The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-13
ALMOST SACRIFICE.

views OF "A number of persons IN the
North. some Massachusetts preachers
amongst them. in which Tillman and
his propositions were wsmrly applauded.
The World says for itself. Of these ex-
pressions Of opinion. the following.
In spite OF objection on the score OF
tone. temper. and manner. III spite or
the coarscness and brutality OF its az
tack on the President. and the ferocity of
it's final menace. its sentiments seem 10
have obtained a remarkably wide APP
proval among the masses of the people,
even at the North So long as the mat
ter OF the speech suits them, they do
not care much about the manner OF II.
Pcrhaps iis very cOarseness and fierce
ness may. under the circumstances. com
mend b.
we say under the circumstances. be-
cause so remarkable phenomenon de-
mauds explanation. 1t is a real fact, not
10 be dismissed without notice. but TO
be met honestly and boldly. and the cN-
PLANTATION rs not only easy-it is notou-
Gus. n there were no cause FOR Iillmdn-
ism there would be no Tillman. If the
charges of the new senator from South
Carolina had no basis of truth, they
could 90 no harm. IL is the element OF
truth i'm them which makes them note
worthy.
cit is unfortunately true that the rcla-
lions between the Executive and Wall
street have been unduly close, that
the Treasury has been managed IN the
interest of syndicatcs. that the enforce
mcnt OF the antitrust laws has been
turned into a mOckcry, that the attempt
10 adjust taxation in proportion TO
wealth has been defeated by a majority
decision af tho Currsrna Court that the
influence of plutocracy is manifest IN
the composition of the Senate. in the
control of legislation. and Ia the organi-
cation Of national parties conventions,
and campaiens.
These are evils whose existence is
patent. They are the notorious eXpia-
nation Of rillmanism. So long as the
causes exist We must expect the conse-
quences. IL Is not the part Of sense or
of courage. either. TO consider that such
a phenomenon exists without cause.
That the World should have been an
Anarchist before its proprietor got rich
could he understood. But Mr. Pulitzer
ranks now as a several-timcs millionaire,
and such sentiments from such a person
are surprising indeed.
If an Of Tnman's grievances were
analysed. they would all be found TO fall
within what the World really has in mind
when it speaks Of "the attempt 10 adjust
taxation in proportion to wealth. There
is of course, only one just rule for
taxation. and that is TO require each
person to pay the same upon given
sum as every other person pays upon that
sum, and on multiples Of that sum, in
the same proportion. If a person pos
sessing more property than others is
required TO pay on his excess at "a great
or rate than the others are required TO
pay on what they posses. he IS not taxed
i'm respect TO that greater rate; he is
robbed. Tnlman and the World really
want TO rob men who have been sue
ccssful in accommodating property of
part or Of all Of what they have. ana that
is the long ana short of the whole
matter.
When Tmman was doclaimng his
theory of robbery ne had the impudence
90 refer to the mighty social upheayal
that took place in France hundred
years ago as furnishing a parallel 10
what would happen here when he and
his fellow robbers got their arms deep
into the pockets of successful men. The
French Revolution is not the only incl
dent of its sort that the world has known.
The Puritan rebellion, of the seventeenth
century in England, was in all respects
its parallel, save that the latter was con-
Quoted by men who were devotees of
the Christian religion, while the leaders
o, the French Revolution. as devouuy
earnest in their sentiments as their Puri-
tan predecessors. were not converts of
the Christian faith. But while rejecting
our Scriptures as Gods revealed word,
they were as devoted as the English
Puritans to the idea that it should be
done ola earth as it is la Heaven. and
that even-handed justice should bee the
rule amongst all men. This was the
leading thought and purpose of the Eng
fish Puritan rebellion, and this was the
leading thought ana purpose of the
French Revolution.
When. therefore. Tnlman darcs come
cut before men. his mind filled with the
animus furandi-thc covctous greed for
lucrc-and declare his course fashioned
after that of men who waded through
seas OF blood and dared all TO bring the
law down TO plane where it could
shield the humhlcst with the same power
that IL extended to the proudcst one
involuntarily asks, what feathers are
there that this iackdaw will not ty %
insert into his plumagec
70 be specific. the laws of France
conferred privileges upon the nobility
OF the kingdom tnat enabled them 10
turn The great body OF the people into
their slaves. The French Revolutions
purpose was To repeal those laws. ana
remodel the system so that there should
bo no persons with privileges and so
that the laws should operate upon all
citizens of France I'm exactly the same
way. There are no laws In this country.
except the protective tariff laws. that
confer any privileges upon any persons
The system of laws here. with the OK
cePGons mentioned. is framed TO bear on
an alike. ana to give every citizen the
same chance that any other citizen has
Under the operations Of those laws. some
citizens have been more successful than