The democratie state convention should c...

The democratie state convention should come out squarely in favoi of an income tax. Such a tax has the ment of being just, equitable and popular at the same time. The democratie state convention has been called for June 28th in the city of Grand Rapids. Every party interest demands that this convention be a full and representative one. The democracy of the state should, therefore, in the time between the present and the date named, give careful consideration to the matters which will come before the convention, and in naming delegates to the same only such sons should be selected as will surely attend the convention and faithfully represent there the constituency sending them. This is essential in order that the character of the ticket narned and the platform adopted may be such as to inspire the confidence of every democrat. With such a ticket and platform, a united and determined democracy will go into the campaign with fair chances of winning success. The New York Evening Post, the staunchest of the mugwump supporters of the administration, admits the complete influence of the sugar trust in the councilsof the U. S Senate. Isn't it wonderful, that a party which has howled so loudly about being a friend of the masses, by being a foe to monopoly, should become the pliant tooi of the most infamous of all the greedy trusts in the nation?- Ann Arbor Courier. 'Tis strange, passing strange, but nothing new, brother. This " the most infamous of all the greedy trusts " has controlled a majority in the senate for years on all matters r;iating to duties on refined sugar, controlled a majority because it (the trust) had purchased and paidforit. The republican "howl" about the democratie surrender to the trust is wholly insincere and hypocritical. In doing this the democrats have simply followed in the footsteps of the republican majority which preceded thetn. Four years ago the republicans sold themselves body and soul to "the infamous trust" and on the strength of that bargain the stock of the trust increased 50 per cent. in value, while the McKinly bill was pending. And to this day the trust is in the full enjoyment of the blood money filched from the people by means of that political crime. It should not be forgotten either that while there is no paliation or excuse for the infamous surrender to the sugar trust, by the present majority, the benefit carried by the present bill is far less than what the trust is now enjoying under the McKinley law. The much talked about silver plank of the Missouri democratie platform seems to be a wide departure from the erstwhile views of Representative Bland on that subject. The resolution demands "free bimetallic coinage of both gold and silver, and the restoration of the bimetallic standard as it existed under our laws for over eighty years." It does not stop there, however, but continúes. "Should it became necessary in order to keep the twometals in circulation to readjust the rates, it should be determined whether gold has risen or silver has fallen, and whether there should be a change of the gold dollar or of the silver dollar or both. Both should be coined at such ratio as will maintain the two metáis in circulation." Here are two admissions which Mr. Bland has never before acknowledged, viz., that a free coinage law may not make the two metáis circuíate concurrently, but that a new ratio may be necessary and that there is a question whether the parting of the two metáis may be due to the rise of gold or the fall of silver. Any believer in bimetalism would find little to object to in that resolution. It acknowledges that the important point in the whole matter is the subordination of the ratio to the principie of maintaining the two metáis in circulation concurrently. There is gratifying evidence of progress in this declaration. Any scheme for the free coinage of both gold and silver so as to insure the results here demanded would undoubtedly receive the support of an overwhelming majority of the American people. For months the protected industries of the country which have grown rich and arrogant through governraent favoritism have kept up a long drawn out howl about the impending and certain ruin that will result from the removal of the protective duties on their products. The most unprincipled and lying assertions have been iterated and reiterated for the purpose of frightening the people from insistance upon tariff reform. A scare has in this way been created and business depressed not from patriotic motives, but from motives of the rankest selfishness. Their desire for the continuance of protection is for the advantageof themselves only. Congress has never attempted the removal of any protective duty without a similar howl. When it was proposed to remove the dnty on hides and put them on the free list the most frantic efforts were made to prevent it. Ruin to the tanning and leather interests was predicted. The duty was removed, however, and the result was the giving to America the markets of the world in that line of trade. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer the following are some of the advantages that have resulted to the people: 1. The utilization of hemlock bark, of which we have an immense supply. 2. The price of hemlock land has doubled in value. 3. Immense tanneries have been established, requiring large capital. 4. Steady and protitable employ ment has been given to thousands of hands in gathering bark and conducting the tanneries. 5. The competition in the production of leather has furnished a better market for domestic hides than ever before. 6. The facilities for the conversión of hieles into leather and the improved process employed and the competition provoked has reduced the price of leather to consnrners! 7. Boots and shoes, beltings, harness, carriage trimmings, have been reduced in price oue-half. 8. The number of employés in all the departments of industry in vvliich hides and leather constitute a part are beyond computation. 9. Aniericans now control the leather market of the world, in spite of all competition from all countries where pauper labor abounds. 10. Reliable statistics show that since hides were placed on the free list there bas been an increase in the shoe list of 70 percent, and the tanning industry of 126 per cent. and an increase of wages of 15 percent, to the employer. 11. American tanneries are exporting leather of the value of flve or six millions of dollars a year to Europe, competing successfully with all other countries. The annual average for the last four years of our exports of sole leather alone has been $37,800,000, 75 per cent. of which was sold in England. The duty on sole leather by the McKinley bill is 10 per cent. The same tactics were resorted to when it was proposed to remove the duty from quinine, yet its removal was followed by similar advantageous results to the people. All these things tend to prove not only that there is not a scintilla of patriotism in this frenzied clamor for the continuance of the protective duties, but that the entire motive forcé in the matter is to be found in the :riminal selfishness of the trusts and millionairs who have long been accustomed to government discrimination in this favor. If anything were lacking to convince the people of the correctness of this view, the position of the assistant protectionists in the senate today would furnish the proof. The unspeakable sugar trust which even our contemporary, the Courier, acknowledges to be the most infamous and greedy of all, experiences no difficulty in securing a duty laid solely in its interest. It experienced even less difficulty in securing a larger duty for its private benefit from the republican congress which passed the McKinley law. And yet the people are told that even this log rolling is in their interest and that, without this protection our industries would be ruined. The hypocracy and selfishness of the protectionists ought to be so plain as to deceive no one. In every instance where protective duties have been removed, the results have been dimetrically opposite to what the protectionists predicted, they would be, and there is no reason to doubt but that the removal of various other protective duties will result in similar advantage to the people.