The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-10
The MOnstrous Surplus.

sum is wrllng from the hard earnings
of the people from year to year.
The unnecessary and cruel taxation
which results in this extraordinary
surplus is the outcome of the legisla-
ton of the Republican party. The
only effort to reduce it was made by
the Democratic party and it was de-
feated by the almost solid vote of the
Republican Congressman.
It is said by Republicans like Judge
Kelly, of Pennsylvania, that the sur
plus ought to be reduced by the re-
peal of the internal revenue taxes
But the Republican platform adopted
at Chicago fails to recommend this
plan.
The Republicans at Chicago de-
clared in their platform that ''the
Republican party pledges itself to
correct the inequalities of the tariff
and to reduce the surplus, not by the
vicious and indiscriminate process of
horizontal reduction, but by such
methods as will relieve the tax payer
without injuring the laborer or the
great productive interests of the
country"
Fine words, these Glorious
promises! But the Republicans in
Congress made no motion to amend
the Morrison bill which proposed to
relieve labor and the great productive
interests of the country to the extent
of $35, 900, 900 of taxes on raw ma
terials and the necessities of life. If
they could have improved the bill, it
was their duty to do it. They simply
contented themselves with defeating
the measure without attempting to
amend it.
According to the Republican plat
form adopted at Chicago the present
tariff contains inequalities which
ought to be corrected. But the Re
publican party with the Federal adj
ministration in its hands and the
United States Senate under it's con-
troll made no effort to correct these
evils.
According to the same document
the surplus ought to be reduced, yet
the Republican, party, with the con
troll Of the Government almost abso-
lutely in its hands, and notwithstand-
ing the willingness and anxiety of the
Democrats in the House of Represen-
tatives to reduce the surplus, made
no sign that they were willing to
tighten the burden of taxation.
James G. Blaine published a letter
over his own signature dated Novem-
Der %, 1883, in which he favored the
continuance of the internal taxes
and the distribution of the revenues
arising therefrom among the several
States. He is therefore in favor of
retaining the surplus taxation, for he
is opposed to a reduction of the tariff
and wants the internal taxes continu-
ed.
How then are the people to be
freed from the intolerable load of a
Hundred Millions of unnecessary
taxes through the election of Mr..
Blaine and the perpetuation of Re-
publican rule? If the tariff is not to
be reduced and the internal taxes are
to be continued how is the country
to be relieved of surplus taxation?
These are questions which address
themselves to the common sense as
we'll as the self-interest of the voters
of the United States. They are not
to be lightly treated or hastily dis
missed. The nomination of Blaine
and the peculiar platform on which
he has been placed present the naked
issue of a continuance of the pres
ent oppressive Federal taxation, both
as to the system under which it is
imposed and the amount of revenue
is wrings from the people.
RrofhoT H,1Ica IF Aba Cl,.bc,,,. ..