The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-12-07


I venture now to suggest that, unless
II shall be ascertained that the probable expen-
ditures of the Government for the coming year
have been urderestimated. all internal taxes, save
those which relate to distilled spirits, can be
safely abrogated. Such a course, If accompanied
by a simplifcation of the machinery of collection,
which would then be easy of accomplishment,
might reasonably be expected to result in diminish
the cost of such collection by at least ~, 100000,
in the retirement from office of from 1900 to
2 900 persons.
The system of excise duties has never commend
ed itself to the favor of the American people,
and has never been resorted to except for supply
ing deficiencies in the Treasury, when, by reason
of special exigencies, the duties on imports have
proved inadequate to the needs OF the Govern
ment.
The sentiment of the country doubtless COM
mands the present excise tax shall be abolished as
soon as such course can safely be pursued. 1t
seems to me, however, for various reasons, SO
a measure as the total abolition of in
ternal taxes would for the present be an unwise
step. Two of these reasons are deserving OF
SPECIAL MENTION.
First 1t is by no means clear that even If the
existing system of duties on imports is continued
without modification those duties alone will yield
sufficient revenue for all the needs of the Govern
ment.
1t is estimated that 500, 900, 900 will be required
for pensions during the coming year, and 1t may
demand for that object has yet been reached. I'm
certainty upon this question would alone justify,
in my judgment, the retention for the present of
nal Revenue which is least Objectionable to the
people.
almost inevitably prove a serious if not an insur-
objection to a thorough revision OF the
tariff and to any considerable execution in import
duties.
TARIFF SYSTEM.
The tariff system is in many respects unjust; it
makes unequal distributions both of its burdens
and its benefits. This fact was practically recog-
nized by a majority of each House of Congress, in
the passage of the act creating the Tariff Commits
sion. The report Of that Commission will be
placed before you at the beginning of this session,
and will, L trust, afford you such as
to the condition and prospects of the various COM
mercial, agricultural, manufacturing, mining and
other interests of the country, and contain such
suggestions for statutory revision as will practi-
cally aid your action upon this important subject.
The revenue from customs Tor the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1879, amounted to Sl37, 900, 900. It has
in the three succeeding years reached, first, $780,
600 1000, then s19S, 900, 100, and finally, as has been
already stated, s22o, 100000. The income from this
source for the fiscal year which will end on June
80, 1888, will doubtless be considerably in excess of
the sum last mentioned. If the tax on domestic
spirits is to be retained, it is plain, therefore, that
large reductions from the customs revenue are en-
tirely feasible. While recommending this reduc-
tion 1 am far from advising the abandonment of
the policy of SO discriminating in the adjustment
of details as to afford aid and protection to domestic
but the present system should be SO revised
as to equalize the public burden among all classes
and occupations, and bring it into closer harmony
the present needs of industry.
Without entering into minute detail which I'M
der present circumstances is quite unnecessary, 1
Oil ChidA INT VI 1lCC lie 81 dS " III
clude within it the numerous articles which yield
in considerable revenue, a simpliicatien of the
complex and inconsistent schedule of duties upon
certain manufactures. particularly those of cot
ton, iron and steel, and a substantial reduction of
the duties upon these articles, and upon sugar,
molasses, silk, wool and wooden goods. If
A GENERA REVISION OF THE TARIFF
shall be found to be impracticable at this ses-
sion, I express the hope that at least some of the
more conspicuous inequalities of the present law
may be corrected before your final adjournment;
Nna ~ fLay, 1es-Na,a11,, Fo--o T. ~
in view of a recent decision of the Supreme Court.
The necessity of amending the law by which the
duties standard of color is adopted as the test of
the saccharine strength of sugars is too obvious to
require m
S~EA-CoAST DEFENsEs.
Those parts of the Secretary of Wars report
which relate to our sea-colst defenses and their
armament suggest tbs gravest reflections over
existing Notifications as VIGOROUSLY inadequate to
the defense of the gr. at harbors and cities for
whose protection they were built. The question
of providing an armament suited to our present
necessities has bsen The subj ct of consideration by
q Bo ud, whose report wa to Congress
st the last session. Pending t e consider ton of
that report the War Department HIS taken no
steps for the manufacture or conversion of any
heavy cannon, but the Secretary expresses the
hope that authority and means to begin that i'm
portant WORK will be soon provided. Invite the
attention of Congress to the propriety of making
more adequate provisions for arming and equipping
the militia than is afforded by the act of
1906, which is still upon the statute books.
