The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-28
Free Sugar and the Income Tax.

1t cannot be said that the democratic
caucus showed wisdom by deciding to
tack the internal revenue bill to the viii
son tariff bill. The reason for that de-
cision is the fear that the internal rev.
enue bill, with the Objectionable income
tax, cannot command a majority if pre-
sented as q separate measure Admit
ting that the income tax has many friends
in the south and west, it cannot be denied
that it has very few in the east. The demo-
cratic leaders of the east declare that the
tax would play havoc with the Demo-
cratic party in that section. If that is
so, an income tax would deprive the Dem
ocratic party of any chance of carrying
the next Presidential election.
There is no demand from the demo-
Gratis in the south and west for an income
tax, and it is certain that leading and in
tiuential democrats in those sections are
opposed to it. There is no mention of
such tax in the national democratic
platform. 1t is populist measure, and
the adoption of it by the democratic
caucus is a triumph for the populists.
BY making it a part of the tariff bill it
jeopardizes that bill, which is a demo-
cratic measure. It's strength is in local
politics-that is, the democrats who are
urging it believe it would help the party
in certain states. Assuming they are
right, will the help it would get in those
states overcome the damage it would do
in other statesl 1t is extremely doubt
full if it would
What Onuht tn no dana a,d ,,,..lo
bly, will be done before the tariff and in
ternal revenue bills are passed, is to put
duty on sugar and abandon the income
tax. There never was any demand for the
removal of the sugar duty. The republi-
cans removed it so as to embarrass the
democrats in their efforts to reform the
tariff should they get into power. 1t is
purely revenue duty, and falls upon
people in proportion to their wealth, but
so lightly that neither the poor nor the
rich find it burden.
duty on sugar would solve the diff
Guilty under which the democrats are now
laboring. 1t would yield the additional
revenue that is needed and make an in
come tax unnecessary. At the same time
it would prevent the destruction of the
vast sugar producing interests of Louisi-
ana and other states Wisdom points to-
wards a sugar duty and the abandonment
of an income tax.
If the action of Judge Call of Florida,
in the matter of the injunction of the
Duval Athletic Club, is good law, the
probabilities are that Florida will be the
scene of several prize fights during the
next year. II his version of the law is
correct, there is no doubt that the law
should be changed But it will take
fifteen months, or longer, to change it.
The Florida legislature meets only once
in two years. Its last session began April
4, 1898, and continued during two months.
The next session, therefore, will not be
held until April, 1895. In the meantime
the state can be circled ali over with prize
rings Corbett has an engagement to
fight again in June next; he can do that
fight and knock out two or three other
men before April, 1896 Besides, there
are probably dozen fights ION the
string" now, the managers of which are
looking for a safe place to bring their men
together. There is, however, one draw
back to making Florida general meeting
place for pugilists it is too far away from
the large cities to make it o paying bust
ness for the sports to put up second-rate
men. And there are not many frst-rate
men.
- Ill L.