The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-13

The sad truth that the curse OF
the poor is their poverty Is llIustrat-
ed in nothing more clearly than ID
the undue share they suffer OF the
burdens OF taxation.
But apart from tbs consideration,
ought not taxes only 70 be imposed
a. required for puolic purposes or
NAV they also 0e imposed TO; tue
pecuniary advantage OF such per
sons or classes as are able TO con
troll Congressional action III their
favor?
1t seems to me like travesty on
taxation 70 require. As the MCKINLEY
bill does. the farmer who grows
corn IN Indiana to LAY IA bounty 20
the farmer who produces cane
sugar III Louisiana, OF TO require
the farmer VINO grows wheat lH
PENNSYLVANIA TO pay bounty 10 the
farmer who produces maple sugar
in Vermont: but 1t is nearer tragedy
than travesty to tax the masses OF
the people to increas the wealth OF
the very wealthy owners OF most OF
our protected Industries.
But even such inequality and IN
Justice are the least OF its evils, for
while such system endures poIitl
cal corruption is absolutely sure TO
increase, as such a system not only
invites but it requires the corrupt
use of money, both at the polls and
IN Congress. 1t is of its very es-
sence that fiat shall be "tried'' out
OF It's benefciaries.
VINO shall happen to do the
'.tryingn or who shall happen to
distribute the "fat' upon any parti-
ular occasion Is neIe matter of
detail, but while that system lasts
both will continue to be done by
somebody.
And the evils OF system of legls-
lative bOuntles, SO far from stop
ping, only begin with those bOun-
| ties secured to The industries pro
| tected by the tariff. The disas-
trous course of the republican party
on the silver question is an apt IL
lustration of this truth.
1t ought to be an honest money
party, and it would be if 1t could,
but while it demanded increased
bounties for it's favOrite manufac
turers it could not refuse Increased
bOunties to the silver producers, as
the votes they control ware pIOb-
ably necessary to the passage OF
IL al hI1 SJf a
republican party had no alternative
but to pass the Silver law OF 1890,
doubling the purchases Of silveI
and requiring the building of more
warehouses in which to store the
useless metal. The total purchases
made by the government amount to
hundreds of millions of dollars and
would not realize, if resOld Ont-halt
their cost, while the poison of a
debased currency, whose work,
however slow, is sure, is making
itself daily more and more felt in
every channel of business and
finance and is inevitably driving
gold out of the country and leading
US to all the evils of a t1uctlating
and therefore dishonest currency
based upon silver alone.
he republican party cannot take
any effective steps toward repeal
ing TIVE bill, for the silver men are
very likely, if their bounty is stop
: ped, to so vote that the bOunties o.
the Mckinley bill will stop also.
The abuses of the pension system
furnish another apt illustration OF
: the evils sure to follow such g
system of legislation. II Congress
was to lew taxes upon the people
to confer bOuntles upon certain
classes of manufacturers it was very
=, natural that the pension agents
should also join hands to increase
their fees by an indlscriminate
granting of pensions.
The result IS that nearly a gen
GRAFTON after the close of the wal
there is steady Increase of the
vast sums passing through the
: pension agents. hands, until now
the total amount staggers belief
and has become of itself very
serious burden upon the Treasury
From the day of Lees surrender
IN il now no single voice has ever
; been rais ed against the most gener
=, Gus provision for evefy person who
had any just claim upon the gratitude
of the country; but surely there Is
neither reason nor justice in legisla
, tiou which destroys all distinction
between the discharge of duty and
the shirking Of it, between loya
service and desertion OF the colors
between wounds received in battle
and diseases contracted IN the pur
suits of peace.
There is still another great anc
increasing evil chiefly tracesble, ir
nv opinion, TO the maintenance o.
an excessive tariff since the war auC
} the constant meddling with it te
make it higher, and that is the bring
ing to our shors of those vast swarm:
: of undesirable immigrants who de
grade American labor by their com
petition and threaten the stability o
institutions based upon az intelligent
: love Of country.
, just as the duties upon imported
merchandise have been increased, sc
has the grade Of imported labor beer
lowered, until now, under the Nc
, | kluley bill there are coming her,