The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-02-02
Jlle Democrat.
FRIDAY...........FEBRUARY ., 1883
from our Regular correspondenes.l
Washington, Jan. ID 1889.

from our Regular Corrospondanos.l
Washington, Jan. 10. 1883.
Congress has now beon In session
lhifty-flyo days, aud has forty.threo
days, not counting Sundays, remain
Ing. Tho appropriation bills will
consume much OF tho remaining time,
and the tariff and revenue bills will
not be passed without lengthy debate.
Before the end of the next week the
Senate and House Will have separate
revenue bills under consideration.
II will require energy, tact, vigilance,
and, might say, genius and stoIcism
to secure the passage Of a measure
reducing the revenue. Indeed It Is
difficult to SEQ how so many "clanch.
cd autagonlsms" can DO reconcIled,
bat Congress realizes that tho demand
for the reduction OF taxation Is per.
emptory, aud taxos and tho tariff
will be reduced la spite of tho most
formidable protesting lobby that ever
besicged tho Capitol. Tho total re-
ductions proposed In the bill reported
from tho Finance Committee, and
now pending In the Senate, amount
to s79, 800, 1924, OF which s45, ,040, 900
are to come from tho tariff, and 1884,.
700, 1924 from internal taxation. All
Internal taxes, save those upon tobac.
co, In Its several forms, spirits and
beer, arc abolished by the bill. Mr..
Morrill,, who Ii ono OF the most care
ful students OF national finances In
Congress, thinks this Is as far IL the
way OF reductions as 10 would DO safe
TO 60. lie has some apprehension
ofanother monetary crisis. ani thinks
Congress should pay heed TO the
storm signals which have Of Iate been
frequently visible In the financial
horizon. The surplus estimated by
the Secretary Of ths Treasury Is
Si,7i9,s3 or about $1,000, 600 less
than the proposed reductions. A re-
duction OF letter postage TO two cents
will cause falling-oif In tho revenue
OF about So, ,550,GlG, testimated), and
the pension expenditures arc Increas
Ing 10 such proportions as to make II
uncertain how much can be spared
from the government revenues. II
Is, perhaps, quite safe TO predict thai
the Senate will go fully as far as the
Finance Committee recommend In
the direction of reductions. In fact,
Il Is probable that body win go be-
yond the committee In this respect.
The bill was moi satisfactory TO those
who advocate liberal cutting down
OF tariff duties, and they viii make
every effort 10 amend II 40 as 10 EN-.
body their ideas OF what tariff blu
should be. This element seems to be
stronger In the Senate than In the
House and hence the tariff reformers
prefer TO start tariff legislation In the
former body The Republicans feel
that they must, as matter OF party
policy, meet the popular demand fer
tariff legislation at this session. and
rather than have such legislation fail
by reason OF tho determined opposi
ton OF the tariff reformers, they will
probably make concessions, In the
way OF reductions, which they would
not assent to II they were strong
enough In Congress ts enact such a
law as they prefer.
Now that the civil service bill has
passed both houses OF Congress and
is certain 10 receive the approval oi
the President, candid opinions are
being expressed about II. Tho bill
is getting more kicks than complI.
ments. Republicans regard the
measure as one Of policy more than
principle. In supporting It tho Re-
publIcans were not only obeying what
was considered the popular will, but
they felt that at the same time they
were making good stroke for the
party. In the event OF Democratic
success in 1894 the law would serve
to keep Republicans In Office. II
cannot be expected that o bill passed
under these coalitions and circu M
stances would be by any means per-
feet. 1t Is admitted on all hands
that the bill Is crude, and many who
gave it active support excuse Its
Shortcomings by saying It Is but a
start in the right direction that II
merely blazes the way for other and
succeeding Congresses TO follow
through trackless and untraveled
forest. What the DILL may accom-
plish depends largely upon the Presi-
dent He is really invested with
power enough to make 1t fair sue
cess or total failure.
For two days. We have had the
phenomenon of fine sleighing in
Washington, and IL is astonishing
what large number of sleIghs, many