Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-04-26
PENCIL POINTERS.

About thousand working men and
working women went from Philadelphia
and vicinity to Washington last week to
file their protest against the passage of
the tariff bill. They did not go as Coxey
ties, but went in a business way, to give
notice of their opposition to a bill that is
calculated TO affect their interests vitally.
They had sent their written remon-
STRANGE against the bill No attention
had had been given it. They then went
in person, and as the representatives of
the millions of wage earners of the coun-
try, to make their objections heard. The
presence of this monster delegation in
the Capital give the Democratic mana
gers of the tariff bill the blind staggers,
and the statesmen made their absence
felt to all comers. 1t is not expected
that this appeal for the defeat of the
tariff bill will have any effect to secure
votes against it, but it serves to show the
feeling in all quarters against the un-
American measure. Outside few Dem
ocratic clubs no one asks the passage of
the bill. The masses are unequiyocally
against it.
The Nichols law, taxing telegraph, tel
ephone, and express companies on the
market value of their capital stock has
been declared unconstitutional by Judge
Taft, of the United States Circuit Court.
This decision is in advance of the deci-
sion of the State Supreme Court on the
same subject, and while the authority of
the State Supreme Court is paramount
to that of the United States Court on
this matter, yet the decision of the L. S.
Court is probably an index of what the
decision of the State Court will be. 1t
seems there is no remedy for our inc
quitable system of taxation except in an
amendment to the Constitution. and that
the best way to secure an amendment is
to keep trying until the people are suf-
ficiently awakened to the situation to
vote to amend. A Constitution framed
in 1852 is not the kind we need to day
as far as it applies to taxation. 1t seems
that that the Constitution, as it now
stands, is secure bulwark against any
broader forms of taxation, since repeat
ed attempts to evade its provisions have
failed.
A sensible measure in reference to
wagon tires was enacted into law last
week, making it unlawful to have loads
of over 1900 pounds on less than four
inch tire. This will prevent roads from
being cut up by narrow tires, as great an
enemy to good roads as anything in ex
istence. Wide tires make the draft on
the teams lighter, and also aid in making
the roads better. The strangest feature
is that such a law has been so long de-
ferred 1t will require some effort to
enforce the law, but it must be enforced
in the interest of better roads.
The President is reported to be greatly
disturbed as the several divisions of the
commonweal army are closing in on
Washington. The President has a per
feet right to feel alarmed. No man has
done more, perhaps, than the President
to put the country in its present shape
when it is possible for bodies of men
numbering thousands to march through
the country with the sympathy of idle
tens and hundreds of thousands. 1t is
to be hoped that thePresident will become
more alarmed An alarm is sometimes
wholesome "object lesson.
Factlonal feeling seems to have entered
into the contest for congress out in the
Third district and the prospect for Repub
lican success next Tuesday is not partic
ularly bright on this account. To on0r-
come a Democratic majority of 1000 the
Republican party needs be united and ii
is unfortunate that a man, against whom
there could. be no factional fight, was
not nominated.