The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-02

ducfng and Industrial Glasses.
NEW YORK. July 27.-The Worlds
Beverly Farms (Mass) special says:
William c. Whitney. ex'-secretary of
the navy, talked TO a correspondent
today upon the financial situation and
its relation to the approaching session
Of congress. Mr.. Whitney had read the
statement of President Clevelands posi-
ton and the interview with ex-President
Harrison, and said:
1T is scarcely necessary for me to
say that I heartily indorse Mr.. Cleve-
lands policy of urging the repeal of the
Sherman law as preliminary to tariff
reform. 1 do not see how there can rea-
sonably be two sides to that question.
However small may be the actual in
trinsic effect of the silver purchases
upon the currency there can be no doubt
that apprehension of such effect is the
first cause of the existing lack of conf
dence in business circles and the cOnse-
quent widespread financial distress. If
the country is not being drowned in a
silver flood it is at any rate been scared
Either way the result is disastrous. The
first thing to be done is to shut off what
ever 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 ad-
nits this. i 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 a 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 temporary anOdyne of financial leg
islatiOn 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 prosperity will
never be permanently established while
an annual tax of three or four hundred
millions is laid upon its industries.
mo matter what disguise it may as
sumo our present tariff system is essen
TALLY a tax upon the producing and in
dustrial classes The national govern
ment is supported by a 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 too largely per cap
tia tax. Under it it is easily possible
that a poor man with a large family
may be compelled to pay more taxes for
the support of the national government
than an economical millionaire with only
inns l 70, An in
the middle and lower classes, making in
come a basiJ of classification, spends say
10 per cent. of his income for food and
clothing. The average rich man cannot
spend over 5 per cent. of his income for
the same purpose. National taxes be-
ing levied as they are the general mass
Of the people, the producing and indus
trial classes and the great body of mer-
chants, tradesmen and professional men,
pay fifteen times as much tax in pro-
portion TO their means as the rich man.
There lies the secret of national distress.
The only permanent remedy is in a
reimbursement of this great burden of
taxation and equalizing it's pressure upon
all alike. Other countries do this. There
is no reason why the United States can
not. To such reform the democratic
party is pledged. Upon the strength of
that pledge ii came into power. Four
years before the republican party had
promised 10 revise the tariff, and in
the faith that the revision would be in
the line Of a reduction or an equaliza-
ton of the tax burdens. the people elected
Mr.. Harrison. The republicans fulfilled
their promise by passing the Mckinley
bill, increasing the tarif and perpetual
ing it's inequalities. the next election
practically wiped the republican party as
then constituted out of existence.
1.-The Mckinley bill mistake of the re-
publicans would be a mere bubble COM
pared with the monumental folly of
which the democratic party would be
guilty should 1t ignore the issue upon
which ii elected Mr.. Cleveland When
the democratic sheep take to following
republican shepherds we may expecr
them to accept Mr.. Harrison's advice
and acknowledge that their principles
are mistaken ones. So long as Mr..
Cleveland and his present. advisors lead
the flock there is no danger Of such a
catastrophe.
1.-The silver scare once out of the way,
| there should be no delay about tariff re-
form If Mr.. Harrison were as frank
as he is shrewd, he would not lay foun-
dalton for fresh destruction of pub
lie confidence by predicting fresh disas-
ter from an attempt to bridge over sud
denly the wide chasm intervening be-
tween comparative free trade and a
protective system.
Neither he. nor any othr leading re-
4 publican, really believes that Mr.. Cleve-
land is an anarchist. and the members
of the democratic party in vast con-
spiracy against the prosperity of the
whole people. democrats included. Ia
| the regularly elected representatives of
| a great majority OF all the people of
this country, chosen after a discussion
running through years. can not be
trusted TO bring about tariff reform in
a conservative, judicious manner, safe
guarding to the greatest possible extent
sfal, u fG1a ad int xxrlnf
teresIs are not inimical to the public
welfafe. a republican form of govern
ment is failure. OF course there will
be some friction about it; men and in
dustries which have thrived on govern
mental favor are bound TO suffer when
that favor is withdrawn. no matter how
carefully the withdrawal is effected.
The effort of beating off highwayman
may involve unpleasant Precipitation,
but shall we therefore submit to being
| robbed?'
Cleanse he. SNsfen