National Republican., 1883-02-05
KcpubIlcnn Duty.

accumulate in the vaults of the treasury to
immense proportions unless used for the pur-
chase of government bonds in open market,
before they become due, at high premium,
or disburscd by Congress for public improve
ments on scale not heretofore deemed
prudent or polite.
TO permit vast sums Of money to accumu
late in the treasury not needed to defray the
necessary current expenses of the govern
ment could not bo defended. 1t would be
both imprudCnt and unwse, if not manlestly
dangerous to our free institutions.
No apparent benefit could possibly accrue
from boarding vast sums of money in the
vaults Of the treasury. Everybody will con-
ccde that it would be much better to leave 1t
in circulation among tho people; and being
in the treasury, idle and useless, it would
constitute a standing temptation to congress
for all sorts of cxtravNgant legislation for its
distribution and its use in the purchase of
immature bonds at n high premium could not
be justified, except as u temporary method of
relieving the treasury of the iucumbrance of
useless money.
But If the revenue laws should remain rs
they now are this surplus must continue to
accumulate These laws levy the existing
rate of taxation in the form of internal taxes
and mpost duties. The President is sworn
to sec to il that these, as well as all other
national laws, shall he faithfully enforced.
The revenue officers are all sworn to collect
these taxes at the rate prescribed by law,
and to pay the money into the treasury.
Hence as long rs the tax laws remain un-
changed this accumulation of useless money
must continue.
Congress alone can provide tho required
remedy by the enactment of laws reducing
taxation. VIII the present congress perform
this obvious and imperative duty before it
shall become functus ollcio on the fourth day
of next month?
The republican members of both houses of
congress have made and are continuing to
make an earnest effort to effect this result.
Al tho last session of the present congress
the house passed bill reducing internal rev.
cnuc taxation and sent it to the senate, whore
its passage was deliberately defeated by the
concerted opposition of democratic senators
on the pretext that the relief provided was
not sufficiently radical, and because, as they
alleged, the reduction of internal taxes should
! be preceded by u reduction of import duties
! This opposition on the part of democratic sem
| ators was continued with persistent vigilance
to the close of the last session and as they
constituted onc-half the members of the sem
ate, and the senate having no rule providing
for the previous question:" final vote on
the passage of the bill could not he compelled
by the republicans.
But the republicans in the meantime Sc
cured the passage of bill providing for u
commission TO revise the tariff laws, which
made its report to congress mt the commence
mcnt of this session, which has been revised
by the house committee of ways and means
and the senate finance committee, since
which the republicans of both houses
have been luboringly porsistently to Sc
cure its passage, whilo the democratic
members of both houses have been Ia
boring with equal pertnacity to defeat the
measure. They are doing this with great
adroitncss. They avoid all appearance of :" fill
bustering," and confno their opposition rs
yet to strictly parliamentary methods, many
of them asserting their desire for its passage
"when it shall have been perfected" !" and
observer that they have resolved that no bill
shall be passed Mt this session of congress fol
the reduction of taxes.
, The bill is necessarily voluminous, involv.
ing lengthy details, the schedules alone GOV,
ering seventy or eighty printed pages of item,
lied articles subject to taxation. Each mem
Der of congress insists on his right to Offer
amendments to every item and TO discuss il.
merits, and scores Of them are exercising
this assumed right from day to day. If thil
course should be continued by the demo
! CfaIlc lnChDVISj anu lolHIdlCu ny Une TepUD
lcaus, it is perfectly obvious that the bill
will not be completed before the fourth o
March next in either branch of congress
and it is as obvious that the democratic mem
bcrs have entered on this course deliberately
with the purpose of pursuing it to the end.
Under this state Of facts it is the duty o
the republican members to determine wha
course il is their duty to pursue.
In tho senate, under its rules permitting
unlimited discussion, the democratic senator
have the power to defeat the passage of tn
bill. In that body the republicans are with
out remedy. In the house tho rules an
, different. The majority has the power +
limit debate and to compel q final vote.
Should not this power be exercised by tn
: majority under tho existing condition {
, facts, without much longer delay, and put tn
, responsibility for the final defeat of the meas
q ure, if indeed it must be defeated, where
z properly belongs9
= If no better parliamentary method shoul
suggest itself TO members let the bill in il
. present shape bo reported back to the hous
q from the committee of the whole, and subst
[ tute the bill as it came from the commit
D.. ways and means, and put it on its passage III