New-York tribune., 1903-06-07

is plain system will have to be devised.
At present the Supreme Court holds that an
time the Constitution expressly prohibits the
levying of any direct tax not susceptible OF ap-
portionment among the States in accordance
with their population. Consequently, the only
two remaining resources are indirect internal
taxation and increase of the national debt.
For some time to come it is clear there will
be no further lowering of the national debt,
and internal taxation Will be made heavier
The facts are of course, that the constitu-
tional sources of revenue are by no means eX-
hausted; that there is no more need of new
system for further taxation than there is of
railroad to the moon; that the govern
ment has cf late been engaged in lowering and
abolishing taxation and is likely TO keep on
doing so; that internal taxation is Fastening
toward the vanishing point, and that the low
ering of the national debt is steadily pro-
ceeding.
But errors of fact in this book form vast
and varied category. We are told, for eX-
ample. that among American cities there are
probably less than half dozen manufactur-
ing gas a very few engaged in supplying cleo
trio light" According to the census of 1859
there were fifteen municipal gas plants, while
as for municipal electric lighting it is done by
at least ten cities in the one State of Illinois
alone! Again. Theodore Roosevelt is the only
President who ever sat in the chair of state
who has served an apprenticeship in one of the
great departments of state We had supposed
that more than half dozen of our Presidents,
including some of the most eminent, had served
in Cabinet Offices before reaching the Chair
of state.' And if ever Hamilton was Secretary
of State the fact has escaped record in any his
tory of which we have knowledge, though Mr..
Beckles Wilson refers to it with a cocksure off
handedness, as something every schoolboy
Io He hot fOf +ba
inhabitants of New-York City. 12.6 per cent
were born in Ireland" The United States CEN
sus says only per cent. We have already
noted his reference to -'forty-six' States. In
another place he swes the number to forty
eight. He tells US that the first steel vessel
ever built in America constructed in 1893,
of steel plates imported from Glasgow" He
transforms old friend Jefferson Brick into
a Jefferson City editor He informs US that
President Roosevelt is "an Anglican in relig
ion." He rails at the American language, as
distinguished from pure English yet his pages
abound in such brutalities as "AbOlitionites,
meaning Abotionists, and "Baptistery," mean
ing the Baptist Church. It is futile, he says,
"to try and abolish trusts; meaning, we sup
pose, to try to abolish them. He tells Of
''the Senates desire to display his power over
a President whom they cannot control" Speak
ing of some eminent American painters, he as
sures US that none of these men received their
art training in America, and have passed most
of their lives in Europe" If that be choice
Canadian English, give US "Americanese'
every tiInei
Was it Yankee or a Canadian who sought
to save weak case by abusing the opposing
attorney? Canadian, imagine; at any
rate some from whose book this Canadian
critic of ours has taken an ample leaf. For
when misstatement fails he has recourse to
simple railing and reviling. Instances
abound" he declares, in which decisions of
federal courts have been predicted in advance
through knowledge of politics of the judges"
The National Guard is "a huge, ambitious, dill
ettante, wire pulling organization-about
Warlke, scientific and efficient as the Imperial
Guard of China" All our Secretaries of State
save Mr. Hay have been ''mediocrities." Few
of Presidents have been gentlemen by
birth and breeding" and Of their wives.
save Mrs. Cleveland and Mrs. Roosevelt, have
been qualified for social leadership. But
enough! This shriu and shrewish voice is that
OF wanton Vivien in BroceIande, when she
Let her tongue
Rage like fire among the notlest names,
POlluting and imputing her whole self
Defaming and defacing, till she left
Not even Lancelot brave, nor Galahad clean.
H.