Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-10

burn Observation-Disclosures In the
House-Protest of the SoIdiers-In
| the Grip Of Buccaneers-senato
Hoar on True stafesmanship-IndI-
ana Elections.
Especial washington Letter.l
An unnecessary tax is an unjust tax.
The federal treasury contains vast
surplus which is increasing every day
and which is produced by the continue
ton of the Spanish war taxes.
Therefore these taxes, being unnec
essary, are unjust and should be
abolished
But the signs indicate that the Re
publican leaders will not permit any
change at this session of congress of
any feature of the Spanish war reye-
nue. bill, not even of those features
which are the most irritating to the
people and the least productive of reve-
nue..
Everybody knows that the bill was
hastily prepared. passed under whip
and spur as a temporary measure and
abounds in crudities and inequalities.
Still we are not to be permitted to
change it, even in the estimation of a
hair, because the Republican bosses
have so willed it.
The stamp taxes on medicines are 20
times what the rates are on John D.
Rockefellerss products. but no change
must be made. because the bosses don't
want If don't Won know
Stamp taxes on small notes, con
tracts, mortgages, etc, are more pro-
ductfye of profanity than revenue, but
they must stand, because the bosses
! have SO willed it.
By the end of the year the surplus, at
the present rate, will be betwixt $780,
100000 and S7000oO00, but the bosses
appear to deem that an evidence of
craftsmanship, hugging to their breasts
the delusion that people don't know
that every dollar of that surplus is I'M
justly wrung from the oYerburdened
taxpayers of the land.
A surplus in the treasury is a sta1ru-
ing invitation to every rascal in the
land to move on Washington with some
scheme to deplete Uncle Sa1nuePs pleth-
oric pocketbook, but the bosses de
cree that matters shall remain in statu
quo.
Thomas Jefferson's declaration is as
good and wise today as when first
made Economy in the public expense
that labor may be lightly burdened"-
but the bosses care nothing about la
Dor or its burdens so long as they can
point with pride to huge surplus, the
result of unnecessary taxation. They
could easily double the surplus by the
simple process of doubling the taxes.
There is no end to such plan, except
the exhaustion of the peoples patience.
Republicans Irritable.
What seems to be the certainty of
impending defeat renders the Repub-
lican leaders irritable, querulous and
Kilkenny catfish. They yowl and
howl and claw and otherwise disport
themselves to the infraction of the pub
lie decorum. They use loud, violent,
abusive and tumultuous language to-
ward each other in such a reckless
manner as to disturb the peace of their
Democratic neighbors, who are in a
peculiarly happy frame of mind con-
templating what reforms they will
work when they come into possession
of the government at high noon March
4, A. D. 1901.
During the debate on the Nicaragua
bill Uncle Joe Cannon of Illinois,
81, sv,,oov of {I,o rrroo+ aor,ra;++aa on
appropriations, and Colonel William
Peters Hepburn of Iowa. popularity de-
| nominated Colonel Pete, chairman Of
the committee on Interstate and for
eign commerce, committed mouth as
saults upon each other with intent to
kill and murder-at least to do great
bodily harm.
On the 7th day of this month Uncle
Joe was 64 years old. has been in the
house q quarter of a century and
should know better than to quarrel
like fishwife.
Colonel Hepburn Is past 66, though
he does not look it. He has been in
congress many years, was once sollc-
itor of the treasury, and 1t would ap-
pear that he has seen enough years to
''cool his heart of fire"
Not so, however. These two veteran
statesmen fell a-foul of each other, like
two Greco Roman wrestlers, and tug
ged, strained, tore up the ground in such
disgraceful manner that Charlie
Wheeler of Kentucky demanded that
they be called to order, but nobody
paid any attention to his call. as every
body wanted to see the two illustrious
Republicans wool each other to their
hearts content. but it must be confess
ed that when a row gets too hot to
please a Kentuckian things are liable
to melt. Perhaps Wheeler was dis
gusted because they were confning
themselves to shaking fists and hurting
epithets instead of adopting the Ken
lucky plan of settling difficulties, which
plan was recently illustrated by Colo
mel David G. Colson. when he killed
three men at one time.
Colonel Hepburn cast aspersions on
AInela Ioe's sincerity Uncle Ine. with
| many gesticulations, genufiexions and
gyrations, reflected on Colonel Pete's
Integrity and good faith. Colonel Pete,
white with rage. gave Uncle Joe the
lie conditLonaIly, and when Uncle Joe
taunted him with putting in the eondi-
tions, Colonel Pete, fairly sizzling with
wrath, withdrew the conditions, there
by giving the lie direct to the venerable
| Sucker. To one hflariously disposed
this exhibition of Republican intelli-
gence, this exposition of Republican
manners. was better than circus.
A Contest of Biliingsgate.
Now, be it remembered that this was
a scene between Republican statesmen,
and the Democrats had precisely the
interest ia it. and no more, which the
old woman had in the fight between
bruin and her liege lord when with
| perfect impartiality. she encouraged
both by first shouting, go It, hus.
baud:" and then. go it, bearY First
and last Republican Pharisees have