The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-18
FRIDAY. AUGUST IS. 1898.


FRIDAY. AUGUST IS. 1898.
This paper is Democratic in principles and is
independent In ats uietss on all local questions.
The Consolidated" and the Cities.
The City of Bayonne has, within
a few days, furnished a very good
precedent for Jersey City. The Con-
solidated Traction Company procured
the passage by the Council of an or
dinance which granted it all it wanted
in the way of street franchises. but
which afforded the city no adequate
protection.
Mayor Farr very promptly and
firmly put his foot down upon the
ordinance. He simply said 1t should
not become effectual until it was
amended so as to hold the city's in
terests secure. The ordinance was at
once dropped by the company and
one which does protect the city was
introduced in its stead. -
Acting Mayor Simpson do Jer-
sey City a similar service. There is
the most urgent need for it. The
present ordinance completely sur
renders this city, its streets and its
people and its treasury to the COM
pany. This was amply shown at
yesterdays hearing. BY an emphatic
veto, Mr.. Simpson can bring the COM
pany to its knees at once. This is a
great opportunity for Mr.. Simpson to
do his duty. to do the public a ont
mental service, and to earn for him
self a great name for fearlessness and
true public spirit. 4
The ayes of the people are upon the
Acting Mayor. We are confident he
will show himself equal to the situa-
tion and worthy of the trust that was
reposed in him last April.
---
The Constitution and the Tariff.
The State Gazette thinks it Illogical
in the Democratic party to make any
selection or discrimination whatever
in its application of a tariff for reve-
nue.. 1t thinks that because the Dem
ocratic platform has declared that the
Constitution authorizes the collection
of customs duties only for the support
of the Government, the party retains
no moral right to levy such duties so
as to do least harm possible to those
who Immediately pay them and most
good to the country in general. 1t
argues that the Government has, on
the Democratic theory, no power to
create d free list, and no power to tai
article higher or lower than an
other, or to modify or regulate the
tariff in any way ave and except for
the raising of revenue.
The Gazette is so severely s'logical"
as to be absolutely preposterous.
According TO the Democratic theory
the only original constitutional right
to impose a tariff is based upon the
need of revenue for the public service.
The Constitution authorizes Congress
to levy duties, not to protect indus
try, to develop national resources, to
regulate trade or to accomplish any
purpose whatever saw and except
that of raising an income for the Gov
eminent. But the Constitution pro-
vides no restrictions whatever as to
the. method of imposing the tariff or
raising the revenue. 1t leaves the
matter to the discretion of Cong ress,
which body has power to place i'm
posts upon exports as we'll as i'm ports
if it sees fit to do SO.
Congress may theoretically levy the
entire tax upon any n article of inn
port Tor EXPORT trade. 1t may place
q level tax upon every dollars worth
of stuff that comes into the country,
Or upon every pound avoirdupois. or
upon every cubic foot. 1t has Consti-
tutional power to levy a tariff-up to
to the limit of the Governments needs
lin any way it chooses. 1t may do the
most unjust and irrational things, as it
did when it passed the Mckinley Act.
Its word is law. It's obligation to
levy the tariff in the wisest and best
way possible, to give the most aid by
its means to honest industries while
inflicting the least hardships on the
people as OF goods and the
ultimate payers of the tax, is a purely
political one. Ii the party in control
of Congress abuses its Constitutional
powers To increase the wealth of a
class at the expense Of the masses Of
the people, then the people will turn
on that party and crush it as they did
the Republican party last Move mber.
The Democracy will alter the tariff
so that it shall provide sufficient rev.
enue for the Government without
fostering monopoly OF doing wrong to
any III
The Philadelphia Press speaks OF
n - Id, A l-zs. H. D-1 y~o