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
The grounds that impelled me to withhold my
signature from the bill entitled A act making
appropriations for the construction, repair and
preservation of certain works on rivers and har-
bors," which became a law, near the close of your
last session, prompt me to express hope that no
similar measure will be deemed necessary during
the present session of Congress. Indeed. such a
measure would now be open to a serious objection
in addition to that which was lately urged upon
your attention. am informed by the Secretary of
War that the greater portion of the sum appropri-
ated for the various items specified in that act re-
mains unexpended. OF the new works which it
authorized, expenses have been incurred upon two
only, for which the total appropriation was $780,
900. The present available balance is disclosed by
the following table:
Amount Of appropriation by act of August 2,
1882, $ 8, 7SS,s75; amount of appropriation by act
June 10, 1881. SIC, 900; amount of appropriation for
payments to ]. B. Eads, 1904, 900; unexpended bal
snee OF former appropriations, s4,1SS,' 6S; total,
S23 79l 1873; less amount drawn from the Treasury
between July /, 1882, and November 80, 1882,
s6.056, 1871; total, ST. 1874 9ii.
1t is apparent by this exhibit, that so far as con-
Germs most of the items to which the act of August
?, 1882, relates, there can be no need of further
session. If, however, any action should seem to
be necessary in respect to particular objects it will
be entirely feasible to provide for those objects by
appropriate legislation. 1t is possible, for ex-
ample, that a delay until the assembling of the
next Congress to make additional provision for the
Mississippi River improvement might be attended
with serious consequence.
THE JEANETTE EXPEDITION.
On the 21st of December, 1881, information was
received that the exploring steamer Jeanette had
been crushed and abandoned in the Arctic Ocean.
The officers and crew, after a journey over the
ice, embarked in three boats for the coast of Sibe-
ria. One of the parties, under the command of
Chief Engineer George, W. Melville, reached the
land, and falling in with natives, was saved. An
other under Lieutenant Commander DE Long
landed in a barren region near the mouth of the Lena
River. After six weeks had elapsed all but Two of
No tidings have been received from the party in
the third boat under command of Lieutenant
Chip, but a long and ~fruitless Investigation
leaves little doubt that all its members
their heroism l give in this communication
the names of the gallant men who sacrificed
mander George W. belong. Surgeon James NJ.
Amber, jerome J. collins, Hans Halmer, Erich
sen, Heinrich II; Kaacke, George W. Bryd Wal
ter Lee, Adolph Dressler, Carl A. GortZ, Nelse
Loersen, the cook, a, Ii. Lane, and the Indian,
Alexy. The officers and men in the missing boat
were Lieut.. Charles W. Chipp, commanding, will
liam Dunbar, Alfred sweetman, walter Sharven,
Albert c. Kuehne, Edwin Star, Henry D. Warren,
and Peter E. Johnson. Lieutenant sales B. Horton
and Master VIM. H. H. Scheulzekesch are now
bringing home the remains of Lieutenant belong
and his comrades. In pursuance of the directions
of Congress the Rodgers fitted out for the relief of
the Jeanette, in accordance with the act of en-
gress of March ;, 1881, and sailed from San Fran
cisco June Is, under the command of Lieutenant
Bobert NJ: Berry. On November 80 she was acct
crew succeeded nassshsi DAY IN o" escaping rpG O"e to- t the
shore. Ii utenant Berry and one OF his officers,
after maxi e a search for the Jeanr cite aloE & the
coast of Siber a, fell in with chief Engineer Mel
ville's pjrty and returned home by way of Europa.
The 9th r officers and the cr.w of the Rodgers
were brought Fl, m st. Lawrence Bay by the whal-
ing steamer North Star, Master Charles F. Putnam.
who had been placed in charge of the depot Of
supple at CJpe Serdze. returning to his post from
st. Lawrence Bay across the ice in a binding
bnow-storm, was carried out to sea and lost, not
withstanding all efforts to rescue him.
H NAVY.
1t appears by the Secretary's report that the
available naval force of the United States consists
of thiIty-seven cruisers, fourteen single turreted
built during the rebellion, q large num-
Der of smooth-bore guns and parrot rifles, and
eighty-sevsn rifed cannon. The cruising vessels
should gradually be replaced by iron or steel
ships, the monitors by modern armed vessels, and
the armament by high-power riied guns. The
reconstruction of our navy, which was recon-
mended in my last message, was begun by Con-
gress authorizing in its recent act, The construc-
ton of two large unarmed steel vessels of the char
acter mmeu by the late Navy Advisory
Board and subject to the final approval of a new
Advisory Board, to be organized as provided by
that act. 1 call your attention to the recommended
ton OF the Secretary of the Board that authority
be given to construct two more cruisers OF smaller
dimensions and one fleet dispatch vessel, and that
appropriations be made for high-pOwer rihed can
non, for the torpedo service, and for other harbor
defenses.
SHIP BUILDING.
Methods of reviving American ship building