The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-13
PUBLIC OPINION.

The letter addressed by President
Cisneros of the republic Of Cuba to
President Mckinley under date OF
March 4 Is one Of congratulation and
information, rather than appeal. In
this respect it supplements the letter
addressed to President Mckinley by
| Gen. Gomez, and both letters are CAL
culated to stir yet more deeply the
friendly sympathy Of the people OF the
United States for the patriots who are
struggling for liberty at their very
| doors.
The report that Japan had abandon
| ed the coinage OF silver and adopted
the gold standard turns out to have
been untrue. According TO official in
formation from Toxic the only founda-
ton for the story was the fact that on
March End a bill providing for the
| change was introduced into the lower
house of the japanese diet. This the
japanese minister at Washington ex-
plains. no more ~foreshadows its pas
| sage by the diet thai would be the
case in the American congress-" And
1t is understood in the japanese le-
CATION that the proposed legislation
Will find strong opposition, and grave
doubts are expressed as TO the possible
success of the measure."-N Y. Jour
nal.
The Immediate mission of the rep
ublican party, remarks a republican
organ, lis TO start I'D IDLE factories,
to encourage investment and produc-
ton, to furnish work at good wages TO
unemployed labor"
An excellent mission, but how is il
to be achieved? Simply by the exer-
else of the taxing power of the gov
eminent. Nothing could be easier.
Taxes are to he levied on things that
the people need, for the benefit of the
men with factories who can convince
the leaders of the party that they
should be helped. BY the simple pro-
cess of placing a tax on articles man
ufactured abroad, the people are COM
PEELED to buy at home and the home
manufacturer can charge the value of
the article plus the tariff and thus
be encouraged by huge profits to keep
at work. These profits, of course, for
the public welfare he will divide with
the men he employs.
The production of wealth is merely
a matter Of putting a governments
fingers into the pocket Of one citizen
and transferring the money there to
the pocket Of another. Prosperity can
be made by forcing all citizens to chip
in and a for the running Of a fac
tory which another citizen would like
W oh IL pS SLod6h iollN u .
sured. Hundreds of prosperous cit
liens with millions can be pointed out
who are living proofs of the effective
ness Of the tariff tax as a promoter
of prosperity. With a bounty on goods
and a premium on idleness, factories
will be shut down, now and then. by
wicked combines, but the taxing power
is unlimited and the favored manu-
facturer never suffers for prosperity
| While the substance of his fellow cit
liens, who must buy from him at his
price holds out. He can live in q cas-
tie, ride in a coach and have money
to burn.-St Louis Republic.
Although our government has not
recognized the existence of the repub-
lie of Cuba, and although it's legation
at Washington has been given no Off
cia1 diplomatic standing, the president
cannot fail to peruse this communica-
ton from Cisneros with profound SYM
pathy n keen interest. One point
that the Cuban president makes is
especially strong. 1t is that even if
Spain should succeed in discriminating
the present population and then re-
fill the island with her own loyal sub
jects, the children of these new settlers
would be Cubans, and another genera
ton would be filled with as much de-
testatiOn for Spain as are the present
insurgents. But, as Cisneros also
points out, the present effort of Spain
has not succeeded in depressing the
rebellion. He claims also that his gov
eminent is in practical working order
in all it's branches; that taxes are col
lected, not by the military, but by his
secretary of the treasury, and that
public schools have been established
and a regular mail service maintained.
N. Y. Mail and Express.