New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-24
THREE OPPOSING Policies.

THREE OPPOSING POLICIES.
The last week of general debate on the tariff
I'm the Senate opens with information Of pri-
va,c conference in which five Democratic Sen
ators told their associates that the income tax
must be abandoned The report further says
! that the Southern Senator's have concluded TO
| give up that feature rs the only mode Of pass
| ing the Tariff bill II seems highly probable
that this Information is inaccurate Nobody is
authorized 10 speak for the Democratic Senators
| who have insisted upon this tax. nor has any
caucus or conference large enough 10 represent
| them been held. 1t Is AZ doubtful rs before,
one may safely say, whether Il minority can be
found 10 support without an income tax n meas
IRE which. as Senator Hill publicly charged,
was framed throughout with deliberate nt@n-
ton to compel the acceptance Of that offensive
feature Nor Is 1t Mt all probable that any Sen
ators from the South or elsewhere have vent
ured 10 speak for the majority of Democratic
Senators. who have not been called together
for conference since the caucus NJ which thry
voted against the duty on iron ore
Yet il is evident that considerable minority
Of the Democrats. which may perhaps become
n majority. is disposed TO get rid OF the tax Oh
incomes These men have little fear OF IN"
Popust sentiment in their own States. ana
know that the Democratic party would Only dc-
s;roy itself by trying 10 court that sentiment.
The opposing faction. hitherto the majority III
Democratic councils both in the Senate ana
I'm the House. insists that the party viii destroy
itself if It does not yield 10 the Popullst scnti-
ment and adopt its demands in other matters
since Il is impossible owing 10 the President
and the Republicans. to grant the demands re-
speeding monetary questions. 1t docs not yet
seem that either Of these factions is ready 10
Weld 10 the other and TO suffer political cxtinc-
ton NJ home in order that other Democrats may
survive elsewhere
There are in principle three parties. The
Eastern Democrats would tax consumption or
the people The Populsts would tax the rich.
The Republicans would tax Imports and thus
encourage home industry. Experience proves
that labor finds n greater demand and better
return under The Protective policy than under
any other ever tried. whether here 90 IN any
other country. II proves. further. that large
though not definitely asccrianablr, part of the
revenue thus raised is In effect paid by foreign
FRS for the privilege OF selling I'm this market.
That the Republican reasoning meets the hearty
approval Of 4 great majority in Northern state"
recent elections demonstrate. IN" attempt I"
frnmc n hostile policy which Will succeed. though
Z, has now been prosecuted with desperate ear
ncstncss for more than year. has nor maze
any visible progress. The takers OF consumers
and the takers Of the rich are as far from agree
mcnt In principle and purpose as they nave
been at any time. and the chance or any agree
ment resulting in success appears more remote
The consumption taxes are not approved by
the Popusts. Some have even declared that
they would not vote for the pending whiSN"y
and sugar biz II the incom" tax wer" not adu'7l
as n species Of compensation. Bui II they were
not 10 such an extent mere theorists. II ihcy
were more competent 10 measure Inc influence
IL different taxes upon popular feeling ana
action they would fatty refuse their assent
To- the whiskcy and sugar taxes on any terms
They would realize that the addition Of IN extra
cent on every pound Of sugar an article when
enters into the expenses Of every family. how
ever poor would lee felt and Resented more
than almost any other tax that could be- I'M
posed When the Mckinley bill took OF
cents from the price of sugar. thus saving
about 81 yearly for every family. 1t made
greater definite and clearly appreciate change
I'm the cos, Of living than had been mad" 10y
any other modification Of taxes since the CIVIL
War and one which has been heartily apprcci
atcd.
The choice Of the people. between tax on
sugar and tax on imports which the working
millions do not consume is plainly manifested
by recent elections. The PopuliStS. and the
Democrats who have morally surrendered 10
tho Populsis already. indulge the hope that n
satisfaction Of a sptcful feeling toward the
rich may so far swcctcn the sugar tax that II |
can bc upheld In Western and Southern States !
Their blundcr Is that they have not framed the !
tax TO reach the rich only, for it would fall In |
part upon all who have interests. however !
small I'm corporations or the profits realized or |
the salaries paid by corporations. They also |
forget that such taxes are To a great extent dis |
trlbuted through rents for the use OF property, |
through interest for the use Of money. through |
charges for the services Of corporations and |
professional men. and In a thousand other ways, |
so that the millions would feel an income tax |
rs n burden. perhaps even more than the men |
OF wealth But ut present the difficulty Is that |
the income takers and the men who want 10
tax consumption find no ground for agreement. |
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KING LEOPOLDS INGENUITY.