Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-21
farmer who produces maple syrup 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. Blu,
even such inequality and injustice are
the least of its evils, for while such a sys-
tenn endures political corruption is abso
lutely sure to increase, as such a system
not only invites but requires the corrupt
use of money both at the polls and in
congress. 1t is of its very essence that
fat shall be fried out of its benefici-
aries. Who shall happen to do this
frying" or who shall happen to dis
q tribute the fat upon any particular
occasion, is a mere matter of detail; but
while that system lasts both will con-
tinue to be done by somebody and the
evils of system of legislative bounties,
50 far from stopping, only begins with
those bounties secured to the industries
protected by the tariff.
1.-THE disastrous course of the Republi-
can party on the silver question is an apt
illustration of this truth. 1t ought to be
an honest money party, and it would if
1t could; but, while it demanded in
creased bounties for its favorite manu-
facturers, it could not refuse increased
bounties to the silver producers. as the
votes they control were probably neces-
sary to the passage of the Mckinley bill
So situated, the Republican party had
no alternative but to pass the silver law
Of 1890, doubling the purchases of silver
and requiring the building of more ware
houses in which to store the useless metal.
The total purchases made by the govern
ment amount to hundreds of millions of
dollars, and would not realize, if re-sold,
one-half their cost, while the poison of
debased currency, whose work however
slow is sure, is making itself daily more
and more felt in every channel of bust
ness and finance and is inevitably
DRIVING GOLD OUT OF THE COUNTRY
and leading us to all the evils of a fluc-
tuating and, therefore, dishonest cur
rency based upon silver alone. The Re-
publican party cannot take any effective
steps towards repeating the bill, for the
silver men are very likely, if their bounty
is stopped, to so vote that the bounties of
the Mckinley bill will stop also.
1.-The abuses of the pension system
furnish another apt illustration of the
evils sure to follow such a system of leg
islation. If congress was to levy taxes
upon the people to confer bounties upon
certain classes of manufacturers, it was
very natural that the pension agents
should also join hands to increase their
fees by an indiscriminate granting of
pensions. The result is that nearly a
generation after the close of the war
there is a steady increase of the vast
sums passing through the pension agents
hands, until now the total amount stag
hn1i of nd hos aafi 20
serious burden upon the treasury. From
the day of Lees surrender until now no
single voice has ever been raised against
the most generous provision for every
person who had any just claim upon the
gratitude of the country, but surely there
is neither reason nor justice in legislation
which destroys all distinction between
the discharge of duty and the Sinking
of it, between loyal service and desertion
Of colors. between wounds received in
battle and diseases contracted in the pur-
suits of peace.
''As the Republican party is now defin-
tely committed to the policy of taxing
the people for the purpose of giving
to such persons or interests as
can secure the necessary votes in con-
sress. so the Democratic party is now az
,tricting taxation to the needs of the
government for public purposes alone.
The gulf fixed between these two poll
lies of taxation is as wide and as deep a.
;an well exist between political parties.
md
An ALSO CONVINCED
hat the other causes in which / am in
crested cannot hope for success until
he avowed policy of the Republican
party on this subject is overthrown.
Until then the right of each state to con-
rol elections within its borders will not |
,e secured. Until then there is no pros
,ect of enjov ing the single and stable |
standard of value which other civilized |
md commercial nations possess. Until |
hen there is no hope of placing either
,ur pension system or the regulation of |
upon just and proper ba- |
is. Until then the publication of our
politics will continue, the iridescent |
lream. which high Republican authority |
las declared it must remain. Until then |
nv pretended reform of the civil service |
will prove, as it has proved these last |
our years, delusion and snare And |
Until then even ballot reform, the best |
lelp yet discovered to honest elections, |
nd already threatened with overthrow /
" the Republican managers in Maine, |
7ermont and Indiana, must share the /
anne fate of betrayal in the house of its |
friends.
"WAYNE MCVEAGH" !
Ex-Governor Campbell, of Ohio, made a |