The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-11-10
FORWARD TO T1cIFF REFORM.

A Democratic Congress has redeem
ed one of the pledges made to the peo-
pie in the platform upon which Presi-
dent Cleveland was elected. 1t has
repealed the silver purchasing clause
of the Sherman bill, under which the
silver mine owners found in the gov
eminent market monthly for 4, 500, 900
ounces of their output of silver. The
silver certificates they received for
this were nominally payable in silver
dollars, but in order to keepthe silver
dollar on an equality with the gold dol
lar it was necessary to pay them in
gold, otherwise they could not be used
atpar abroad in the purchase of goods.
The withdrawal of large quantities of
gold to pay European holders for Unit
ed States bonds held by them depleted
the gold in the treasury and fears of
foreign capitalists that the United
States would soon have to resort to a
payment of her Indebtedness in silver
dollars, which are worth less abroad
than gold dollars, fastened the deple-
ton of gold and brought on the pam
ic. The action of Congress in stop
ping the purchase of silver that is
needed for currency has had a mark
ed effect in restoring confidence
abroad in the determination of our
government to pay her obligations in
honest money. 1t has also inspired
confidence at home and people are
looking forward hopefully to the next
step in the programme promised by
the victorious Democracy, the reform
of the tariff.
The Democratic platform denounced
Republican protection as fraud; a
robbery of the great majority of the
American people for the benefit of the
few 1t declared in favor of tariff
for revenue only and demanded that
tariff taxes should be limited to the
necessities of the government when
honestly and economically admins
tered.
The Democratic party, therefore,
is pledged to repeal the Mckinley
tariff. 1t is in favor of free raw ma
terials and cheaper manufactured
goods that enter into general consump-
ton, and promised the repeal of this
obnoxious legislation as one of the
blessings that was to follow the action
of the people in entrusting power to
Democratic hands.
No Democrat need fear that this
pledge will not be redeemed. A tariff
bill is being prepared and it will be
passed by the next Congress in spite
of opposition by protected interests
which have been enriched through
governmental favoritism.
The Republicans in Congress have
left a heritage of debts for the Demo
cratic Congress to provide for, and
this necessity for raising more revenue
than we now have to meet deficiencies
will for time, we fear, impede the re-
alization of our hopes, but it is pro-
posed to add a slight additional tax
on beer and on manufactured tobacco.
These are articles which can very well
stand it, and las contemporary remarks,
beer drinkers and smokers can console
themselves with the reflection that if
beer and tobacco cost them more, the
reduction of the tariff on the neces-
saries of life will leave them more to
spend on these superfiuities.
Hon. Herman Stump. U. S. Super
intendent of immigration, in his re-
port suggests that an addition might
be made to our immigration laws, Civ
ing power to courts having criminal
Jurisdiction to deport all aliens who
within a period of two years from the
date of landing are convicted of any
Crime or misdemeanor (which, in the
opinion of the court, renders them I'M
desirable citizens, or convinces it that
they are not attached to the princi-
Piles of the constitution of our govern
ment and to the good order and we'll
being of society in general. This
would rid us of alien anarchists, Grim
inals and turbulent spirits who are
- a. L. ~. Cd y,