The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-12-09
REDUCING THE REVENUE.

/ the vanishing three per cents and the unfunded
! debt Of S386,000000 the residue Of the public
debt has been in such wise funded by our pre-
decessors that $3.50. 100000 cannot be paid ex-
/ cept by purchase at a high premium 10 the
bondholder, before Sept ], 1891, and that $751;
| 716, 400 cannot be paid except by purchase at
/ high premium TO the bondholder, before July /,
! 1907. Tocontinue the present surplus taxation,
and 10 employ IFS proceeds in giving 10 the
! bondholder premiums by anticipatory purchase
OF those bonds before they are due and payable
! NJ par, is fiscal policy unnecessary, eXtrava-
/ CANT and merciless TO the industrious toilers Of
our land
Compliance with the provisions Of the sink
| ing fund and the public debt will effect the
| payment of the whole public debt, greenbacks
and bonds, by the year 1905 without con-
! tinuance OF our present surplus taxation. he
recommends the repeal Of the clause in the act
! OF Feb. 3, 1875 making compulsory Treasury
J purchase Of silver in order TO reduce surplus
and unnecessary taxation S2i000o0O year. ..
\ Further reduction Of surplus taxation close
! down 20 the necessities OF the Government Geo.
nomically administered. 3. Repeal of the act
of May 81 ISIS, making compulsory post-re-
demption issues and reissues of United States
! legal tender notes. &. Gradual purchase and
/ payment OF 1916, Gsl, 016 outstanding promissory
notes Of the United States with the present and
and accruing Treasury surplus issuing silver
cert cates in their room. and gold certificates If
need be. without contraction Of the present cir
culating volume Of the currency. The secre-
/ tary says:
What surplus we expend in paying of the
! greenbaCl debt will diminish by so much the
immediate reduction OF our tariff taxation; for
while the funded debt stands certainly il is not
wise 10 discard the taxes on whisky, tobacco
and beer. Indeed, il is my own belief that
! whenever we begin taking of the shackles Of
waT-tariff taxes on raw materials
.laFlll
features dwindle so fast as not only to compel
the retention Of these most ft items of revenue
whisky, tobacco and beer-but, perhaps, 10
drive us back to getting 10 millions of revenue
/ from two cents pound tax on coffee and half
as much from tea"
PROTECTION VS.. FREE TRADE
On the question Of protection and free trade
| the Secretary says: a. Free trade accurately
describes the internal commerce Of our States.
Ii does not apply TO our trade with foreign na-
tons. No man now living will ever see free
trade adopted by these United States in their
| commerce with foreign nations for taxes on
| imports from the foundation of this Govern
| ment, have ever been one chief source of Fed
| eral revenue, and such they will continue TO
be. Were trade Us free with and within all the
| ununitcd States of Europe as il is among the
United States of America, the great surplus pro-
ducts of our industry, including the manufact-
| ured, would have the pick OF foreign markets,
| for the reason that our labor, being the most
highly paid and insuring lowest percentage of
labor cost, would everywhere surpass rivalry.
Il respectfully recommend TO Congress that
! they confer upon wage-earners Of the United
/ States the boon OF untaXed clothing, and in or
der thereto. the immediate passage Of an act
placing raw wool upon the free list. A repeal
/ OF the duty on raw wool should be followed by
compensatng adjustment of the duties on
manufactured woolens. But the common daily
clothing Of the American people need not be
taxed 10 free their clothing Of taxes will
finally reduce, 10y half, their expense for one of
the three great necessities Of life. There are
several hundred articles among the lisp arti-
Giles that we tax, which ought at once 10 be
swept OF the tax list into the free list"
THE TREASURES REPORT.
The annual report of Treasurer Jordan calls
attention TO the necessity of changes in our
financial system. he says the three per cents
will be retired during the fiscal year, and only
! the four and four-and -a-half per cents be LEFT
available for sinking-fund purposes, these
bonds only earning two per cent. on their mar
ket value. Consequently il viii be found i'm
! practicable 10 make purchases al such times as
TO relieve the money market in times of dis
tress.
Department OF the Interior.
THE INDIANS.
The Secretary OF the Interior in his annual
report says that there has been a steady, though
not rapid, improvement in the moral material,
and intellectual condition Of the mass Of the
Indian population during the past II months
The average attendance of children in the
schools is about 1000 greater than heretofore,
and many more OF the parents are anxious for
| the education Of their children. He saws that
the Indians must be thoroughly civilized, the
! only alternative being absolute extinction He
urgently recommends individual property
| holding aud education Of Indian youth with
] practicas instruction in the domestic and me-
chanical arts as the means by which this end
| can be reached. The Secretary renews his
! recommendation OF last year for the appoint
! ment Of commission TO inspect and report
upon the condition Of the Indians. The work
OF locating the Indians on lands in severalty
! has, however, been pushed forward and during
the year about 500 Indians have received title.
There arc now PA schools Of different kinds
maintained, at a cost Of $685., ISL, and the aver
| age attendance is 9525. Ii is recommended
that Congress enact such legislation as will au-
thorize the Indians 10 take cattle from neigh
/ boring cattlemen 10 pasture on the surplus
| lands OF their reservations, the Indians TO herd
and care for the cattle and 10 receive a fair
compensation.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The Secretary renews his recommendation of
last year that the minimum price for sales Of
| land at private cash entry be increased, aud
| also recommends the enactment Of law bar
| ring the presentation Of claims founded on al
/ legged Mexican land grants, after such time as
| Congress may determine, TO the end that the
incentive for the presentation OF false claims
may no longer exist, and that those which are
bona tde may the more readily aud speedily be
adiudicated.
Unless Congress sees ft to modify the desert
land laws so as 10 render them less liable 10
abuse the Secretary would renew his former
recommendation that these laws be repealed. He
also renews his recommendation that the tim
Der culture laws be repealed. He recommends
legislation 10 preserve the public timber and the
modification Of the acts OF June 3, 1873. The
repeal Of the REIMBURSEMENT act of June %
1874 and the law authorizing the system of
deposits for surveys is recommended. lie
also urges continuance Of the measures inaug-
urated last year 30 prevent tho unlawful
fencing Of the public domain by cattle-men and
Others. While many trespassers on notification
have removed their fences, il is undeniably true
that larger number still maintain them, and
viii refuse TO obey the law except under actual
compulsion.
CONCERNING PENSIONS.
On the subject Of pensions Secretary Lamar
recommends IN connection with the Pension Blu.
reau, such change ia the law that in the case
oil parents OF Increasing years or children oi
tender years below the age Of l6, where their
condition Of physical dependence is not due &c
} their fault or habits, but is merely matter oil
} misfortune or time, that they should be allowed
! pension from the date az which tha denendancs