The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-05

ishing the cost of such collection by
at least S2,5O0,000. and in The retire
ment "A 1m Office of from 1880 to
1000 persons. The system of excise
duties have never commended itself
to the favor of the American PEG
Die. and had never been reserted to
except for supplying deficiencies in
the treasury, when by reason of sper
cial exigencies the duties on imports
have proved inadequate for the
needs of the government
The sentiment of the country,
doubtless, is that the present excise
tax shall be abolished as soon as
such a course can safely be pursued.
Tt seems to me, however, for various
reasons, that so sweeping measure
as the total abolition of internal
taxes would for the present be an
unwise step. Two of these reasons
are deserving of special mention.
First. it is by no means clear that if
the existing system af duties on i'm
ports is continued without modifca-
ton, the duties will alone be sufi-
Gent for all the needs of the govern
ment. 1t is estimated that $780,
100000 will be required for
pensions during the coming year,
and it may well be doubted whether
the maximum annual demand for
that object has yet been reached.
The uncertainty upon this question
would alone justifyin my. judy
ment, the retention, for the present,
Of that portion OF the system of in
ternal revenue which is least objec-
tionable to the people. Second,
total abolition of the excise taxes
would almost inevitably prove Sc
rious, if not an insurmountable OBJ
lection to a Thorough revision OF the
tariff, and to any considerable reduc-
ton in import duties. The present
tariff system is in many respects I'M
just. 1t makes unequal distribu-
tions, both Of its burdens and its
benefits. This fact was practically
recognized by majority of each
House of Congress, in the passage OF
the act creating the tariff commits
sion. The report of the commission
will be placed before you at the be-
ginning Of this session, and will, |
trust, furnish you such information
as to the condition and prospect of
the various commercial, agricul-
tural, manufacturing, mining and
other interests Of the country, and
contain such suggestions for statu-
tory revision, as viii practically aid
Your action upon this important
subject.
The revenue from customs for the
fiscal year ending June both, 1879,
amounted to S137, 100000. It has in
three succeeding years reached, first,
$3.50, 000,080, then S19S, C00,G00, ana
finally, as . has been already
stated, S226,000,000. The income
from this service 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 that large re-
auctions from the customs revenue
are entirely feasible. While
recommending this reduction, |
am far from advising the
abandonment of the policy of so lis
eliminating in the adjustment of
details as to afford aid and protec-
ton to domestic labor. But the
present system should be so revised
as to equalize the public burdens
among all classes and occupations
and bring it into closer harmony
with the present needs of industry.
Without entering into minute de-
tan, which, under the present Cir
cumstances is quite unnecessary, [
recommend an enlargement Of the
free list so as to include within it
the numerous articles which yield
inc0nsider9ble revenue, and a SIM
plihcation of the complex and in
consistent schedule of duties upon
certain manufactures, particularly
those of cotton, iron and steel, and
substantial reduction of the duties
upon those articles, and upon sugar,
molaSses, silk and wooden goods. If
3 general revision of the tariff shall
be found to be impracticable at this
session, l express the hope that at
least some of the more conspicuous
inequalities of the present law may
be corrected before your final ad-
journment. One of them is specially
referred to by the secretary. In re-
cent decision Of the Supreme Court
the necessity of amending the law
by which the standard of color is
adopted as the test on saccharine
strength of sugars is too obvious to
require comment.
THE INDIANS.
From the report of the secretary
of war it shows that the only
outbreak of Indians during the past
year occurred in Arizona, and in
the southwestern part of New Mex
leo. They were promptly quieted
and the quiet that has prevailed in
all other parts of the country has
permitted such an addition to be
made to the military force in the
region endangered by the Apaches,
that there is little reason to appre-
bend trouble in future. The
reports of the secretary which re-
late to our sea coast defences
and their armanant suggest the
greatest reflections. Our country
notifications are VIGOROUSLY made
quate for the defense of the great
harbors and cities for whose protec-
ton they were built. The question
OF providing an armament suited
to our present necessities has been
the subject of consideration bv a
board whose report was transmitted