The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-10-20

|
they also be imposed for the pecuniar,
advantage of such persons or classes as
are able to control Congressional action
in their favorp 1t seems to me like g
travesty on taxation TO require. as the
Mckinley bill does, the farmer who
grows con in Indiana TO pay bounty
TO the farmer who produces cane sugar
III Louis" IA, or to require the farmer
who grows wheat in Pennsylvania, TO
pay boanty to the farmer who pro-
duces maple sugar In Vermont, but it is
nearer tragedy than travesty to tax the
mass OF the people TO increase the
veal : of the very wealthy owners of
most of our protected industries.
| But even such inequality and injus-
tlce are the least of all evils, for while
such system endurcs political ccrrup-
tlon Is absolutely sure TO increase, as
such system not only Invites, but it
requires, the oliupt use ofmoncy, both
at the pulls and in Congress. II is Of
its very essence that "fat" shall be
"fled' out OF beneliciaries. Who shall
happen TO do the "fryiug or who shall
happen TO distribute the"fat" upon any
particular occasion is mere matter OF
de:all, but while that system lasts both
will continue to b. donc by some
body.
And the evils of q system of ,gislative
bounties, so tlr from stopping, only
| begins with those bounties secured to
| the industries protected by the tariff.
The disastrous course OF the Republican
party on the silver question is Az apt
lllu Stratlon OF this truth. 1t ought TO
be an honest money party. and it
would be if it could, but while it de-
| manded increased bounties for favoritc
manufacturers, it could not refuse in
creased bounties to the silver producers,
as the votes they control were probably
necessary to the passage of The Mckinley
bill. So situated the Republican party
had no alternative but TO pass the ST.
YER 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 Government amount to
hundreds of millions of dollars, and
would not realize, if resold, oue-half
their cost, while the poison ola debased
currency, whose work, however slow, is
sure, is making itself daily more and
more Tell in every channel of business
and finance, and ls inevitably driving
gold out OF the country, and leading us
TO all the evils of iluctulting, and
therefore dishonest, currency based no.
on silver alone. The Republican party
cannot take any eti'ectiYe steps toward
re 1ealing the bill, for the silver men are
very likely, If their bounty is stopped,
to so vote that the bouuties of the
Mckinley bill will stop also.
The abuses OF the pension system
furnish another apt illustration of the
| evil sure to follow such a system Of
| legislation. If Congress was TO levy
| taxes upon the people to confer boun-
ties upon certain classes of manutac!u.
rers, it was very natural that the peu-
sion agents should also Join hands to
Increase their fees by an indiscriminate
granting OF pensions. The result is
that nearlya generation after the close
OF the war there is a steady increase of
the vast sums passing through the pen
sion agents hands until now the total
amount staggers belief, and has be-
come of itself a very serious burden up
on the treasury. From the day of
Lees surrender until now no single
voice has ever heel raised against the
son who had any just claim upon the
gratitude OF the country;but surely there
IS neltner reason nor justice III lesi3ta-
ton which dertroys all distinctions
between the discharge of duty and The
shirklng Of IL, between loyal service and
desertion Of the colors, hatwecn wounds
received ID. bate and diseases conlrGc
ted IN the pursuits OF peace.
There is still another great and in
creasing evil chiefly tlaceable, ia my
opinion, to the malntcnar &C Of an ex-
cessive tariff since the war aud the con-
slant meddlng with it to make !. himh.
or, and that is the bringing to our shpr-
es OF tho vast swarms OF undesirable
immigrants who degrade American Ia
Dor by their competitions and threaten
the stability Of instituLians based upon
an intelligent love Of county. Just as
the duties upon imported merchandise
have been increased 80 has the grade OF
Imported labor been lowered, until now.
under the Mckinley bill, there are com-
ing here every month many Thousands
OF more ignorant, and, therefore, less
desirable, laborers than ever before.
1t Is not easy to exaggerate the moral
evils they are likely to intlict upon our
social order ard our national life.
AS the Republican party is now def
nitely committed to the policy Of taxing
the people for the puapose of giving
bounties to such persons or interests as
can secure the necessary votes in
Congress, 80 the Democratic party is
now as definitely committed to the pol
icy of restricting taxation to the needs
of the Government for public purposes
alone. The gulf fixed between these
two policies of taxation is as wide and
as deep as can we'll exist between pollt-
ical parties, aud 1 am also convinced
that the other causes in which l am
interested cannot hope :or success until
the avowed policy of the Republican
party on this subject is overthrown.
Until then the righ. of each State to
control elections within its borders will
not be secure; until then there is no
prospect OF our enjoying the single and
stable standard OF value which other
civilized aud commercla, nauons pos.
sess; until then tlere is no hope of
I,,In 81, ;tt