National Republican., 1883-02-15
Ia. Reduction and Tariff ReudJustment

house bill to reduce the internal revenue snail
reach the house they are liable to be rejected
in toto by that body, as being in derogation OF
its constitutional prcrogativc TO originate all
revenue bills.
If they are only Objectionable on the ground
named, the house could substitute them in
gross for the provisions of the bill from the
committee of ways and means, which it is
now considering, and pass that bill so
amended. The senate would then he called
on to consider as new house bill the meas
ure it had just passed as another house bill
amended.
If the senate measure cannot pass the house
it is not likely to be made the basis of con-
| ference. In that case the ways and means
committees bill must pass the house, be con-
sidcred, and passed with amendments by the
senate, and then go into conference COM
mittcc.
The house is not likely to pass either the
| senate proposition or its own, unless the pro-
posed Kasson ruo can be adopted by which
the majority would be given absolute power in
| the house. Whether the Kasson rule can be
adopted must depend on the question Of
! whether minority sufficient for flibustering
purposes can be satisfied that such tactics
would infict greater injury on them and
their party than the rulo itself.
The difficulties in the road to tariff legisla-
tion during the remaining fifteen work.
| ing days of the session are sufficient to
warn prudent Legislators and thoughtful
republican leaders of the Importance of
going forward with q plan for abolish
ing all of the internal revenue tax except that
on distilled spirits. Tho NATIONAL REPUB-
LIcAN has advocated this method of reducing
taxation since November last. On Thursday
last it said: "If only the whisky tax were re-
public opinion is not yet for It's repea) the re-
moval of all other internal taxes would suffice
to reduce the income to a reasonable approxi-
nation to the popular will" Further on,
in the same editorial, there occurred
by pure mistake n sentence suggesting that
the house bill "could be SO amended as to
take the taxes Off of all whisky used as what
tho Hoosiors call drinking liquor" The
intention of the writer was to say "all dis
titled spirits ercept whisky used as "drink-
ing liquor" By this was meant that only the
spirits which people can drink ought to be
taxed, leaving free that which is only suited
to manufacturing purposes. This explana-
tion is not intended to deprive the
funny man of our esteemed morning
contemporary of his daily joke for few
months, that THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN
has declared for and against the tax on
whisky. As the contradiction occurred in n
single article, Of course the blunder explained
itself. But where a newspaper employs n
person expressly to be witty, the same joke
ought to be good for at least three months
/ repetition.
The subject of tariff revision is being con-
founded with tax reduction. The customs
revenues ought not to be materially dimin.
ished. There has been no demand for it.
All that the people want is some readjust'
ment of the duties OH imports-to remove
burdens whore justice and equality demand
it, and transfer them to where they would
the better encourage some languishing in
/. dustry, The most unpopular tax is that col
+ lected by the officers of the internal revenue
S system. While tariff revision may we'll com
mand the attention of legislators, and mus
ever be a continuing subject for considera
. ton and such varying action as circumstances
= render necessary, no considerable reduction
y can be made in the aggregate without leaving
untouched the internal revenue system, which
: was originally but war measure, belonging
with the era of irredeemable paper, ofrepress
!. i've legislation for the south, and of extraor
q dinary national expenditures it should fol.
l. low these to the tomb of forgctfulness, except
@ ing, of course, the whisky tax, which canno
@ be spared from the national income unless th
tarifIfevenue is to be increased.
Fifteen days remain within which repub
i lican house can make a record for tax reduc
o ton, with or without tariff revision. Afte
D that the opposition will control that body, AM
II its first act will be the passage of bill en-
u tirely abolishing the internal revenue sys
IL ten. The revenues for the year ending Jun
30, 1891, will be collected under the presen
= laws, and will again be $780, 900 in oxces
, of needful outlays, unless at once and wit
:. power the republicans in congress move 70
their reduction, or else the remedy be apple
. at an extra spring session of congress. Tn
=, reduction of taxes need not and should nc
interfere with the efforts for tariff revision
! The bill of the ways and means committe
should be pressed, and if it goes through tn
reductions it provides for could be considere
IF in the final perfecting Of a bill reducing tn
10 internal revenue.
-0-
A. Taxing Railroad Lands.
It Senator Van Wyck is vigorously contend
10 ing for tho right of the states to the bcnef