The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-16
THE TARIFF.
Speech of Hon. VIM. II. Neeee, Of Illi-
nois, in the House OF Repre-
sentatiyes.

We append speech made upon the
tariff question by Hon. w. FL. Neece, our
member of congress. last month. 1t will
be seen that the gentleman thoroughly
understands the question, and he clearly
shows the folly and danger of continuing
the present high tariff:
The house being in committee of the whole
house on the state Of the union, and having under
consideration the bill (H. r. 5S93) to reduce i'm
poBt duties and war tariff taxes
Mr.. Neece. Mr. Chairman we are con-
fronted with the treasury of the United
States filled to the overf1owing The re
port of the secretary of the treasury April
80, 1884, shows surplus of Sl52, ,652,-
973.75. We see by reference to the bu
reau of statistics that there has been a
gradual increase in the treasury for the
last nine months, and at the same time
there has been rapid payment of the
public debt The decrease of the public
debt since June 80, 1888, is $65, ,007, 497.-
SO. The paymentof the public debt in
the month of April just passed was
$11 ,95S, ,003.94
Notwithstanding this rapid payment of
the public debt, we see the rapid increase
in the treasury. Where does this money
come from2 There is but one answer:
it comes from taxes collected by the
various modes of the government which
are paid by the people of The United
States, not In proportion to what each tax
payer is worth, but upon what each person
consumes The family that is worth COM
paratively nothing, if provided with the
comforts of life, pays as much of this tax
in actual dollars and cents as the family
who are worth their thousands. We are
told by the opponents of the Morrison bill
that the present rate of high taxation must
be kept up In order to protect the poor
to protect labor. as they put it-a very
good thing if true, the truth of which is
not sustained by the facts and circum-
stances, which I shall notice further on.
First, as to the necessity of the present
high rate of taxation. 1t is an admitted
fact by all that there is more money in the
treasury than is needed for the wants of
the government No one denies that
proposition. No one denies the fact that
at the present rate of taxation money will
continue to flow into the treasury faster
than is or will be needed for the legitimate
wants of the government | have before
me the estimates of the secretary
of the treasury of the amount of
money necessary to run the gov
ernment tor the fiscal year 1885, The
secretary is very modest gentlemen, but
I never heard of an instance where the
estimated receipts were too high or the
expenditures too low. 1t has been the
custom of both republican and democratic
congresses to make the appropriations
considerably under these estimates. Here
is the report;
The secretary of the treasury in his
estimate of receipts for 1886 places them
at $343 200, 600 and the expenditures al
$2S3, 1875, 304. SO including the sinking
fund, or an estimated surplus of $50, STA,
695.05 Excluding the sinking fund the
expenditures will be $3.50, ,S55, ,54s, show
ing a surplus of $106, 144. 452. Assuming
that congress will continue to comply
with the law in relation to the sinking
fund, we will be collecting from taxation
$50, S74, 695.05 more than it is estimated
we need for the government. The revenues
of this fiscal year are thus estimated on
the basis of existing laws by the secretary
nf ha troocnru.