St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-22
A FoRGourEN REsoURcE.

AS the time approaches for the as
sembling of the Fifty-third congress.
which will have the task of formulating
the legislation which will give express
sion to the demand of the Democratic
national platform for the rejection of
the protective policy, the papers TEEN
with discussion of the details of that
legislation. 1t is conceded that a reduc-
ton of the tariff to a purely revenue
baSlS-putting those articles on the free
list which are either raw material or
material slightly advanced in manu-
facture and lying at the base Of the
greater industries, and cutting taxation
on advanced products to the revenue
point of the least amount of tax
that will raise the greatest revenue
will result in a deficit of revenue to
meet the Immediate needs. Appropria-
tons have been made permanent or
continuing, calling for immense sums
which must be carried for some time
before the law can be repealed. The
pension is growing instead of a dimin-
ishing expense. The question then is,
how can the deficiency be made up?
We note with some surprise that
Democratic papers of the advanced
school, whose editors advocate free
trade, seem to be unaware of the sig
nificance of the movement which their
party is engaged in, and are casting
about among the devices of the tariff
system for subjects of taxation sufficient
to make up the deficit. The papers Of
the reactionary wing of the party are,
OF course, urging conservatism in
change, and hint at vested rights and
disturbance to industry which are to be
avoided. We have from the former class
propositions to put a tax Of cent
pound on sugar; to impose tax of three
cents pound on coffee; to tax tea, and
so on.
These papers mistake the current of
purpose of the voters of this couhtry.
They do not comprehend, what the
mass OF the voters understand, that the
movement is towards freedom, not le-
Striction of trade: that tax on what
men consume, while exempting prop
erty from carrying any share of the
burden, is inherently unjust; that all
ground gained in the advance towards
freedom must be held and not an inch
surrendered. We got freer sugar from
MCKINLEY; the Democrats should give
the country free sugar. We cannot 60
backward; we must go forward, unless
we wish to make place for party which
will go ahead.
The forgotten resource is the provis-
ion of the constitution giving congress
power to lay direct taxes. While under
the constitution now they would be ap-
portioned among the states on the basis
of population, they would be spread by
the states on the property of the states,
on their real and personal property.
What is there wrong or evil in this?
Why should men shrink from the sug-
gestion of direct taxation when the tax
is due the nation, and insist on it Stren-
uously when the tax is due the state?
Why should system of taxation that
answers we'll for the state not be as good
for the nation? Why should not the
land and personal property of the state
bear its share of the federal burden, in
stead of shifting it onto the backs and
stomachs of men?
The party might as we'll face and own
its true mission. 1t might better meet
the contingencies of Its course bravely
and frankly. 1t will gain nothing by
evasion; it can only lose. 1t must be
honestly, candidly aggressive if it
would hold the confidence of the people
won last year. 1t must sot forget that
it is Oh probation; that it is not securely
iDtrnnphnd