Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-10-12
The Republican Attorney General Publicly
Announces Ills Intention Of Acting
with the Democrats in The
Present Campaign.
CANNOT STAND THE MCKINLEY BILL.
1t Is False Political Economy, He Says,
nd DemOralizIng as Well as
Unjust and Oppressive.
PENSION REFORM Is NECESSARY.

Veagh has written letter to the Secre-
tary of the Massachusetts Reform Club,
under date of October 4, announcing
that he will vote for Grover Cleveland
and giving his reason therefor.
The letter says =
Your cordial invitation to address
| the citizens of Boston on the issues OF
| the canvass happens to reach me just
when professional engagements pre-
vent my naming time when / can do
SO, but you are quite right in conclud-
ing that | intend to vote for Mr.. Cleve-
land.
| Entertaining the convictions do no
other course is open to me, and cheer
fully accord to the supporters of Presi.
| dent Harrison the same sense of public
duty by which l claim to be actuated.
| AS both parties have presented I'M
exceptionable candidates there is no
reason why the differences which exist
upon questions of public policy should
be discussed otherwise than in good
humor and with entire respect for each
others opinions.
In the present campaign, what may
fairly be called the false alarms of the
canvass will prove of little value, be-
cause of the general confidence in the
safe and conservative character of both
candidates. The average voter knows
that free trade is impossible in this
country, for the conclusive reason that
the vast revenues now required to meet
| the expenses of the government will
necessarily afford a far higher degree
of protection to our established and
prosperous manufacturers than either
Alexander Hamilton or Henry Clay
thought desirable in the infancy of our
weak and struggling industries.
| NO DANGER OF WILDCAT MONEY.
| The average voter also knows that
the irredeemable paper currency in use
before the war can never reappear.
On the other hand, he knows as we'll
that no system of duties on imports,
however inequitable, can prevent our
continued growth in wealth, in manu-
features and in populations growth
/ due to the incompatible gifts of Provi-
dence. the intelligence and energy of
the people and the blessings of free in
| situations.
| While am more than ever resolved
to hold duty to country far above any
/ ties of party, | find myself at present
in general accord with the democratic
party and willing to trust it's course in
the future. The insight, the courage
and the patriotism the masses of the
party exhibited in compelling the nom
nation of Mr.. Cleveland when he was
without a single office-holder to sup
port his candidacy seem to me to de-
mand that / should meet them in the
same spirit and act with them as long
as they maintain that high standard of
policy and of administration.
1t is the more easy to do SO because
the republican party, securing its re-
turn to power four years ago by prom
Using to preserve matters as they were,
at once EN- barked upon what regard
as reckless and revolutionary policy,
| even overturning all the safeguards of
| legislation in the House of Representa-
tives in their haste to pass the Force
bill and the Mckinley bill, both, to
my mind, unnecessary and unwise
measures.
DANGERS OF THE FORCE BILL.
The opposition to the Force bill, as
not only sure to create far greater
evils than it can cure, but as also sub
versive of the rights of the States, has
become so earnest and widespread that
it is said to have been abandoned; but
it must not be forgotten that only two
years ago such measure was warmly
advocated by President Harrison, earn
estly supported by the republican par
ty and very narrowly escaped becom-
ing law.
There is no pretence, however, that
the Mckinley bill is abandoned. On
the contrary, our express approval of
it is demanded. No doubt that bill, |
which l cannot but think was an I'M
called for disturbance of the then ex-
listing tariff, greatly benefited few in |
terests, but certainly it greatly Cypress
ed many others.
Of the protected industries them |
selves, many were then, as now, in far |
more urgent need of free raw materials |
than of higher protection; but with |
raw materials on the free list the bill |
could not have passed, for those hav-
ing such materials for sale controlled |
enough votes to defeat it, and they |
were very likely to do so if their boun-
ties were discontinued.
The manufacturers needing free raw |
materials were therefore obliged to
join in the Objectionable processes of
increasing prices by restricting produc.
ton, thus adding to the number OF
trusts by which the price of the neces
saries of life is placed at the mercy OF |
unlawful combinations OF capital.
1t is not surprising that labor, believ |
ing itself to be oppressed, soon rose in
revolt and civil war has actually rag
ed this summer in four different Sec
lions of the country. And, of course,
the farmers, paying more for what |
they buy and getting less for what they
sell, grow poorer day by day, and ex-
cellent farms in some of the most fertile
sections of this most highly protected
State will hardly bring the cost of the
buildings upon them.
.- MANY MORAL EVILS.
. But the economic evils, however
great, of the Mckinley bill, and the
unreasonable system of protection it
represents, are of far less Importance
to my mind than the moral evils which
follow in their wake. In deciding for
what purposes the masses of the peo-
pie may properly be taxed, it must not
be forgotten that taxes have a won
derful capacity for filtering through all
intervening obstacles till they reach
the bowed back of toll and resting
there, and therefore the giving OF
bounties, under any form of taxation,
is mainly the giving away of the wages
of labor.
The sad truth that the curse of the
poor is their poverty is illustrated in
nothing more clearly than in the I'M
due share they suffer OF the burdens of
taxation.
But apart from this consideration,
ought not taxes only to be imposed as
required for public purposes, or may
they also be.iinposed for the pecuniary
of such persons or classes as
are able to control Congressional action
in their favor?
1t seems to me like a travesty on tax
alton to require, as the Mckinley bill
does, the farmer who grows corn in
Indiana to pay bounty to the farmer
who produces cane sugar in Louisiana,
or to require the farmer. who grows
wheat in Pennsylvania to pay boun-
ty to the farmer who produces maple .
sugar in Vermont; but it is nearer
tragedy than travesty to tax the masses
of the people to increase the wealth of &
the very wealthy owners of most of our
protected industries. <
POLITICAL CORRUPTION WILL IN
CREASE. 1t
Rut even such innuualitv and inius- &