New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-10


After recognizing the great merits of the
Presidents Message, bis friends will not DO
slow to observe that it has some defects.
Indeed, few of its features are really
ludcrous. The President bases important
recommendations upon the imagined TACT that
"our revenues are in excess OF the actual neeus
of an economical administration OF the Gov
ernmcnt.n This, he says, "justlhes reduction
in the amount exacted from the people Tor It's
support" At the same time he unreserVedly
commends the report of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, but is particularly careful to omit the
most important part of that report, namely, lts
estimate of the receipts and expenditures or the
Government for the next fiscal year. ms
estimate the President is evidently aware,
would have proved either that the revenues
are not in excess of the actual needs OF an
economical administration of the Government"
or else that the Presidents Cabinet officers nave
no intention to administer the Government
economically. For the estimates OF amounts
required by the various departments exceed
the Secretary's estimate of revenues by more
than $24,OOO,O0O. Perhaps it is the first tin
on record that u President has warmly COM
mended the report of his Secretary, while
studiOusly emitting its most important feature
lest it should prove that part OF his Message
was altogether foolish. 1t may be doubted,
too. whether any other President has ever
Thoughts an estimated deficiency OF nearly
500, 600, 900 in the supplies for q single year SO
unimportant Il matter that he did not care to
refer to it in his ANIMAL Message.
But the Secretary of the Treasury is equally
open to criticism. After showing that, under
existing laws, the revenue is likely to fall much
below the amount which, the departments
report. will be required for the administration
of the Government, the Secretary makes no
recommendation whatever for the relief OF the
Government or for supplying the deficiency.
On the contrary, he proceeds as II little
deficiency of $25,000,000 was the correct
thing and as if the country would have reason
to be surprised, and the Secretary would have
reason to bestir himself in vigorous efforts, II
there were not deficiency. From the
beginning to the end of the report, there is no
recommendation looking to an increase OF
revenue OF a decrease of expenditures below
the estimated receipts. On the contrary, the
Secretary proceeds expressly to recommend
reduction of revenue. 1t is true that his
recommendations on the tariff question ale so
vague that they may mean an increase as well
as q decrease of revenue. But the proposal to
POSTPONE the collection of the tax on spirits,
until the spirits are withdrawn for consump-
ton, involves, as the Secretary must know, a
very large diminution of revenue, ut least for
! the first year or two.
Of course it is not to be supposed that the
Secretary really expected the great deficiency
which his report forcshadowed. 1t is perhaps
significant that he points out that the revenue
anticipated will exceed the expenditures recon-
mended by the different departments, exclusive
of any payment to the sinking fund.- by about
! 500, OOO.0 900. But if it is the purpose OF the
| Secretary, or of the President, to omit any pay
ment to the sinking fund, with or without
| lawful authority for suspcndinS such payment,
it would have been in place for the President
and the Secretary to give that explanation dis
tinctlv As matters stand, the Message and
the report promise us n deficiency OF about
S25, OOO, 900, make no proposition whatever to
prevent it, and treat it as If 1t were the very
thing most to be desired and by Democratic
| Administration naturally to be expected.
! Some explanation may perhaps be offered in
| the SUBSEQUENT communication on the tarlif
question which the Secretary promises to make
But until further light is cast on the purposes
| of the Administration, it seems proper to INFER
that deficit is the sort of thing that the Presl-
dent and his Secretary most ardcntly desire.