The republican assembly of New York pass...

The republican assembly of New York passed a resolution last week congratulating Senator Hill upon his having ranged himseif on republican ground on the tariff question. There is not room or need for two protectionist parties in this country. Those democrats, therefore, who believe in protection, should move over into the republican column where they belong. The history of tariff legislation in Kngland is repeating itself here. No favored class was ever known to surrender any immunity or special privilege without a desperate struggle and none ever will. Recently the rumors have been revived to the effect that Senator Hill will again be a candidate for governor this f all. It is said that a combine has been made between the Hill machine and the Platt republicans which in grim humor is styled the "honest elections party." A rule is likely to be adopted ia the house at Washington to compel members to perform their duties or lose a portion of their pay. Probably no more effective rule could be adopted, for the statesmen there assembled, while they may have little appreciation of the higher duties of their position, are keenly alive tothe matter of drawing their full salaries. The people demand a fulfillment of democratie pledges. The wamings given the party in the recent elections do not indícate a change of heart on the issue which swept the country in '92 after an exhaustive campaign of education, but impatience at the delay in carrying into effect the policy the people ordered, and the seeming intent of certain democratie senators to betray the people. The greatest question of difference between the democratie and republican parties today is the tarifr. W'ith this in mind it is not difficult to determine where the late democratie Senator Hill is at when it is known that his recent tariff utterances meet the approval of the protectionist press alone. His famous assertion, "I am a democrat," goes down before this overwhelming evidence as to his proper political classification. The republican press of thecoun:ry howls over the delay of the democrats in passing the tariff bill, because, as it claims, the revival of business is retarded by the uncertainty as to the new rates; bu; at the same time the republican senators are straining every nerve to prevent the advancement of themeasure. Thus is the republican solicitude for the revival of business shown to be hypocritical. The party desires nothing so much as to retard industrial revival in the hope that it will help in returning the discredited g. o. p. to power in the nation. If they really believed that the uncer. tainty attending the tariff question was the cause of business stagnation, and they honestly desired the revival of business they would not try by every means in their power to keep the issue in a state of uncertainty. The party is acting the role of the mountebank to deceive ths unwary. Those who appose the income tax and advocate the raising of government revenues by taxing consumption alone, claim that therich already pay more than their share of taxes. Government, they say, is maintained by the property classes for the benefit of the poor devils who pay rent and boatd. This superstition and lie had its prigin among the tariff thieves and is the very essence of plutocracy. The claim that the non-property class pays nothing for the support of local government and that it is necessary, therefore, to even things up by compelling them to pay by the indirect method of tariff duties is absurd. No person who lives from the fruits of his labor and consumes wealth in any form is freed from bearing a share of public taxation. By the operations of the same law which enables the itnporter to shift the tariff duties upon the consumer, a large part of the buiden of local government is transferred to the final users and consumers. lnder this inexorable law, no son, be he rich or poor, if he is selfsustaining, can escape paying taxes. No man who has given the ' subject a moments thought will contend that the wholesaler or the retailer pays the entire tax levy on his nierchandise, but that the burden is borne by the final consumer. The same is true of the tenant whether he owns any property or not, for when he pays his rent he pays his mite toward the support of local government. Boarders do the sanie thing when they settle their board accounts. In fact it is always true that the poor and non-property class pay more, in proportion to their ability, for the support of local as well as national government than any other class. Any method of taxation, therefore, which will in some degree correct this inequality and injustice should receive the cordial support of the masses. There need be no fear on the part of the people that the wealthy will not sufficiently guard their own interests in matters of taxation as well as all others. Under the most radical income tax law that congress would think of enacting, they would not contribute for the support of government, n proportion to their ability, as much as do the masses who are not so fortúnate as to possesswealth. In as much as the people, under our system of government, are considered the source of power and authority, they should see to it that the inequalities and injustice of placing the whole burden of taxation on consumption is corrected.