St. Paul daily globe., 1893-11-10
TEMPORIZING WITH THE TAR
TFE rf

iioie, Weio ID uot 81 IicHiy ueSeTVeQ.
TEMPORIzING WITH THE TAR
IFF. ~
On the principal that half a loaf is
better than 10 bread. the new tariff bill.
now in course OF preparation by the
ways and means committee of the house
will be accepted by the people as a
makeshift rather than satisfaction.
The committee appears to be too tinfor-
Gus to undertake any radical reforms =
aud will be content with Topping off
here and there some of the taxes that!
are the least productive in revenue, or
are the most burdensome to the COM
munity. iL}1,
The committee has held frequent ,ses-
sions of late, at which various PROPOSE
tiOns have been considered. There
have been numerous eXpedients talked
of to raise sufficient revenue, chiefly:
those relating TO an increase of internal
taxation. 1t has been intimated that
these suggestions have been given out
with the idea of testing the feelingbof
the people upon them, and to see If
they will be too much of a burden upon
those who will have to bear them. Mem
bers OF the committee say that it will Ce
impossible now to cut the duties to the
extent that many people think should
be done. and declare their purpose to
bring about mild reduction all around,
without any heavy cuts on anything,
and with free list slightly increased.
1t is very evident that the committee
fol IC IN fhn
situation. and has adopted the old plan
of cutting the dogs tail off by inches.
The evils of the tariff system are mani
fest to every citizen of average intelli-
gence. AS at present existing it is
simply legaliZed robbery-the taxation
of one class for the benefit of another.
1t tends to the concentration of wealth
in the hands of a few, aud to the degra-
dation OF the masses of the community.
The man who tolls daily for subsistence
pays as much for the maintenance of
the government as the possessor of
millions, for the taxes are levied for the
most part upon the necessities instead
of upon the luxurieS of life. The tariff
faVors the rich and oppresses the poor;
it tends to the creation of an aristocracy
of wealth far more oppressive and
tyrannlcal than any aristocracy of the
old world based upon blood and descent.
1t is an evil that threatens the very
foundation of Republican government
the equality Of all men before the law.
1t is folly to temporize with such
giant evil. Admitting that tariff is
necessary for the purpose of raising
revenue for governmental expenses, it
should be so placed as to bear as lightly
as possible upon those men who toll
early and late for subsistence. Those
who have property that requires protec-
tion from the government should be re-
quired to pay for that protection. Those
who indulge in luXuries should be re-
quired to pay for them in order that the
necessities of all classes should be re-
lieved of all taxation.
Until congress ceases to legislate in
the interest of classes we cannot have
"a government of the people, for the
people and by the people," In De-
mocracy there is no privileged class;
the humblest citizen is entitled to all
the privileges that are granted to the
most exalted. Under our present sys-
TEN the rich mans clothing is imported
practically duty free, while the duty on
inferior grades compels the working
man to pay double price for his ap-
parel. The jewels that adorn the per-
sons of the wealthy pay but small tax
to the government, while the cheap Or
naments that the poor bedeck them
selves with pay from fifty to hundred
per cent upon their value. -s.
With such an unjust and unequal SyS-
tenn prevailing, it is surprising that the
committee on ways and means can agree
upon no plan for reduction that shall
not only be equitable. but fair 10 every
class. A horizontal reduction such
as is proposed will not meet with the
public approval. Such plan was en-
phatically condemned some years ago,
when William r. Morrison attempted
to foist it upon the people as a COM
promise for adjustment. 1t is the
equalization of the necessary burdens
of taxation that the people demand; it
Is such distribution as shall relieve in
dustry of unnecessary drawbacks that
pledged itself to promote.
Congress cannot afford to overlook or
to ignore the Democratic platform
adopted at Chicago last year. That in
Strument denounced the Mckinley tar
iff law as 1.-The eliminating atrocity of
class legislation" and promised its re-
peal as zone of the beneficent results
that will follow the action of the people
in intrusting power to the Democratic
party" This promise must be kept.
| 1t was accepted in good faith and
| should be executed in the same spirit.
Tariff reform was the main issue upon
which the campaign was fought. and
the decisive victory gained by the
| Democracy proved where the heart OF
the people rested.
The committee on ways and means
| must be taught that no halfway reform
| will be acceptable. The bluDders of
| Horizontal Bill" Morrison must not be
repeated. The terms of the compact be.
tween the Democratic party and the
people must be carried out. and special
interests must cease to dictate the pol
| icy Of the nation.
| THE famous Cronin murder case is tC
| have a fresh airing at Chicago. The
new trial of Dan Coughlin, ordered by
the supreme court, has begun, 1t may
be several days, however. before a jury
| is obtained. So long time has elapsed
since the crime that most of the wit
nesses in the original trial have died
and the chances are that the prisoner
will 60 free. He has spent all the time
| since the commission of the deed either
in the Jail or the penitentiary, and as
| thnra was aIways some douht as to bis