Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-12-16

ful 70 nation in It's infancy may well, 10 q
| great extent, be discarded in the present stage
| OF American ingenuity, courage and fearless
| self-reliance. And for the privilege of indulg-
| ing this sentiment with true American enthusi-
asm, our citizens are quite willing to forego an
| idle surplus In the public treasury. And all
| the people know that the average rate of
Federal taxation upon imports t.t,o today day
while upon some articles OF necessary
consumption. 1T is actually more, than
was imposed by the grievous burden willingly
borne at time when the Government
needed millions to maintain by n war tho safety
and integrity Of the United States.
| REVISION OF THE REVENUE LAW.
| It has been the policy OF the Government 20
collect the principal part OF it's revenues by q
tax upon imports, and no change in this policy
| is desirable. But the present condition OF
affairs constrains our people to demand that by
| revision OF our revenue laws the re-
ceipts OF the Government shall be re-
/ duced to the necessary expense of its
economical administration, and this de-
| mand should te recognized and obeyed by
the peoples representatives In the Legislative
| branch OF the Government. In readjusting the
burdens OF Federal taxation a sound public
policy requires that such Of our citizens as
have built up large and important industries s
denly, and t. thelr injury, deprived OF advan-
but II th5' 'Phbfc good fetdulf9s tt tfty siI6dff
be content with such consideration as shall
| deal fairly and cautiously with thoir interests
while the Just demands OF the people for relief
| from needless taxa ion is honestly answered
A reasonable and timely submission to
without disas trous shock to any interest, and a
cheerful concession sometimes averts abrupt
| and needless action. often the outgrowth Of i'm
patience and delayed justice.
THE AMERICAN LABoRER
Due regard should be also accorded in any
proposed readjustment to the interests
Of American labor SO far as they
arc. involved. We congratulate ourselves
class fixed within unyielding bounds, and doom
ed under all conditions to the inexorable
fate Of daily t IN tso TSsfR TsSsRo o tba
| republic, and we treat those who have it
in their keeping as citizens entitled 70 the most
careful regard and thoughtful attention. This
regard and attention should be awarded them,
not only because labor is tho capital OF our
| workingman, justly entitled to its share OF
Government favor but for the further and not
/ less important reason that the laboriug man.
surrounded by his family in his humble home,
| is virtually interested in all that cheapens the
| cost Of living and enables him to bring within
/ his domestic circle additional comforts and
| advantages. This relation OF the worktngman
to the revenue laws of the country
| and the manner in which IL palpably influences
| the question of wages. should not be forgotten
| in the justibable prominence given TO the proper
Of tho s9pp thepc @ sr%tonS sua o.
| gest such arrangement OF Government reve-
i nues as shall reduce the expense OF living,
while IL does not curtai the opportunity for
| work nor reduce the compensation OF American
| labor and injurously affect its condition and
the digniied place 1t holds in tho estimation OF
| our people,
But our farmers and agriculturists, those who
from the soil produce the things consumed by all
/ are perhaps more directly and plainly concerned
than any other of our citizens in Just and care
| full system OF Federal taxation. Those actually
| engaged in, and more remot sly connected with,
this kind of work number nearly one-haf OF our
population; none labor harder or more cortinu-
| ously than they. No enactments limit their
hours of toll, and no interpretation of the Gov
ernment enhances to any great extent the value
of their products; and yet for many OF the
necessaries and comforts of life, which the most
| scrupulous economy enables them TO bring into
their homes, and for their implements oil
husbandry, they are Obliged to pay price large
ly increased by unnatural profit, which, by
the action of the Government is given TO the
more favored manufacturers. recommend that,
keeping in view all these considerations, the
increasing and unnecessary surplus OF national
income annually accumulating be released to
4 laws, whIcn SNAIL cn Gpen the prfcc or tne
necessaries Of life and give freer entrance to
| such imported materials AS, by American labor
may be manufactured into marketable com
evor, in tho direction of this much-needed re-
form unless the subject is approached in a
patriotic spirit OF devotion to the interests Of the
entire country, and with Willingness to yield
| something for the whole goo1.
