Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-10-08

not the poor. by cheapening their prices, If that
can be allowed to use them I"
Hence, sir, the articles Of tea and coffee, only
Row quasi 4uxnriss TO any, and substantially or
practically among the comforts, il not necessa-
ries, of all classes. are not to be taxed unless
indispensable TO meet our imperative engage
! ments. But, on the contrary, if it appear that
We are not able TO meet those engagements ex-
| cept by taxing necessaries as well as Injuries,
then you must march up TO the urgency of the
occasion, and tax them as you already have
woollens. sugar, and iron. thought former
y, as do now. and hope always to think, that
II you will not reduce your expenditures as low
as eighteen or twenty millions, and do not ex-
pect larger importaticns than those of 1888, il
will not be possible to make the ends Of the year
meet without going beyond twenty per cent
duty on some articles. or raising tile duty on
others now free, including tea and coffee-and
that the only question would then be between
the preservation Of the public faith, and mo-
derate tax on tea or coffee. Between those two
considerations, when forced upon US, did not
| then, nor could now, hesitate.
But rslen stated expressly, as l now do,
| that our expenditures ought not, in my opinion,
| to exceed about eighteen millions a year in
| 1912. had expressed similar opinion in the
annual report On the finances in the December
| previous. And l still think that they could
| safely and prudently be reduced TO even less
than eighteen in ordinary times. and am ready
| at any moment to designate the items and
amounts Of reduction under each, which APP
pear to me feasible. then thought, also, and
then said, that probably the imports would be
larger in 1912, and afterwards, than they had
been in 1888. Bot it was necessary to take
. . of ~
| and therefore new one, 1888, was selected,
as 1889 had been unusually high. 1t was,
however manifest then, as it is now, that il our
expenses should not exceed eighteen millions
yearly, and the imports prove to be much lar
ger than in 1888, no duty whatever 90 tea and
cetfee would probably be necessary.
BY the much larger amount Of imports, ss
computed by the Secretery of the Treasury for
1912, no duty on them will be required in or
der 10 defray eighteen or even twenty millions
Of expenditure. Hence, in accordance with
the principles lhave always entertained on The
question:, and 10 accordance with sound views
Of political economy, this motion to make tea
and coffee free ough. to prevail.
The only remaining inquiry, on this occasion,
is one Of fact; that is, whether the Secretary's
estimate as to the revenue, or mine as 10 The
proper amount Of expenditure are either Of them
! erroneous. 1t becomes IA question:, on sound
economical principles, whether We could obtain
enough for all our reasonable wants, without
the duties Oh tea aud coffes, or not. T.isinusi
depend upon how much we ought to expeud
yearly under the new Administration, so radi-
cal ia its professions, aud how much we are
likely 10 receive yearly, without tax on these
articles, under its high expectations as to a re-
| vival oil prosperity. | shall thea, fos reasons
stated on several former occasions. suppose,
| until The contrary is shown, that the expen-
diiures in 1912 ought to be not over elgb-
teen millions. aud THAI the large imports esti-
mated at this session in the II s.sury Depart
tnent, and in The other House, may DO probable.
Then we eau assess 90 Per cent. ca cue hum
dted aud twenty FIVE millions Of dutiable i'm
ports, and tiien the nett revenue would be over
twenty millions. To that, in the first half Of
next year, there will be added over two. mill
lions before the last reduction takes effect, on
the Is, Of July aud, after that over million
moro for the augmentation then made by the
home valuation. The Senator from Kentucky
will probably estimate the addition by the home
valuation at even larger amount.
The whole revenue from customs would thus
be over twenty-lhree millions: add TO this only
three millions more for the lands, and you have
a nett revenue Of more than twenty-six millions
add the lands, because the bill giving them
away has not yet become law, and ought not
to. But if it does become law aud is not re-
pealed before distribution is made, there will
be still twes,y.three millions of revenue to
meet only what ought to be eighteen millions |
of expenditure. That will leave an excess of |
five millions of revenue, SO that two millions |
on tea and coffee, as we'll as one million on |
salt and moIasses, can be dispensed with, and |
sill two millions extra be left TO cover contin.
eencies and fluctuations, whether in receipts or |
expenditures, or in paying the debt. The duty |
on lea and coffee can thus safely and prudent |
ly be omitted. 1t amounts, at 20 per cent. on |
an average import, to only about two millions |
instead Of three, as supposed by the Secretary |
and others. The amount brought in during !
1910, Of near twenty millions pounds Of tea, |
was, FROM difficulties between China and Eng |
land, nearly double the average quantity con-
sumed here. Hence, say ten milIions. at |
Twenty-Five cents per pound, with the ninety |
FIVE million pounds Of coffee, at nine cents per |
pound, and they would be together in value |
only about 81 100000. On this duty Of I
twenty per cent. would yield, in the gross. only
80, 800, OoO, aud of nett revenue not much above |
two millions.
Place these, then, among the free articles, |
and there would still BE- over twenty-one mill
ions of revenue from customs alone to defray /
eiohteen millions of expenditure. l, therefore, T
have proposed TO 90 still further, and by an
other amendment reduce the dnties on salt and /
coffee, next year, one half and in 1915, the 9TH
er hal:, constituting together about miilion.
If thew both were free az well as coffee and |