New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-12
DANGEROUS MEASURE.

II * casv 10 saw as some Democratic Journals
Of large influence do. day after day, PASS
thc Tariff bill AZ once but cut ont the INFAMOUS
income tax" Whether the income tax can be-
cut ont is extremely doubtful but it is wen
nirh certain that the bill cannot De paSS'u
without H. The Democratic party has so com
nlotolv and abicctly surrendered itself 10 f"pu-
lisn, that the one feature Of the bill which Is
cmphatcally not Democratic seems 10 De inc
only one which gives IL positive Strength III 4
Congress called Democratic
The substitution of prolibitive duty on
steel beams to please Mr. Carnegie. instead 81
prohibltvc duties on rails 10 please "'h'r
pcoplc. does not delight anybody except on"
Rritish suhicct The directors Of the klng
phIiip mills are doubtless pleased with the
,rinlr comDound duties on cotton goods which
tbcv contrlvcd. but they know quite too much
If tho conditions upon which prosperity de-
,cnds not to prefer immca SurIblv the present
lutIes General prosiration mticat"d 10y special
fovorl,ism will not in the long run help any
manufacture that has merits. wooH'h
schedule. which bankrupt, many hundred mills
cannot really help the few which II tries To
enrich with free trade In materials ana highly
protective duties on their products All indus
years Of consistent and impartial encourage
men, Of American industries have forged AMI
which nothing can break, and If anybody
fancIcs that monopoly Of collars and CUTS
or whskcv. or even of sugar. would be aS
nrontoblc with general prostitution ~ business
as moderate protection with general prosperity
no is ignorant Of The economic alphabet
Being thus ignorant. some Democratic lead
crs wonder why Republicans are not ready to
vote into the Tariff bill especial and indecent
fovors 10 particular interests But the Kcpub-
licans have learned by thirty years Of practical
cxncricnce I'm Developing the Nation that
measure which secures large demands ana re-
munorotivc ompoym M for labor aS whole
Is the only one which can enable the millions
TO purchase largely Of the products OF any in
dustrv. and hence the only which can give
10 any industry n solid foundation for lasting
nrosperIty. Republicans are therefore utterly
and lrrcconcilably hostile 10 policy when
woud deprcSs the wages Of labor In all the
great industries toward the British level, even
though II may single out for favorltism the
whiskey and the sugar trusts, or the manu-
featuring interests represented by certain
"recrcant aud greedy Senators.
BY the side Of this larger question, thc OPP
childish II is an indecent measure. but so 1t
Is indecent 10 drive industrious Americans 10
want by the hundred thousand. In order that
foreign manufacturers or traders shall thrive.
The income tax Is hostile 10 the spirit OF Amerl-
can institutions Very true; hut IT Is far more
hostile to American institutions 10 take from
miiuls Of workers and voters the wages
necessary to support them In the comforts 10
which they have become accustomed There
could he no measure more dangerous 10 inc
patriotic feeling or TO the peace or inns SELF
governing country than one which would mus
foster discomfort and hatred Of wealth In the
hearts Of n great majority Of American voters
The most dangerous dcmagoguc 10 free insti-
tutiOns to-day Is not the one who would I'M
Justly deprive the rich Of some fraction or
their incomes, but the one who would degrade
all American labor. under pretence OF securing
cheaper products from other lands.