The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-12-13
WHOLE NO. l64O.

the maximum annual demand for
that object has vet been reached.
Uncertainty upon this question
would alone justify, in my judge
ment, the retention for the present
of that portion of the system of in
ternal revenue which is least oblec
tionable to the people. Second-A
total abolition of the excise tax
would almost inevitably prove Sc
rIous if not an insurmountable oo-
stacle to thorough revision of the
tariff and to any considerable redGc-
ton in import duties. The present
tariff system is In many respects un-
just 1t makes unequal distribution
OF its burdens and lis benefits. This
fact was practically recognized by
majority of each House of Congress
iii The passage of the act creating the
Tariff Commission. The report of
that Commission will be placed be-
fore you at the beginning of this
session, and will, | trust, afford you
such information as to the condition
and prospects of the various COM
mercial, agricultural, manufacturing,
mining and other interests of the
country, and contain such sugges-
tions for statutory revision, as will
practically aid your action upon this
important subject. The revenue
from customs for the fiscal year end
ed June 80, 1879, amounted to s137,-
/ 100000. 1t has in the three sue
ceeding years reached, first, 1885,
100000, then, s19S, 100000, and final
ly, as has been already stated, s220,-
100000. The income from this
source for the fiscal year which will
end June 80, 1888, will doubtless be
considerable in excess of the SUM
last mentioned. If the tax on do
mestic spirits is to be retained, it is
plain, therefore, that large reductions
from the customs revenues are en-
tirely feasible. While recommend
ing this reduction, | am far from adj
vising the abandonment of the poll
cy of so discriminating in the ad-
justment of details as to afford aid
and protection to domestic labor.
Rut the present system should be so
revised as to equalize the public
burden among all classes and occu-
pations, and bring it into closer har-
moDy with the present needs of in
dustry. Without entering into min
ute detail, which under present cir
cumstancet is quite unnecessary, |
recommend an enlargement of the
list, so as to include within it the
numerous articles which yield in
considerable revenue A simplifca-
ton of the complex and consistent
schedule of duties upon certain man
ufacturers, particularly those of cot
ton, iron and steel, and a substantial
reduction of the duties upon those
articles and upon sugar, molasses,
silk, wool and wooden goods. If a
general revision of the tariff shall be
found to be impracticable at this ses-
sion, l express the hope that at least
some of the more conspicuous inc
qualities OF the present law NAV be
corrected before your final adjourn
ment. One of them is specially re-
ferred to by the Secretary In view
of recent decision of the Supreme
Court, the necessity of amending the
law by which the Dutch standard of
color is adopted as the test of sac
charine strength of sugars, is too OBJ
vious to require comment.
From the report OF the Secretary
Of War it appears that the only out
breaks of Indians during the past
year occurred in Arizona and in the
southwestern part of New Mexico.
They were promptly quelled, and
the quiet which has prevailed in all
other parts of the country has per-
mitted such an addition to be made
to the military force in the region
endangered by the Apaches that
there is little reason to apprehend
trouble In the future. Those parts
of the Secretary's report which re-
late to our sea coast defenses and
their armament suggest the gravest
reflections. Our existing fortifica-
tions are notoriously inadequate to
the defense of the great harbors and
cities for whose protection they were
built. Ths question of providing
an armament suited to our present
necessities has been the subject of
consideration by board whose re-
port was transmitted to Congress at
the last session. Pending the con-
sideration of that report, the War
Department has taken no steps for
the manufacture or conversion of
any heavy canon, but the Secretary
expresses the hope that authority
and means to begin that Important
work will soon be provided.
/ invite the attention Of Congress
to the propriety Of making more ad-
equate provision for arning and
equipping the militia than is afford
ed sy the act of 1909, which is still
upon the statute books. Tne mat
ter has already been The subject of
discussion in the Senate, and bill
which seeks t. supply the defcien-
cies of existing laws is now upon its
calendar. The Secretary of War
calls attention to the fact OF an en-
barrassment growing out of the re-
cent act Of Congress making the re-
tirement of officers of the army
compulsory at the age of sixty-four.
The act Of 1873 is still in force,
which limits to four hundred the
number Of those who can be retired
for disability or upon their ows ap-
plication. The two acts, wsen con-
strued together, seem 10 forbid the
retiring, even for absolute incapac-
ity, of officers who do not fall with
in the purview of the latter statute,
save at such times as there chance
10 be less than four hundred nsnes
on the retired list There are now
four hundred and twenty. 1t is not
likely that Congress intended this
result, ard l concur with the Secre
,1sy that the Law ought to be amen
ded.
!. The grounds that iupelled me to
withhold ray signature from the bill
entitled An act making appEopria-
tons for the construction, repair and
preservation oS certain works on