Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-11


Porto Bio and their production and trade
are scarcely lsss irnporsaat 20 Is Than 70
Spain.
Il Their commercial and financial movements
are 50 naturally part OF our system thas no
obstacls 20 fuller and fresr intercourse
should be permitted TO exist The standing
Instructions Q. our representatives at Madrid
and Havana have for years been to leave no
eifcrt unessayed TO further these ends and
at no time has the equal good desire Of Spain
been more hopefully manifested than now
The government OF Spain, by removing the
consular tonnages, fees on cargoes shipped to
the Antilles, and by reducing transport fees,
has shown It's recognition Of the needs Of less
Itramineled intercourse. 4Fs M
The president recommends placing the
consular service on better footing and re-
Iiterates the necessity OF some mode OF inspec-
ton and report Of the manner in which the
consulates are conducted.
/ He trusts international copyright will re-
ceive the attention 1t deserves by congress
Il He recommends that provision be made
for the immediate discharge from custody Of
persons committed for extradition where the
president is OF opinion that surrender should
not be made and renews his recommendation
! OF last year that existing legislation concern
ing citizenship and naturalization berevised.
We have, he says treaties with many states
providing for the remuneration of citizenship
, BY naturalized aliens, but no statute Is found
TO give effect to such engagements, nor any
which provides a needed central bureau for
the registration OF naturalized citizens.
Reaching domestic affairs, the first subject
discussed is the tariff, and to this the pres-
dent devotes great deal Of space, arguing
that the necessity for reduction of the
tariff is more urgent than ever. The income
OF the government, he says, by its in
creased volume and through economies in its
collection, Is now more than ever In excess
Of public necessities. The application Of the
surplus to the payment of such portion Of
the public debt as is now at our option sdb-
ject to extinguishment, IL continued at thu
rata which has lately prevailed, would retire
that class Of Indebtedness within less than
one year from this date.
Thus continuation of our presentrevenue
system would soon result In the receipt Of an
annual income much greater than necessary
to m. Of government expenses, with no In.
dehtedness upon which it could be applied
!, We should then be confronted with a vast
, quantity Of money, the circulating medium
: q the people, boarded in the treasury when
it should be in their hands, or we should bs
driven into wasteful public extravaganza
with all the corrupting National demoraliza
, ton which follow in its train. But 1t Is moi
the simple existence of this surplus and it
threatened attendant evils which furnish th,
/, strongest argument against our present scalt
, of Federal taxation. Its worst phase is the
exaction OF such a surplus through perver
sion of the relations between its people anC
theis government, and dangerous departure
from the rules which limit the right Of Fed
, eral taxation.
Good government, and especially the gov
ernment of which every American citizen
boasts, has for its objects the protection Of
every person within its care in the creates
liberty consistent with tho good order of so
ciety and his perfect seeurement In the enjoy
inent of his earnings with the least .possibl,
diminution for public needs When more o
the peoples substance IL exacted through tn
form of taxation than is necessary to NEE
|. the just obligations of the government ant
the expense Of its economical administration
such exaction becom d ruthless extortion ant
I a violation of the fundamental principles o.
. a free governments N@ #@ $40
!, The indirect manner In which these OK
actions are made, has a tendency to concei
:, their true character and their extent, but WI
. have arrived at stage of superfuous rev
, enue which has aroused the people to real
! ization of the fact, that the amount varis,
!, professedly for the support OF the govern
nent, is paid by them as absolutely,
added to the price Of the things which sup
{ ply their daily wants, as il 1t was paid a
! Fixed periods into the hand Of the tax gath
. erer.
a Those who toll for daily wages are begir
n ming to understand thatcapital, though som,
times Wanting in ignorance and clamorin
|. for the projection aud favor of the govern
! ment, is dull and sluggish, till, touched by til
h magical hand.of labor, tsprings into activity
furnishing an occasion for federal taxation
!. and gaining the value which enables it
\ bear its burden. And tho laboring man
II thoughtfully inquiring whether in these eli
n cunstances and considering the tribute
4 continually pays into the public treasury Q
Z he supplies his daily wants he receives b
IL fair share Of advantages.
/ There is also suspicion abroad that IL
d surplus of our revenues indicates abnorm
p and exceptional business profits, which und,
d the system which produces such surplus, ii
= fSeases without corresponding benefit to Il
N people, the vast accumulation Of fe
n among our citizens whose fortunes, rivalin
:, the wealth of the most favored In anti-dem
4. cratic nations, are not the natural growth
M, asteady, plain and industrious republic.
al Our farmers, too, and those engaged d
N rectly and indirectly in supplying the pr
,r ducts Of agriculture see that day by day an
1t and as often as the daily wants Of the
y households recur, they are forced to pay .,
cessivs and needless taxation, while the
s. products struggle in foreign markets wit
10 tho competition Of nations, which by ALLOW
As ing freer exchange OF productions than "
m permit, enable their people to sell for prict
s. which distress the .Americ an farmer.
m As every patriotic citizen rejoicss In Il
It. constantly increasing pride Of our people
& American citizenship and in the glory Of OF
tn natural achievements and progress q sen,
IL ment prevails that the leading strings usef
Of to nation in its infancy, may be well to
d; great extent discarded In present stages
It's American ingenuity, couragss and fearle
to self-reliances, and for the the privilege OF 1
ut dulging the sentiment with true American Q
70 thusiasm, and citizens are quite, willing
49, forego an idle surplus In the public tressur
In and all the people know that the average ra
"a - pa4arat Il. ~ Flor, anon ir,ynrka ie to.aa