Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-03
New York World special.

BEvERLYFARMs, MASS, - uly 2b.--W1lllam
@. Whitney, .ex-Secretary of the Navy,
talked to u World correspondent to-day
upon the financial situation and its rela-
ton to the approaching session of Con-
pregs, Mr. Whitney had read the state
ment Of President Cleveland's position and
the interview with ex-President Harrison,
both printed in last Sundays World. He
said:
at Is scarcely necessary for me to say
that / heartily indorse Mr.. Cleveland's
policy of urging the repeal of the Sherman
law as a preliminary to tariff reform
do not see how there can reasonably be
two sides to that question. However small
may be the actual intrinsic effect of tie
silver purchases upon the currency, There
can be no doubt that apprehension of such
effect is the first cause of the existing lack
of confidence in business circles and the
consequent widespread financial distress.
Ii the country is not being drowned in
oliver flood, it is at any rate being scared
TO death by, the fear Of such a deluge.
Either way the result is disastrous.
THE first thing to be done is to shut off
whateyever flood there is, be it big or little,
and stop the scare. There can be no doubt
that the absolute and unqualified repeal of
the Sherman law would do this. Even
Mr.. Harrison implicitly admits as much.
II agree with Mr.. Cleveland that simply
repeal, without amendment or substitute,
is the only thing to be considered now.
But do not wish to be regarded as
considering the repeal of the Sherman law
permanent cure for our national ills. /
look upon repeal as a palliative, not a
panacea. The currency question is not
the most vital one with which we have to
deal. The poison lies deeper. No tenn
porary anodyne of financial legislation
will eradicate it, The silver scare will not
be long over before some other scare will
begin, unless we go to the bottom of the
trouble and get the business and industry
of the country off the artificial basis upon
which it is being conducted and upon
solid ground again. The country's pros
perity will never be permanently estab
lished while an annual tax of three OF
four hundred millions is laid upon its in
dustries.
mo matter what disguise it may assume
our present tariff system is essentially 9
tax upon the producing and industrial
classes. The national government is sup.
ported by q tax, not upon property, but
upon consumption. The tariff is assessed
not upon what men own. but upon what
they eat and drink and wear. 1t is toe
largely a per capita tax. Under 1t IL ];
easily possible that poor man with {
large family may be compelled to pay
more taxes for the support of the nationa
government than an economical million
aire with only himself TO keep. An aver
age man in the middle and lower classes
making income basis of classification
spends, say, rs per cent of his income TO
food and clothing. The average rich MAJ
cannot spend over per cent OF his incom
for the same purpose. National take
being levied as they are, the general mas
of the people, the producing and indus
trial classes and the great body OF mer
chants, tradesmen and professional men
pay 10 times as much tax i'll proportion Il
their means as the rich man. There lie
the secret of national distress,
"'Hhe only permanent remedy is in
readjustment of this great burden of taxa
ton and equalizing its pressure upon a.
alike. Other countries do this. There
no reason why the United States cannot
To such reform the Democratic party
pledged Upon the strength of that pledg
il come into power. -Four years beforl
the Republican party had promised to n
wise the tariff, and in the faith that r.
vision would be in the line of a reductio
and an equalization OF tax burdens %
people elected Mr. Harrison. The r.,
publicans fulfilled their promise by passin
the Mckinley bill, increasing the tart
and perpetuating its inequalities. tt
next election practically wiped the Repul
lican party as then constituted out OF e,
istenCe.
"The Mckinley bill mistake of the R,
publicans would be a mere bubble con
pared with the monumental folly of whiC
the Democratic party would be guilt
should it ignore the issue upon which
elected Mr.. Cleveland.
when the Democratic sheep take
following Republican shepherds we ma
expect them to- accept Mir. Harrison's u
vice and acknowledge that their principl
are mistaken ones.
$50 long as Mr.. Cleveland and h
present advisors lead the flock there is /
danger of such catastrophe
1.-The silver scare once out OF the wa,
there should be no delay about tariff 7
form. If Mr.. Harrison were as frank
he is shrewd he would not lay foundatio
for a fresh destruction of public confiden
by predicting fresh disaster from an
tempt to bridge over suddenly the wi
chasm intervening between comparati
free trade and the protective system
Neither he nor any other leading Repuh
can really believes that Mr.. Cleveland
an Anarchist and the members of t
Democratic party vast conspiracy agar
the prosperity of the whole people, Den
Gratis included. Ii the regularly elect
representatives of a great majority of
the people OF this country, chosen aftel
discussion running through years. cam
be trusted to bring about tariff reform
conservative. judicious manner, sa
guarding to the greatest possible extt
established interests where those intere
are not ininical to the public welfare
Republican form of government is
failure.
.'Of course there will be some fricti
about 1t; men and industries which ha
thriyed on governmental favor are bou
to suffer when that favor is Withdraw
is effected. The effort of beating off a hi,
wayman may involve unpleasant perspi
ton, but shall we therefore submit to be
robbed Pr