| THE PUBLIC DEBT.
| The sum paid upon the public debt during the
fiscal year ended juno 30, 1886, was s4l 5jl Oi3
| During tho twelve moaths ended October 81,
1886, three per cent. bonds were called for re-
dempton, amounting to S12I, 2S3, ,l0', OF which
$50, ,643 20J was so called to answer the require
ments OF the law relating to tho sinking fund
and S4G,59J,OO0 for the purpose of reducing the
debt by application Of part OF the surplus
| in the Treasury t. that object. OF the bonds
thus called SfO2, 800, $50 became subject, under
such calls, to redemption PRIOR to November
!, 1886. The remainder, amounting to
$3.50, 1876, ,450 matured under the calls after
that date. In addition to the amount
| subject to payment and cancellation prior to
| November !, there were also paid before that
day certain Of these bonds with the interest
| thereon, amounting to 500 2.30, which were
anticipated As to the maturity OF which s2.654,-
80 had not been called. Thus siO7, ,s0J had
been actually applied prior to the 1st OF No
| vember, 1886, to the extngushment Of our
bonded and interest bearing debt leaving on
hSt dSy STU Sun onto1anaRg ing sne sum o IN
| resented by per cent. bonds. They, however,
have been since November u, or will at onco
be. further reduced by 81, ,G0J, $50, being bonds
which have been called, as already stated but
not redeemed and Cancelled before the latter
date.
SILVER COINAGE.
During tho fiscal year ondod Juno 30, 1886,
there were coined under tho Compulsory Silver
Coinage act Cf 1878, - SS, $40 silver dollars, and
the cost Of thu silver used in such coinage was
| 81, 44S060.0l. There had been coined up to the
| close OF the previous fiscal year under the pro.
visions of the law BOB S82, 55 silyor dollars, and
ON tho LIST day Of December, 1885, the total
The Director of the Mint Mint reports
sne the intrinsic va@o Of he osr
coined was 9ih cents EACH and that on July u,
1885, the price OF silver reached the lowest stage
ever known, SO that th9 intrinsic or bullion price
q our standard silver dollar at that date was
~ cents. The price OF silver on November 30
last was such as to make tho dollars intrinsic
ally worth 76 cents zach. These differences in
the value of the coins represent but tho fiuctua-
tions in tho price of silver. and they certainly
do Indicate that compulsory coinage by tho Gov
ernmont enhances tho price OF that commodity
| or secures uniformity in its valus.
CIRCULATING SILVER.
Every fair aud legal effort has been made by
the Treasury Department to distribute this
currency among tho people. The withdrawal
OF United States treasury notes OF small de-
nominations and the issuing OF small silver
certificates have been resorted to in the en-
deavor to accomplish this result, in obedience
to the will and sentiments OF the representa-
tives Of the people in Congress- On the 27th day
of November, Is 8, ths people held OF these
coins or certificates represent ng them tho NOM
inal sum OF SlG6, ,S73 oil, and we still have $40,
.3l5 in the treasury against about Sl42 s9l,
O55 so in the hands of the pt ople and S72 66537d
remaining in the treasury one year ago. The
Director OF the Mint again urges the necessity
of more vault room for the purpose of storing
these silver dollars, which are not needed for
circulation by the people. have seen no reason
to change the views expressed In my last annual
message on the subject OF this compulsory coin
age, and again urge its suspension ON all the
grounds contained in my former recommends
ton, re-enforcod by the significant increase OF
our gold expectations during the last year, as
appears by the comparative statement here
| with presented, and for tho further ronsons
that the more this currency is distributed
among the people the greater becomes our
duty to protect it from disaster; that we now
have abundance for all needs; and that
there seems but little propriety in building
| vaults to store such currency, when the only
pretense for its coinage ts the necessity OF its
use by the people as circulating medum.
| INDEFINITE REVENUE LAWS.
The great number OF suits now pending In the
United States Courts for the Southern District OF
New York, growing out OF the collection OF GUS
toms revenue at tho port of New York, aud tho