Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-01

We publish this morning an extract
from the letter Of Mr.. Blaine to the Phila-
deIphia Press, in which he presents
plan for dispOsing Of the surplus revenue.
Ii is stated that Mr.. Blaine consented to
the publication of this letter only after
being repeatedly urged by his friends
This statement may be true. but the sus-
picion cannot be avoided that he did not
need much urging. Notwithstanding
his statements 10 the contrary,
there is little or no DOUBT mat
I Vfr blaine Is a candidate for the Presiden-
cv. This letter may justly be considered
a movement TO keep himself prominently
before the country. The discussion OF no
other public question would have at
tract-d so much attention to him as this Of
the surplus revenue. Mr.. Blaine does
not like the plan Of Mr.. Wharton Baker,
50 generally discussed few months ago,
and which provides for distributing
the surplus among the states.
He gives some very satisfactory
reasons why it would not answer. One OF
them Is that the amount of the annual
surplus could not be estimated in advance
with any degree of accuracy, and the
states would not, therefore, feel safe IN
giving up any Of their present sources oil
revenue. Another is that the interest Of
Congressmen would be divided. InAegis-
lating for the government they would all
the time be trying TO increase the surplus
I for the benefit of their States. There IS
no need Of giving any more OF
Mr.. Blaine's reasons. however, because
! the plan Of Wharton Baker never had the
/ ghost of chance of being adopted. But
what about Mr.. Blaine's plan! Is 1t an
Improvement on that of Wharton Baker:
/ Ii will hardly be so considered. 1t IS
I shrewd scheme to prevent any reduction
] of the tariff. Mr.. Blaine wants the whis-
/ kvtax distributed among the States in
! proportion 10 their population. He wants
/ this indirect tax, which is not re-
/ garded as oppressive in any sense,
| used TO relieve property owners OF the
/ burden of direct taxation. The amount
/ received from the whisky tax varies very
! little from wear to year, and States would
| know about how much this tax would
| give them. and how much they would
/ have to raise by indirect taxes. Mr..
| Blaine's scheme has about as much
| chance of being adopted rs that of Whar-
/ ton Baker In the first place there IS no
| warrant for it in the Constitution, and in
the second place all the whisky tax
! comes from Kentucky, Illinois and few
/ other States. and they would certainly
! object to having their industries taxed to
/ help pay the taxes Of other States.
| There is in fact but very little differ
ence between the Blaine and Baker plans.
The Philadelphia Press, however, hastens
to commend Mr.. Blaine's plan. 1t points
| out that the whisky tax would pay one
third Of the aggregate State and local
| taxation Of the country, and with ap-
! parent earnestness asks ''why should we
| 20 on taxing farms, and hOmesteads and
| shops. ana let whisky 90 free:' We don't
see any reason for letting whisky 90 free,
| but the Republican party and Mr.. Randall
are urging that both whisky and tobacco be
| relieved Of taxation in order to save the
tariff. Until the appearance OF Mr.
Blaine's letter the Press was strong
advocate of tree whisky, and no doubt
Will be again when it sees the impossi-
bility of making Mr.. Blaine's scheme
| success. There is no more reason why
| hats, shoes, salt, cotton ana WOODEN gOOus
of all kinds and a dozen other things
which the farmer uses and which are nee
essaries should be taxed in order that
whisky may be free, than there is that
farms, hOmesteads and shops should
be taxed so as to relieve whisky
of tax. The Press seems to think
there is. however, and it is therefore en-
thusiastic over Mr.. BIaine's plan. The
protectionists may as well accept the
situation now as later on. The country
isn't going to submit to the plans OF the
Bakers and Blaines and Randalls for get
ting rid of the surplus revenue. Their
plans are the plans of the rich monOpo-
lists. The surplus is going to be cut Of
by reducing the tariff. That is the plan
of the people, and it's for the benefit OF
the people.