Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-12-14

should bs reduced 10 the lowest point consls
| ten. With thu proper maintenenco or govern
msnt The surplus year before last was SlUO
100000; that for the year ending June 10 las
was more than $l50,O00,000. these en0rmou
sums have been applied to the reduction o
the national debt, but 80 rapid "A reduction Il
by no means desirable. II the SURPRISES con
tinue the government will soon be compelled
to expend them Ia tbs purchase OF immatur'
bonds atenormous premiums,or let them lie iol'
In the treasury prey To all the extravagan
expenditure (which, AS experience has laugh
us, 10 ever the Lane OF an Overcoming treas
urg. During the las seesion the majority Of
tho houses were favorable to reduced taxation
but owing ~ a divergence Of Vows, no meas
ule Dasssi with that end In vew. The pres
idsnt recalls his recomme ndati0n Of last year
, OF the abolition Of all internal taxes excep,
! | those on tobacco ard spirits. He now recon-
mends the repeal of ali but those on spirits
This would enable the government to retire
from ZOO to 2,C00 peTsOna finn 0t1ce AMI
reduce the Cast or collection by S2,b0O.000.
Excise taxes were always unpopular, and have
peyer been resoriad to in this country except
IN exigencies wherein import duties proved
inadequate for the public needs. The public
sentiment would gladly see all internal taxes
abolished, but 30 sweeping
measure would at present be- unwise.
1t is doubtful il the present important
dut es would alone supply the governments
| neces ities; the pensions will require 100 mil
lions during the coming year, and probably
still more the following years. The total Alb
| clifton Of the internal taxes would also be an
unsurmountable obstacle TO thorough revi-
s0I OF ths tariff.
THE PRESENT TARIFF SYSTEM
Ia in many respects unjust. 1t makes I'M
equal distributions both Of its burdens and Its
| benefits. The report OF the tariff commission
will be placed before congress n the begin
ming OF this session ana will aid action upon
! this In pOrtant subject. After showing the in
crease OF revenue from customs for several
years past, the president says: IF the tax en-
domestic spirits Il 90 be retained 1t is plain
] that large reductions from the customs revenue
are entirely feasible. While recommending
this reduction, I am far from advising the
| abandonment OF the policy or 80 discriminating
In the adjustment OF details as 10 afford sid aud
| protection to domestic labor; bat the pi esent
system should be 30 revised as TO eQualiza the
| public burden among all Glasses and Occupa-
tons, and bring it into closer harmony with
tina present needs OF industry"
| Without entering into minute detail. an en-
! largement Of the free list 10 recommended 80
az 20 Include within II the numerous ar icies
| which yield incOusiderabls revenue and a
| simplifcation o. ihe complex and inconsistent
| schedule or duties upon certain manufactures
particularly those ~ cotton. iron and steel,
and a substantial reduction Of the duties upon
| those articles, and upon sugsr, m0lassee, SILK,
wool and wooden goods. III "A general revision
OF the tariff shall be- found 10 be la impractical
bic at ibis session, tue resident hopes az least
some OF the more conspicuous Inequalities OF
the present Law may Do corrected before the
adjournment.
THE INDIANS.
| The president shows that there have been
| only few and quickly Quelled outbreaks OF
Indians curing the year. Tho Quletness In
| other parts has enabled the military strength
In the Indian country TO b. strengthened and
| no fears are expressed OF future trouble there
OF great magnitude.
WORTHLESS DRFENsEs.
The Oft told tale Of the worthlessness OF our
sea coast defenses, Ia, again repeated, and
| the president invites the attention OF congress-
to them aud ths report thereon, made by n
board appointed to examine them.
THE MILITIA.
Attention 10 ca!ed 10 tho need OF moro ade
Quaie provisions for srming and eQupping
the militia. The only laws upon this are those
enacted in 1905, which are now entirely oh
sOlete. There L. bill locking 10 a remedy for
tits now on the senate calendar.
ARMY RETIREMENT.
Attention is called to the fact Of an embar.
rassment growing out OF the recent act OF
congress making the retirement OF Ulcers OF
| the army compulsory at the age Of "a, while
au act OF 1873 IL still III force which limits 10
400 the number of those who Can tie retired
| for disability or upon their own application.
| These two acts when construed together sesm
! to for bid t5e relieving, even for absOuts inca.
paci'y, OF officers who do not fall within tie
psryiew Of the latter sratute except when
! there chance to be less than 40 names on the
retired list. There are now 40. Congress
evidently did not Intend such "A result and the
| law ought 60 be amended.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.
Speaking OF the river and harbor bill, the
| president says the grounds on which he With.
| held his signature from il prompt him 10
hope that no similar measure will be deemed
necessary during the present session OF con-
gress. The secretary Of war informs him that
| most OF the sum appropriated for the various
items remains unexpended. or the new
works which II authorized expenses have
been incurred upon only two, for which the
total appropriation was S2l0,900. The
president gives table showing the
available bsance as sl773ta44 Itis plain
| that no more appropriations will be needed
| for most Of the items in the bill until the END
of the present session. In case any action
shOud seem 10 be Decessaryin respect To par.
| ticular objects, IL will be entirely feasible to
provide for them by appropriate legislation.
| II il possible, for example, that delay In
making'addition al, provision for the Mississip
pi river Improvements might cause serious
| consequences. III such Case just bill
would meet with his approval. The president
suggests that TO group In such bill as the
| so.called river and harDor bill appropriations
for great diversity Of Objects WIDELY separst-
cd either IN their nature, Ia the locality with
| which they are concerned, or in both, 10 a
| course which Is much TO be deprecated. IN
less II IL irredeemaDle, 1t inevitably tends TO
secure the success OF the bill as whole,
though many OF the items il separately cOnsid-
| COul0 81 a
| urged Oh the other hand thai there are 30
macy works Of internal Improvement which
are entitled to governmental aid that separate
bills would be impracticable. Without argu..
| ing whether this objection Is well founded or
not the president submits to congress an
alternative plan which may not be open to the
same objection. II Is provided by he consu'
| tuition OF IA ~ the states that the items in any
bill for the expenditure or money approved
| by the executive shall stand rs law, and those
not approved shall fail to bec)me law unless
| repassed over the veto OF the executive. The
president thinks an amendnaut of that kind
to the federal constitution would be good
| hing.
As tribute t. their heroism the president
gives the names OF all the men who lost their
lives in the unfortunate Jeanette expedition.
Ths navy Of the United States consists of
81 cruisers, Ia single turret monitors, a large
number OF smooth bore guns and 81 rified
cannon. The cruising vessels should bs grad
unlly replaced by iron or steel ships, the mon.
itOrs by modern armOrod vessels, and the
armament by high power riisd guns. The
rsorganiz ition OF the navy has already begun
by the construction OF two large unarmOred
steel vessels Two more OF smaller size are
recommended, also one feet dispatch vessel.
| Appropriations for torpedo service and other
harbOr defenses are recommended. He also
advises ths transferrence OF the light house