The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-12-07

10 | renew the expression OF my COnVlctl'
IS that such rapid extingnisbment of the II
: tlonal debt as Is now taking place is by,
i means u cause OF congratulaton, IL y
4, cause rather for serious apprehension.
a 10 continues II must speedily be followed
r one of the evil results so clearly set lori
1 in the reports Of the secretary, either u
9 surplus must be In the treasury or the go
+ ernment will he forced 10 buy
{ market rates its bonds not then redeemI
l bic, and which under such circumstance
! cannot fail TO command an enormous pr'
! MUM, or the swollen revenues VIII b
voted to extravagant expenditure which, a
experience has taught, is ever the b@ne q
an oVerflowing treasury. 1t was made ~
parent in the report of the animated dis
cussion which this question caused at tn
last session of congress, that the policy 0
diminishing the revenue by reducing tax
alton commanded the genera
approval of the members 0
both houses, | regret that because OF con
ficting views as to the best method bj
which that policy should be made opera
tive, none its benefits have as yet beer
reached. In fulfllment of what | deem
my constitutional duty, but with littl,
hope that can make a valuable contribu,,
ton to this vexed question, | shall proceed
to intimate briefly my own views in rela
ton to it:
REDUCTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Upon the showing of our financial condi
ton at the close of the last fiscal year,
felt justified in recommending to congres:
the abolition of internal revenue taxes, ex.
! cept those on tobacco in various forms and
upon distilled spirits and fermented liquors
except, also, the special tax upon the man
ufacturers' and dealers in such articles. !
venture now to suggest that unless it shall be
ascertained that the probable expenditures OF
the government tor the coming year have
been underestimate, all internal taxes,
save those which relate to distilled spirits,
can be prudently abrogated. Such course,
if accompanied by. simp!!iiicationn OF
the machinery of collection, which
would then be easy of accomplish
ment, might reasonably be expected to
result in diminishing the cost
OF such collection by at least $2,50O, 600, and
| in the retirement from office of from 1,50O
to 1000 persons. The system of excise du-
ties has never commended itself to the fa-
vor of the American people, and has never
been resorted to except for supplying def
ciencies in the treasury when by reason
of special exigencies the duties on
for the needs of the government.
The sentiment of the country doubtless
recommends that the present excise tax
shall be abolished as soon as such course
can safely be pursued. 1t seems to me,
| however, for various reasons, so sweeping
q measure as the total abolition OF internal
taxes would for the present be an immense
step. Two of these reasons are desery-
ing of special mention: First-it
| is by no means clear that even if the exist
ing sy stem of duties on imports is contin-
ued without notifications those duties
alone will yield sufficient revenue for all
the needs of the government. 1t is esti-
maced that Sl00, 100000 will be required for
pensions during the coming year, and it
NAV well be doubted whether the maximum
annual demand for that object has
yet been reached. Uncertainty upon. this
question would alone justify in my judg-
ment. the retention for tue present of that
portion of the system OF internal revenue
which is least Objectionable to the point.
Second-A total abolition of excise taxes
would almost inevitably prove serious, if
| not an insurmountable, object to the thor
ough revision of the tariff and to any con-
siderable execution in import duties.
THE PRESENT TARIFF SYSTEM
| is in many respects unjust. 1t makes une-
dual distributions 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 commission. The report OF
that commission will be placed
before you at the beginning of this session
and will. ! trust, afford you such informa'
| ton as to the condition and prospect OF the
various commercial, agricultural, manuiac-
| turing, mining and other interests of the
country, and contain such suggestions for
statutory revision as will practically aid
vour action upon this important subject.
The revenue from customs for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1879, amounted to
$l37, 100000. 1t has in three succeeding
wears reached, first, SlS6,00 600, then $685.
100000, and finally as has been already
stated, 500, 100000. The income from this
source for the fiscal year which will end on
June 80, 1883, will doubtless be
considerably in excess of the sum
last mentioned. If the tax on
domestic sperits is to be retained il is plain,
therefore, that large reductions from the
customs revenue are entirely feasible.
While recommending this reducuon, ]
am far from advising the abandonment of
the policy of so discriminating in the ad'
iustment of deteils TO afford aid and pro-
lection of domestic labor; but the present
system should be so revised as to equalize
the public burden among all classes and oc-
cupations and bring it into closer harmony
with the present needs OF industry. With
ont entering to minute details which, under
present circumstances, is quite Unnecessary,
J recommend az enlargement OF The Tree
list so as TO include within it the numerous
articles which yield in considerable
revenue, a simplehcation Of the complete
and ipconsistaut sche 1ule of duties upon
certain manufactures, particularly those Of
cotton, iron and steel, and the substantial
reduction Of the duties upon those articles
and upon sugar, molasses, silk, wool and
woolen goods. II general revision Of the
tariff shall be found TO be impracticable at
this season, | express the hope that at least
some Of the more conspicuous iniquities OF
the present law may be corrected before
your final adjournment. One Of them is
specially referred 10 by the SECRETARY, in
view OF a recent decision Of the su-
preme court. The necessity OF
amending the law by which
the dutiable standard Of color is
adopted as the test Of the saccharine
strength of sugars is too obvious to require
comment.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
From the reports Of the secretary Of war,
n appears that the only outbreak Of In
dians during the past year occurred in Ari-
zona and in the southwestern part Of New
Mexico. These were promptly quelled, and
the quiet which has prevailed In all other
parts of the country has permitted such an
addition 10 be ma3e 70 the military force
in the region endangered by the
Apnches that there Is little reason 10 oppre-
HFfI Il IFNunlN lN NlN AMAMIta AMNaN lAAAa "
the seoretary's report which relates 10 our
-ea-coast deienses and their armament sug-
gest the rravest question. Our existing
Notifications are VIGOROUSLY inadequate %
the defense Of the great harb0rs aud cities
for whose protection they we're built. The
question of providing an armament ade-
gnEie 20 our present necessi-
ties has been the subject
~ consideration by board vbose report
was transmitted 20 congress st the last ses-
sion. Pending the consideration of that re-
port the war department has taken no sicpz
Cor the manufacture or conversion oi Eug
heavv cannon. but the secretary errresses
the hope that authority and means 10 be-
eiii that important work vii Be Ff1I Tr0-
rided. and invite the attention 0i crurrssi
to the ur0priety ~ makinza more ndequate
provision for arminc end equirT ing the
militia thar is Afforded nT the
act Of l-E. which "a stu upon
sEm rsrfrfa frsrF The rmaffn~