Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-01-10
Tho Issue.


sity OF revenue reform
Our ordinary revenues for the fiscal
year ending last June amounted, ia
round number, to 1899 500 600 Our
expenditures were s265 500. 900. leaving
sl3i0l0000 over aud above our ordn.
AIRY expenditures.
To get rid Of this surplus we made a
forced payment Of the public debt. This
was unnecessary and unjust. The
money was taken neeilessly out Of the
peoples pockets.
The revenue reform we want is a re.
duction OF expenditure and taxation.
The people ought not TO be wnched
and b"rearei to support prodigrl adj
uninisiration, to pile up corruption
fund in tn" Treasury, and TO make an
anomalous payment Of the public debt
c lculA'ed TO disturb Investments and
to cripple banking facilities.
With the House OF Representatives.
in our possession we can do much 10.
wards reducing expenditures by cutting
down appropriations. The Republican
Senate and President cannot prevent
this, because the Government must
have money.
With tho Senate and President in
opposition We can do absolutely nothing
towards reducing taxation. They stand
in the path, impassable barriers, The
senate will reject any House bill chang
ing the Republican tariff. The Presi.
dent has avowcd himself against
reducing the revenue or the Treasury
surplus.
Hctm1ny earnest, faithful and honest
Democrats insist on ag,iating tariff
revision. and talk about the "want Of
courage on the part Of those who rec
oenikc the nbsurdity and impolicy Of
wasting time over an impossibiliiy.
II is not n want Of courage" to refuse
to dash out your brains aslinsta stone
wall. 1t Is a wan, OF common sense 10
Try the experiment.
The party now in power stole the
Presidency in 1870 and bought il in
1850. After a successful robbery and a
successful bribery it will seek some
means Of defeating the public will in
1884.
The tariff on iron may be too high
But if the will OF the people no longer
prevails in the choice ola President.
what does itmatter how high or how low
the duty may be2
The Republican administration ia DRY
roited with corruption and not a single
public robber has been brought to justice.
We want 10 drive out dishonest al
ministration aud send the thieves 10
iail.
Ohio is dissatisfied with the duty on
wool. But Of what value will be
change Of two or three cents a pound II
official rascality is to be condoncd and to
remain the rule Of the administration
for want OF exposure and honest pro.
scCution
Is It more important that sugar shall
be chcapcnsd than that the Supreme
Curt shall be purified by driving from
the bench any Judge whose seat may
have been purchased
To make Free Trade tho issue in the
next Presidential campaign would not
he courage" /, would be insanity.
The Republicans could afford to pay
tho Democracy the Treasury surplus
for the next four years. If the latter
would give them tariff issue for the
Presidentialconiest, instead Of the issue
whether the people still have The power
10 elect the President the majority
desires.
Let u- first find out whether we still
live under free Government. A re
public may be a republic in name, and
not in fact. Ifa party can perpetuate
itself in power by the use Of vast
patronage and an unlimited command
of money despite the will Of the people,
we are no moro living under a republic
than are the subjects Of the Gar of
Russia.
What fatuity to talk OF q tariff issue
while this vital question is undecided
What stupidity TO shoot in the air over
a precluded and impossible tariff, when
tho Democratic aim ought 70 be direct
at tho heart ofincipient treason and ripe
corruption
=---z-- -
The report Of public schools has been
made public. There are 2,227 school
districts in the State; 1852 schools
1897 graded schools 1871 school
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