Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-11
WEDNESDAY,. ..'APRlL IL, 1874
Sanator Hill's Speech.

ING speech fldbc ny ~NA'
York. in the United States Seha" VI
Monday last may be characterized az
an Observation-Disclosures speech, anu ais'
as an anti-income-tax speech lie Ihse
niously assumed that 1t was settled Una
tho President was In favor Of an income
tax. and therefore in denouncinS 'ha' ''N
Mr.. HIN must be regarded as intima''ht
his Willingness to break with the adihliiiS-
tratjon rather than support Dbl pro-
yiding for such tax
We do not know what there Is in the
Nev York Senator's speeches that causes
tb-m 10 be regarded as 50 much more
important than the utterances OF many
other senator's But go il Is. Inc Senate
chamber was crowded on Monday last by
members Of the lower house and stran-
gers. and yet thousands of would-he audi
TORS were compelled forcgo the pleasure
Of listening to Mr. Hill.
We have never been convinced that Con-
gress would at its current session pro-
vide for personal income tax; for men
Of large incomes being men Of large in
nuence we have calculated that they
would probably bs able 10 defeat the ei-
fort to provide for such tax. Mr.. Hill
boldly comedies that the income tax
would fall upon the wealthy classes and
not upon the masses Of the. people. This
can hardly be called demaCogism.
Mr.. Hill threatened his Democratic as
sociates in the Senate with the loss of
the control OF that body as we'll as the
loss or the control of the House Of Rep
rcsentatiyes Also. with thu loss Of the
electoral votes Of New York, New Jer-
sey. Connecticut and possibly Of every
northern State. Also. with the loss OF
the next presidency. He said the income
tax was regarded in New York and in
many other northern States as a scheme
of spolation and an unwarranted attack
upon our citizens Of means" Yet Mr..
Hill has nothing to say as to a tax ton
times more oppressive which bears upon
the southern people as no income tax
nor any other tax will ever bear upon
the northern people. We mean the obi
Gus. unjust oppressive pension law.
which annually levies a tax of well-nigh
two hundred millions Of dollars upon the
people of this country and eXpends all
of that vast sum in the northern States,
thus impoverishing the people Of the
South as an income tax of even 10 per
cent. would not impoverish the people Of
the North.
Mr.. Hill ingeniously but not ingenu-
ously arragned Secretary Gresham as IL
he had been personally responsible for
the Hawaiian policy of the adminstra-
ton. Mr.. Iinl was more candid when
he said that IL Mr.. Gresham's political
convictions upon the disputed public ques-
tons of to-day had changed al all they
were carefully concealed.
We will say just here that we may
learn from Mr.. Hills speech what he
expects to be the issues In the next presi-
Dental campaign. He asks the Demo-
cratic party to stand by him in his oppo-
sition to an income-taX; to Mr.. Cleve-
lands Hawaiian policy; to such a tariff
policy as that of the President; to the
schemes of the silverites, and to direct
taxation instead Of indirect taxation.
Mr.. Hills remark that mo American
statesman of rank except Mr.. Cleveland
had ever advocated an income-tax since
the war experience made manifest how
generally odious 1t was carries the
meaning that no American statesman of
rank had ever done so. Excepting Mr..
Cleveland accentuated the implication
that he was not a statesman of rank.
Mr.. Hill declared war upon the Wilson
bill, and consequentially upon the Senate
tariff bill. The Republicans will expect
him TO vote with them against the in
come-tax feature. They will also expect
him TO vote with them on the question
OF the passage OF the Senate bill. OF
course, they will expect him to have some
Of the Democratic senators in his train
when he marches over to the Republi-
can camp. The defeat OF the Senate bill
would BE- the defeat of Mr.. Cleveland,
and would place the Democratic party in
such circumstances as would render II
impossible for It TO carry the next House
Of Representatives. Mr.. Hill knows all
this. but is willing TO take the risk Of
defeat in 1894 TO be followed, SO he hopes,
by success in 1896.