The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-14

is apprehension or need be none, on the part of
the secretary, that next year VIII not yield as much
as last year, or the present year, because we have
the experience Of the pasl before u.s. aud that expe
rienee shows a stable and certain increase. have
already characterized this experience as one toI
which that OF no other three years can afford par
alel. IL has shown the operation OF reliable
and available system of raising revenue, producing
twenty-sx millions nett revenue, and that gradually
increasing. These three years have yielded us in
round numbers seventy nine and half millions,
At no period Of our history can you find three
consecutive years exhibiting such a result The
years 1928, 1929, 1880, forming period when
very high duties were laid, the tariff OF 1928 being
IN operation, the net revenue was seventy hive and
n half millions 1t will be found that the period Of
lowest duties yielded by far the lowest aggregate Of
revenue. Let any cadid man look at the evils pro-
duced by huetuatIng and excessive importatlons,
and then say whether that is not the best system
which proves itself TO he uniform and so steady
in its operation In the same book to which have
already referTed-the last annual report OF the Sec
rotary Of the Tressury-at page 957 we have
table exhibiting the amount Of nett revenue which
accrued annually from 1921 to l945, and from
which we may take notable illustration ofthe huc-
tualing and uncertain operation Of the revenue laws
previous 10 the tariff of 1912. We may begin any
where Let US take The year 1880 Ia that year the
revenue was twenty-five and three-quar:sr millions;
next year thirty and One-quaIter millions
it is down To fourteen and three-quaTter millionsi
then in 1885 il is up TO twenty -One and half mil
ons then comes 1885, when II was tWenty-sIx
millions, whilst, in the following year. II fell down
TO thirteen Millions falling of Of fifty per cent
in Il single year In 1889 it got up to twenty and
half millions, the following year amounting to
only ten millons-anOther falling of OF fifty per
cent in twelve months. And so we go rising and
falling ill from Twelve million in l543 come to
the hrst year ;. the present tariff when the revenue
rose to twenty-five millions. See these exIaOrdi-
nary huctustionsi Need | ask what embauasS-
ment they must have produced to any one at the
head Of the financial department Of the government
Must such a system of duties necessarily lead to
universal disturbance Of the commercial int rest
aud the most serious emb TrassmenL Of the hnan-
cial affairs Of the government Look az the effect
on the business Of the country One year with all
overlooking treasury and excessive appropriations
next year involved In greet peeuniary difficulty
with very much diminished appropriations, and The
business Of The country auetuang In the same Iatio,
because the state Of your is but the bArome
ter-if may say sO-Of the business ofthe country.
Let us look at the amount of importatOns during
the years which | have already mentioned. 10
1880, the imports lin round numbeTs) amounted to
SO, 900 OOO in 1881, slO3 600, 00O in 1892 sl0l,.
600 900; in 1885, Sl05 600 000 IN 1884 l26 900 000
in 1885, sl49 900, 900; 10 1886, sl59 100000.
Mr.. WEBSTER. What year was that
Mr.. EVANS. In 1886, when everything was
at such prices, because we were sending out stocks
to pay for the goods. In 1887 the imports fell
back TO $40, 900, 600 less OF $50 900 900 IN
year! In the next year, 1893, they had fallen to
81 3 900 900. In 1899 they were up again, and
amounted tn sI62, 900 600 that beiCg another year
Of excessive prices and excessive mportatIons. In
1910 they are down again TO slO7 OOs,OOO. From
that they 60 up next year TO 1927 100000; and in
the succeeding year, 1912, down they come, Of
course falling TO 800 900 900. Thus we are brought
down to the tariff Of 1912 Well, now does not
everybody see that such fluctuations must Reees
sarily produce the most disastrous effects unOn the
commercial, manufacturing, monetary, pecnnlary.
hscal-every interest Of the country, and all Imam
cial operations Of the government Must not all in
terests suffer- and be utterly deranged by the want
Of a stable and uniform systeml All that stability
and uniformity much to be desired-so essen
lIa to the prosperity OF the country and the secu.
rlty and efficiency Of the goVrTnment-haye been
attained by the act of lS42. Nov, when 1t is So
when we have a reliable source-a stable and uni.
form means Of obtaining sac O00, 900 annually
which nobody can doubt--when II has proved
itself to be safe and aiequate-is it wise to try
an experiment and nothing but an expert
ment, which you think you can reason yourselves
into believing; but which, allow me to say, think
you rather guess at, than establish by any powers
Of reasoning--will yield much revenue as you
now obtain by the present SYSTEM Whether II
will or not, will show you before am done Now
the tariff Of l642, which the honorable senator from
Alabama, and anybody else may denounce as
rascally, and tyrannca, and villanous, and one to
which no free people should submit has at least
one merritt has been tried. What has il done for
you' 1t has redeemed your discredited reputation
Il has restored the public credit Il has mai ntaned
the government. 1t has been only three years in
operation but during that period II has paid all the
ordinary expenses of government-paid $40, 900 900
of public debt; and if the ordinary expenses of the
government had not been augmented during the last
E.. Lao in he
treasury; and yet 1t is most oppressive revenue
tariff Oh, no not revenue tariff; but an OPP
pressive and inefficient system. have detailed,
however, what it has accomplished revenue
measure. What was our condition before the en-
actment Of this law | have often replied to that
question, that am almost ashamed 10 repeat the
answer. But from 1897, up to the enactment of
this law your revenue derived from all sources
customs, public lands and all--dd not pay the ex-
penses ofyour government. There was deficit OF
more than six millions a year. Will any man dis.
prove IL From 1897 to 1S43, all your receipts
from the ordinary sources Of revenue-not your re-
ceipts in treasury notes and borrowed money-were
inadequate to support the government by more than
six millions year Then the act of 1912, and in
the first three years Of it's operations it has main.
tanned your government, paid millions of debt,
and left six millions on hand. Now, sir, compare
the systems. Say which has proved Itself to be the
sound policy of the country in regard to revenue
and public credit, and all that depends on revenue
and public credit Now, sir looking to the act of
l642, ask if we ought not to be satisfied with It
so far revenue is concernedi Has it not proved
itself to be in the highest degree benefciali Ought
we to change it, Above all, ought we to change it
at such time as the present, when pressing ether-
gency has arisen, and the demands upon the treasu-
ny are increased to such considerable extent' At
such time, with such an emergency pressing upon
us with all the beneficial results of the operation OF
this law before us, ought to abandon a system
which experience has proved to be safe and ade-
quate for the purposes of its establishment and rush
upon a mere experiment-an untried system-and
one against which all the lights and experience of the
past gave such clear and solemn warningf | do
hope, sir, that those who bent upon this change
those who ore determined to PROSTATE the act OF
1912 will tell in plain and distinct terms, whether
they do il because the tariff of 1912 does not answer
The purposes Of revenue to carry on government
That cannot be the reason. Let them, then, show
other They must admit that it is all con
lecture to what the result Of this bill will be.
know calculations have been made--"estimates" as
they have been denomnated perhaps pr perry
into which | will look by-and by-wlth the view OF
showing the narration of the ne w bill But there is