The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-12-06

the needs of the government The sentiment
,!n OF me country d9pOaes5 commands bhe present
course can safely be pursued. 1t seems TO me
however, for various reasons, so sweeping
measure as the total abolition of internal taxes
would for the present DO an unwisa step. Two
of these reasons are deserving Of special men
tlon, hrat, II is by no means clear that even IL
the existing system of duties on imports Is con-
unued without modi tcation, those duties
alone viii yield sufficient revenue for oil the
needs of tho Government. Ii Is estimated that
SlO,OOOOOO will be required for pensions dur
ing the coming year, and It may woll be
doubted whether the maximum annual de-
mand for that object has yet been reached.
Uncertainty upon this question would alone
lusuty in my Judgment tho retention for the
present of that portion of the system of in
the people; Second, total abolition of excise
taxes would almost inevitably prove a serious
n not an insurmountable obstacle 20
thotuugh revision OF the tartn and tO amy
cOh=ldcrhulc execution In import duties.
TARIFF REVISION,
The present tnrif system Is In many respects
of its burdens and its benefits. This fact was
practically recognized by majority of each
House Of Congress ia the passage OF the act
creating the Tariff Commission. The report
of that commission will be placed before you
at tn" beginning of this session, and will,
trust, afford you much information Us to the
condition and prospect Of the various com
Inerciai, uErcultural, Misunderstanding, mininE
ana other interests OF tho country, ana contain
such suggestions for stututIry revision IA will
practically aid your action upon this import
Tho revcnuc from customs FOR the fiscal year
ending June ~, 1879, amounted to SlGi,OJJ,ulO.
II has in the three succeeding years reached
tigst, $3.50 5000, thcn SI1S, ,UOO.nlO, and finally
as has been already stated, $2DOO).oJJ. Inc
income from tniS source for the fiscal year
which will end ON June ~, 1883 will doubtless
be considerably in excess OF the sum last men
toned. III the tax on domestic spirits is to be
retained IL is plain therefore thut large TcduC-
tiOus from the customs rcVCuuC arc entirely
feasible. While recommending this reduction
L am far from advising the abandonment
of the policy of SO discriminating in tho
adjustment OF details rs to afford aid and
f4ftf ItRI
system should be SO revised as TO equal
ize the public burden among all classes
and occupations and bring it into ClOSCr mar
muny with the present needs OF industry.
Without entering into minute details which
under present circumstances, Is quite unuCcus-
sdry' l rccomucnd an enlargement OF trec
list so as to include within H. the numerous ar
tiCles which yield considerable revenue, u sim
pIihcatioh OF the complex anu inconsistent
schedule OF duties upon certain munuructur-
les, particularly those on cotton, iron aud steel,
ana u subStunuht reduction or the duties
upon those articles, ant upon sugar
molasses, silk, wool and wuIlcu goods.
If q general reVislOuOI the tariff shall be found
to be impractCablu at this session, express
the hope that At least some Of tho more con
spicuOus inequalities Of tn present law may
be corrected before your iuai adjournment;
one of them Is specially referred to by the Sec
retsry in Wow of the rcccnt decision OF the
Supreme Court of the Necessity OF amending
the law by which the duties ON standard OF
color ia adopted at the test uf the saccharue
strength of sugars, Is too oUS iOuS to require
comment.
THE ARMY
appears that tho only outbreaks OF Indians
during the past year occurred in Arizona and
in the southwestern part of Mexico. They were
promptly quel!ed, and the quiet which has pre-
vailed in an other parts Ut the country has per
mitted such an addition to be made to the nili-
tHry force III the region endangered by the
Apuchcs that there is little reason to apprc-
hCud trouble in the future. Those parts OF
the ScCrgtarYs report which relate to our sea
coast dCfsnses and their armament suggest
the gravcst reflections. Our Existing fOrtitca-
tions are notoriously inadequate to the de-
fRn=p nHrDDT1 ~
protection they were built. The question of
necessities has been tho subject of considora-
tiOn by q Board whose report was transmitted
to COugr IS at the last session. Pending the
consideration OF that report the War Depart
ment has taken no steps for the manufacture
or conversion of any heavy cannon, but tho
means TO begin that important work viii be
soon provided.
MILITIA
I invite tho attention of Congress to the pro-
priety OF making more adequate provision for
Hrmiug and equippng the militia than Is ai-
fOried by the act OF iSpj, which is still upon the
statute books. The matter has already been
the subject of discussion in the Senate, and a
bill which seeks 20 supply the deficiencies Of
existing laws IL now upon its calendar. The
Secretary of War calls attention to the fact
that an embarrassment growing out OF the
recent act of Congress making the retire
the pgc of siYty-four Tne act OF 1873 is stu
in force which limits to four hundred the
number of those who can he retired for disa-
biltty or upon their own application. Two
the relieving, even for absolute inCapacity, of
officers who do not fall within the perview OF
the latter statute save at such times as there
chance TO be less than four hundred names on
the retired list, there are now four hundred
and twenty. Il IL not likely that Congress iu-
tended this result and concur with the Score
tary that the law ought to be amended.
NO RIVER AND HAHBOH BILL.
Tho grounds that impclcd nC to Withhold my
signature from the bill entitled An act max
ing appropriations for the construction, repair
and preservation of certain works on rivers
and harbOrs," which became law near the
close of your last session, prompts me to eX-
press the hope that no similar measure Will be
deemed necessary during the present session
now be open to q serious objection in addition
to that which was lately urged upon your at
tentiOn. am Informed by the Secretary of
War that the greater portion of the sum ap-
that act remains uneXpcnded. or the new
works which Unauthorized, expenses have been
incurred upon two only, for which the apprO-
DrIftiOn was S3iOUOO. The present available
Amount of appropriations by an act of Au-
gust ., 1881, SlS, IiS,SI6; amount Of upprOpria-
ton by an act of June 10, 1882, $1,000; amount
of appropriation for payment to j. 3. Eads
preparations, s4TS4,26i Total, $s},7ql, l3S. Less
amount drawn from the Treasury between
July I, ISS2 and November 30 1882, S6,O5G, l94.
Total, SEI3t,hfl. 1t is apparent by this eN-
exhibit that far "a concerns most of the
items to which the act OF August =, lSSS,
lates, there can bC no need of further apprO-
prationS until aftoC the close of the present
session. IT, however, any action should seem
TO be necessary in respect to particular OBJ
ieCts il will be entirely feasible to provide for
those objects by appropriate legislation. 1t Is
lssemblaEe of the next Congress to make addi-
tiOnal provision for the Mississippi River inn
provemcnts might be attended with serious
consequences: II such should appear to be the
.H.nff akga a