl-'
bunal in an authoritative manner,
how shall. we stigmatize their action
except as mutinous? If this is not
revolutionary, by what name should
1t be designated? If this is not open
rebellion in the party to its consti-
tuted authority, what else shall we
term it? If this is not bolt, what
shall we call it? The question is not
one of right or wrong as the flee and
unlimited coinage OF silver. 1t is not
a question whether national authority
decided it right or decided it wrong.
The only question is, "Did they de-
eide it?" which must, of course, re-
ceive an affirmative answer, and
when decided it is the duty of every
| Democrat, whether he lives in Texas
or in Maine or California, to bow to it's"
decision. 1t individual Democrats, or
a coterie of individual Democrats are
privileged to qualify the national dec
laration or to assert their individual
views upon any question coming
within its jurisdiction which they
have decided, there is an end of party
| Il. soIi fc Of 49,
organization; there is total destruc-
tidn of party unity; and we become,
instead of an organized party, bots,
ling mob of individual Democraof-
each refusing to bow to the will VIC
those placed in authority over us.
By this act the convention held y
the car stables at Houston placed ma,
self outside of the pale of Democr it.
and absolves every Democrat, SO far
as its authority is concerned, from
further allegiance, either to its prin-
ciples or to it's candidates, and must
take its place in political history along
with otherrevolutionary and mutinous.
bodies whose characterization has,
placed them outside the pale of party.
That this step was taken advisedly
| cannot be subject for question. Tried
last with those people, struggling
against such radical departure from
Democratic principle and Democratic
practice, but their efforts were in vain.
The fiat has gone forth that Texas
must rebel against lawful national
authority, and the power of the office
holding oligarchy was sufficient to.
force from thereputed representatives
of the so-called Democracy in Texas
in order to pander to the vanity of
veteran taxeaters and ancient public
functionaries, declaration of war
against the national Democracy in
order that their journey to the camps
of fiatism might be made more agree
able.
GRADUATED INCOME TAX.
The eleventh declaration of the,
street car stable convention at Hous-
ton is as follows: ave favor a gradu-
ated income tax for federal purposes.n
From whence comes this strange and
startling declaration? 1t is something
new in the vocabulary of Democracy,
aud has either been invented for the
occasion or abstracted from some
foreign source of political supply.
Evidently it is taken from the Peoples
party platform adopted at Omaha and
seems to be one of the tubs thrown to.
that whale. From indications already
apparent, the whale will not notice
the tub, but is sporting and playing
on the high sea of it's own originality.
squeezing the water out of its lungs
and spouting it many varas high In
seeming derision of the attempt to,
catch it with such worthless bait. An
income tax, while always receiving
the condemnation of Democratic au-
thority became familiar to our people
as a Republican war measure.
from 1868 to about 1874 or 1875,
when it was repealed by
the congress of the United States. Its
features were odious to every Demo-
crat, and Samuel j. Tilden the last of
the great Democrats, spent many
years of his life fighting the principles
in the courts of his country until he
finally defeated it. But this is
graduated" income tax for federal
purposes. What does this mean? If
we are to understand Alright the argu--
ments of its advocates, by "graduat-
ed" they mean that the tax shall in
crease in proportion to the amount of
income, and correct figures, it ap-
piled, will soon demonstrate that the
income may soon reach point in the
of the system when the
whole will be confscated for govern
mental purposes, leaving the toiler
not only bereft of all rewar
annual labor and skill, but
something of his previous
to make up the deficit
due the government. The inequality
Of such method of taxation is sufficient
Of itself to condemn it. The great
principle of taxation is that it shall be
equal and uniform; but the idea of the
authors and advocates of this princi.
pie seems so be that constitutions
were not made for observance but only
for ornament. In the langu
Tim Campbell to President Cleveland
on one occasion, constitutions ought
not to stand between friends,n and
equality before the law should apply
only to certain classes and not to all
classes. 1t is an ingenious attempt
because it will never be anything but
an attempt-tO reach and mil down