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

sition for the surrender Of the person charged
has been duly made. Such certificate, if
required to be received before the prisoners
examination, would prevent long and ex-
pensive judicial inquiry into n charge which
the foreign Government might not desire to
press.
He trusts that Congress will give due at
tention to the international copyright ques-
tion, and that the just claims of authors, so
urgently pressed, will be duly needed" The
abolition Of the duty on foreign works of
art is recommended, because American
artists studying abroad are uhpleasantly
affected by il.
The payment of sufficient salaries to our
consuls 10 secure and retain good men, and
the institution of proper system of consular
inspection is urged.
When il comes to the question Of finances
the President reaches the trying portion of
his message, and it must be admitted that
he speaks with no uncertain phrases. He
is in favor Of radical reduction Of the in
come of the Government, and that at once.
lie presents summary of the statistics in
the report of the Secretary of the Treasury,
and then says:
The income Of the Government by its in
creased volume and through economies in its
= al..,.. g
public necessities. The application of the sur
plus TO the payment of such portion Of the pub
lie debt as is now at our option subject 10 ex-
tinguishment, if continued at the rate which
has lately prevailed, would retire that class of
indebtedness within less than one year from
this date. Thus continuation Of our present
revenue system would soon result in the receipt
of an annual income much greater than neces-
sary TO meet Government expenses, with no
Indebtedness upon which it could be applied.
We should then be confronted with a vast guam
| tity Of money, the circulating medium of the
people, boarded in the Treasury when il should
be in their hands, or we should be drawn into
wasteful public extravaganza with all the cor
rupting National Generalization which follows
! in IFS train.
But it is not the simple existence of this sur
plus and its threatened attendant evils, which
furnish the strongest argument against our
| present scale of Federal taxation. Its worst
| phase is the exaction OF such q surplus through
l q perVersion of the relations between the peo-
! pie and their Government, and dangerous
departure from the rules which limit the right
| Of Federal taxation.
Good Government, and especially the Gov
eminent of which every American citizen
boasts, has for its objects the protection OF
every person within its care in the greatest
! liberty consistent with the good order Of So
ciety, and his perfect security in the enjoyment
Of his earnings, with the least diminution for
| public needs. When more OF the peoples sub
stance is exacted through the form Of taxation
than is necessary TO meet the just obligations
Of the Government and the expense of its eco
nomical administration, such exaction becomes
ruthless extortion and violation Of the fun
damental principles Of free Government.
The message embOdies quite little essay
on the tariff. 1t assumes that the people o.
the country demand a revision of the tariff
laws, and declares that Congress should take
such action on the subject as will reduce the
receipts Of the Treasury TO correspond with
the public expenses. 1t recommends that
the reduction Of duties on imports be not
made suddenly, and with view TO justice
both TO the manufacturer and the consumer
The President intimates that if the manu-
facturers would accept some reasonable plar
of reduction of duties, ii might avert abrupt
and less favorable legislation at some future
time. He frames an argument 10 show tha
the present high tariff is not good thing
for the laboring classes, and is especially
onerous TO the farmers. On this point III
says:
But our farmers and agrieulturists-thos
| 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 careful system Of Federal taxation
Those actually engaged in and more remotely
| connected with this Kind of work, numbe
nearly one-half our population. None labor
harder or more continuously than they. NJ
enactments limit their hours of toll, and NJ
interposition Of the Government enhances Il
any great extent the value of their products
And yet for many OF the necessaries and com
| forts of life, which the most scTnpulous economy
enables them to bring into their homes, and 70
their implements of husbandry, they are Obliged
10 pay price largely increased by an unna
tural profit, which, by the action of the Gov
enment is given TO the more favored manu-
facturer.
recommend that, keeping in view all thes
considerations, the increasing and unnecessar,
surplus Of national income annually accumula
ting, be released TO the people, by an amend
ment to our revenue laws which shall cheaper
the price Of the necessaries Of life and Civ
freezer entrance to such imported materials q
by American labor may be manufactured int
marketable commodities.
Nothing can he accomplished, however i
the direction of this much-needed reform, un
less the subject is approached in a patriot
spirit OF devotion 10 the interests Of the entir
country and with willingness to yield some
thing for the public good.
Passing TO the public debt, the reductio
for the fiscal year ending June 80 last
! stated at $44,55l ,O43 Our total Interest
bearing debt is announced to be SI,153, 443
{ 112 on Nov l.
, The President clearly indicates his dislik
/ Of the silver dollar, and proceeds TO give
black eye. In regard to the subject
!. coinage, he says:
have seen no reason TO change the view
expressed in my last annual message on IL
subject Of this compulsory coinage, aud / agai
!. urge its suspension on all the grounds containC
= in my former recommendation REINFORCED
= the significant iserease Of our gold expectation
\ during the last year, as appears by the con
= parative statement herewith presented, and f
= the further reasons that the more this currenC
, is distributed among the people the great
becomes our duty 10 protect il from disaster
that we now have abundance for all onr mead