The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20

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tobacco in its various forms and upon dis
titled spirits and fernented liquors, and
except also the special tax upon the
manufacturers OF and dealers in such ar
tlcles. venture now to suggest that, unless
it shall be ascertained that the propa-
bic expenditures of the government for
the coming year have been undere5tnHted,
all internal taxes save those which relate to
distilled spirits can be prudently abrogaled.
Such a course if accompanied by simplltt-
cation of the machinery of collection, which
would then be easy of accomplishment,
might reasonably be expected to result III dt-
minishing the cost of such collection by at
least two millions and half of dollars, and
in the retirement from Office of from 800 TO
1000 persons. The system of excise duties
has never commended itself TO the favor OF the
American people, and has never been resorted
to except for supplying deficiencies IN the
treasury, when 10y reason of special eXl-
gencies, the duties on imports have proved
inadequate for the needs of the government.
The sentiment of the country doubtlCsS de-
mauds that tho present excise tax shall be
abolished as soon as such course can
safely be pursued. 1t seems to me, how
ever, for various reasons, SO sweeping q
measure rs the total abolition OF internal
taxes would, for the present, be an unwise
step. Two of these reasons are deserving of
special mention. First, il is by no means
clear that even if the existing system OF du-
iltS ON imports Is tOllllutu NllnONl ilfbNilN-
cation, those duties alone will yield sufficient
revenue for all The needs of the government IL
is estimated that SlUO,OO0OJ0 will be required
for pensions during the coming year, and
it may well be doubted whether the max
imum annual demand for thai object has
yet been reached. Uncertainty upon this
question would alone Justify, in my 1udg-
ment, the retention for the present of that
portion of the system of internal revenue
which is laast Objectionable to the people.
Second, total abolition of excise taxes
would almost inevitably prove serious ii
not an insurmountable obstacle 10 thor
ough revision OF the tariff and to any con-
siderable reduction i'll import duties. The
present tariff system is in many respects
unjust. II makes unequal distributions both
of its burdens and its benefits. This fact was
practically recognized by majority OF each
house OF Congress i'll the passage of the act
creating the tariff commission. The report
of that commission will be placed before 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, min
ing and other interests of the country, and
contain such suggestions for statutory re-
vision,as will practically aid your action upon
this important subject.
The revenue from customs for the fiscal
year ended June 20, 1879 amounted 10 $137,-
100000. 1t has in the three succeeding years
reached-frst SlS6, ,OOO then %19S,O0O.UOO,
and finally, as has been already stated, 500 =
0O0,000. The income from this source for
the fiscal year which will end on June 30,
1855, will doubtless be considerably in ex-
cess of the sum last mentioned. If the tax
on domestic spirits is to be retained il is
| plain, therefore, that large reductions from
the customs revenue are entirely feasible.
| While recommending this reduction,
/ am far from advising the
| n, nInpmant pf thp nnlipv nf Ilspr m T..
| ing i'll the adjustment of details as to afford
| aid aud protection to domestic labor 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 with the present needs of industry.
| Without entering INTO inmate detail, which
under present circumstances is quite unnec-
essary, recommend an enlargement of the
| free list SO as to include within it the numer-
Gus articles which yield uncomfortable Teve-
nue n simpliticatiOn of the complex and
inconsistent schedule of duties upon cor
tam manufactures, particularly those OF
cotton, iron and steel aud a substantial re.
duction of the duties upon those articles, ano
upon sugar, mOlasses, silk, wool and wooeI
goods. If a general revision of the tariff
snail be found to be impracticable ut this
session, | express the hope that at least somt
of the more conspicuous inequalities of the
present law may be corrected before YOU
final adjournment One of them is specially
referred to by the secretary, in view of re
cent decision of the supreme court. The
necessity of amending the law by which the
Dutch standard of color is adopted rs the
test of the saccharine strength of sugars il
too obvious to require comment.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT..
From the report of the secretary of war il
appears that the only outbreaks Of Indians
during the past year occurred in Arizon;
and in the southwestern part of New Mex
leo. They were promptly uuellel, and in,
quiet which has prevailed in all other part
of the county has permitted such an add
ton to be made to the military fore,
in the region endangered by the Apache
that there is little reason to aprrehenC
trouble in the future. Those parts o
the secretary's report which relate t
our seacoast defenses and their armamen
suggest the gravest reflections. Our existin:
fortIhcations are notoriously inadequate I,
the defense of the great haIbors and citie
, for whose protection they were built. lh
question of providing an armament suitet
to our present necessities has been the sub
ject of consideration by board, whose re
port was transmitted to Congress at the las
session. Pending the consideration o
that report, the war department ha
taken no steps for the munufactur
or conversion of any heavy can
, non; but the secretary Expresses the hop
that authority and means to begin that i'm
portant work will soon be provided. / invit
the attention OF Congress to the pIoprety O
making more adequate provision for armin
and equipping the militia than is afforded b
the act of 1906, which is still upon the stat
ute books. The matter has already been ia
subject of discussion in the Senate and Il bi
which seeks to supply the dcicelci- of eX
istlng laws Is now upon its calendar.
The secretary of war calls attention Il
, the fact of an embarrassment growing on