The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-02-08

hLhE diCs Io uOuDU, LldLS
who laugh quietly at the credulity of
the masses IN attrlubting the depressed
condition of industrial matters to the in
ductlon into power of the democratic
party. No man accustomed to the ex-
ercise of his reasoning faculties can seri-
ously attribute to instant cause such a
condition of affairs as the country passed
through IN 1893 and In the penumbra of
which we are yet enveloped. But the
masses believe the democratic party re-
sponsible and this meets the wishes of
those who wish to regain power. We
have gained nothing IN knowledge from
our distress. and we shall in all probable
lty invite a repetition of the unpleasant
experiences of the past year.
Another republican legacy for which
den ocracy is held responsible is the def
icit. The government is still running
under republican legislation, with the
exception of the Sherman law The
Mckinley law is in force and every means
IOI ldlSI'S IcfCdiS NlSNlSSu ny ItDuDll-
caus still holds sway. The treasury is
called upon for appropriations made by
a republican congress and approved by a
republican president.
The fact is that the republican party
IN the interests of protection, proceed to
burn the candle at both ends. The
large surplus in the treasury the result
of Overtaxatlon, at the close of Cleve-
lands first administration, alarmed the
protectionists. they were convinced that
the people would not regard with favor
a system which exacted from the people
a sum of money greatly ia excess of the
needs of the government. The surplus
of a hundred million dollars a year would
challenge attention and provoke incon-
venient inquiry. A surplus is palpable
entity, capable of being recognized and
understood. The existence of protection
to the extent its devotees,-or, rather,
those to whom it was to minister
thought proper, was endangered by this
obtrusiye surplus. 1t was the Mordecai
at the gate and had to be got rid of at
any risk. The modes selected worked
only too well. They were:
l. Reduce the revenues OF the govern
ment by ca raising the duties on certain
importations to prohibltory limit; CD
by reducing the internal revenue on
and tobacco.
.. Squander the surplus by extrava-
CANT appropriations.
Ordinary business sagacity would sug-
gest, as means of reduction, lowering
Of taxes, but production demanded the
opposite line of procedure. Moral con-
slderations woulu suggest that a reduc-
ton of taxes on the necessaries of life
would be much more in the line of atten-
lion to the peoples welfare than the
of whiskey and tobacco. But |
protection would not have 1t so and Pro- |
lection was the Moloch demanding sacri- |
ice.
The combined customs duties. specific |
md advalorem, in some instances went |
is high as 100 per cent. The pension |
ist ran up from S900O0,O0O to Sl65,O0U,-
100. Producers of sugar were paid a
bounty on their product. Various aven-
les of expenditures were sought and the |
surplus soon became thing of the past.
! reduced income and increased expendi-
ures soon resulted IN a deficit. The
iefeat of the republican party in 1892
vas one of the most fortunate cir
IN its history as it thereby
transferred responsibility for It's mis-
eeds upon its opponents, and thus es-
aped the death penalty which it merlted.
And now with a condition of affairs di-
actly traceable to republican manage
tent IN the interest of the protected
.asses, that party with hypocritical as
Imption of virtue, charges the paternity
its own bastard upon the democratic
arty and is extravagantly eulogistic of
5 own probity and service in behalf of
lie general public. 1t Is not difficult {
after after all to pull the wool over the
'ople's eyes. j.