The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-07-01
They Never Mentioned it.

The two old parties have held their
National Conventions, largely composed Of
millionaires. The first was managed
chiefly by Chauncey M. Depew. the Van
derbilts' chief railroad manager. The sec
ond was managed by ex.Secretary Whitney,
representative of the national banks.
Through all the long spun out platitudes
and glittering generalties oftheir platforms,
never word is said of a tax on incomes.
But repeal is recommended of the tax on
state bank notes, by the democratic platform,
and hence return again to the "red dog"
"wild cat" and "shin.plaster" money
period of ante-bellum days, when the money
in your pocket was worth dollar today
and 20 10 so cents tomorrow; or a dollar in
Maryland was 80 cents hundred miles
away. Beautiful grave yard craftsmanship
this is
The temperance element of the party gets
about as cold comfort as they received from
the republican convention. The same
space, three lines, is devoted to the subject
"We are opposed to all sumptuary laws
as an interference with the individual rights
of the citizen"
''Sumptuary" in democratic parlance
means liquor. On the Nicaragua canal the
platform says:
"We recognize the early construction OF
the Nicaragua Canal and its protection
against foreign control as of great impor-
lance TO the United States"
There is no word declaring that the gov
eminent shall not be made responsible for a
hundred million or more of gold bonds,
principal and interest. to lie issued by a
stock company, which shall have unrestricl.
edIcontrol of both money and canal.
The following is the great, the mighty
tariff reform" plank which has been din
ned in the ears of the people for the past
few years by the Office hunters and their
henchmen the politicians, and Amened by
the simple pious souls whose only religion
Is "the party"
eve denounce republican protection as
fraud; robbery of the great majority of
the American people for the benefit of the
few. We declare it to be a fundamental
principle of the democratic party that the
federal government has no constitutional
power to enforce and collect tariff duties
except for the purposes ofrevenue only, and
we demand that the collection of such taxes
shall be limited 10 the necessities of the
government honestly and economically
administered.
The chaps who run parties are generally
"honest" and always ''economical"-in
horn.
The tasiff taxes foot up about 220 millions,
and if the "federal government has no con
stitutional power to enforce and collect tariff
duties except for the purposes of revenue
only" the exercise of this doubtful ''con-
stitutional power" can wholly be avoided by
graduated income tax, by which that
amour; conld be readily collected from the
millionaires and they would not really feel
the tax. A plank for an income tax would
draw ten thousand votes to the party for one
this silly tariff reform" Jungle will draw.
The people would hail such a declaration
with joy and hope but the millionaires hold
the old parties in leach and no sounds of
that kind will ever issue from their
conventions.
These are the platitudes which have been
issued by the parties year after year to
amuse the people. They mean nothing and
are now acknowledged by their champion
papers to be Of no consequence whatever.