The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-21
HILL ON THE INCOME TAX.

When Senator Hill was delivering his
philliplc against the income tax in the
Senate today, his words must have
burned as a hot iron into the brains and
hearts OF his Democratic colleagues. He
stood there on the floor of the Senate
and scored his party for its betrayal of
its promises, and its attempt to infict a
war tax upon the nation.
He grew eloquent in his appeal and
the situation was intensely dramatic
when he declared, "This is essentially a
war tax. Heretofore we, as Democrats,
have clamored against it and others like
it. Look at the spectacle we now pre-
sent.
eff this is true Democracy l want no
more of it.
IF this is the best leadership which
we can present in this great crisis for
one must decline to follow it. / prefer
to stand with Jefferson and jackson and
Tilden, in opposition to all income taxes
and direct Federal taxation, but in favor
of revenue for Federal purposes and
direct taxation for State purposes"
Senator Hill then .epudiated /" the
spurious Democracy of these modern
apostles and prophets, who are in part
Mugwumps, part Populist and the least
part Democratic, who seek to lead the
Democracy astray after false gods, false
theories and false methods" He OBJ
jected to tho Democracy's restoring
war tax which the Republicans them
selves rejected years ago, with Demo-
cratic appreciation.
No wonder his colleagues looked
ashamed when he turned to them with
the declaration that "the national VIC
tory of 1892 meant reduction of the
tariff it did not mean an income tax.
1t did not mean direct taxation upon
the part of the general government. 1t
meant tariff for revenue--a reasonable
reduction in tariff duties, the substitu-
tion of revenue duties for prohibitory
duties wherever the latter existed, the
placing of raw materials on the free list
and the restriction of the revenues to be
raised to the actual necessities Of the
government"
When New York's senior Senator re-
cited these planks from the Chicago plat
form, as the contrast between the
pledges of 1892 and the bill now before
the Senate was made to stand out in the
boldest outlines, what must have been
the feelings of those Democrats who
have betrayed their pledges and their
party and who then saw how far apart
they had drifted from their own beliefs.
Hills sharp arraignment of the income
tax, as unconstitutional. as un-Ameri-
,an, as unnecessary and as unjust to the
poor in spite Of the attempts to modify
some of its provisions, was mastery, but
[ will be ineffective.
The Democratic party has delivered
tself, head and foot, to the Populists,
Ind it will carry out its bargain without
question even though it covers itself
With shame, and falls amid its own
'uins.
Reason has lost its sway, passion
md even prejudice have no longer in
luence; 1t has become mere passive
machine responding to the touch of its
Master.
SO absolute surrender OF principles
" powerful party was never before
in the history of the world,
nd even The NEWS, strongly and
taunchly Republican as 1t Is, cannot
ear to witness the shameless surrender
4 the party it opposes, without feel
ng of regret for American Statesman
hip, as exemplfied by the party now