Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-29
Judge Thurmau's Speech.

VuuSo Auurman, says 6ne balIlmoIo O"",
devoted considerable part of his speech at
Port Huron, Mich, on Wednesday last, the
22nd instant, to review of Mr.. Cleveland's
administration, in the course of which he
called attention to the fact that the dire evils
predicted in 1884 by campaign orators as
likely to attend democratic administ "a
ton have not come to pass, but on the con-
trary the country has had exceptionally
good government and gratifying reviva'
of business. The 'srebel debt" has not been
paid, the colored voter has not been dis
franchised and the civil service has not been
flooded with democratic ignorance and in
competency, but on the contrary, through
the instrumentalities provided in the civil
service law, the service has been purified
and brought to the highest state of effici-
ency. President Cleveland's courage and
craftsmanship have not, however, been
shown merely in disappointing pessimistic
republican predictions The President has
pursued positive and aggressive policy in
regard to every evil practice and tendency
fastened upon the federal government dur
ing preceding administrations. He COM
PEELED the cattle lords to remove their fences
from the public lands, thus restoring mil
lions of acres to the public domain. The
resolute policy of his administration in re-
gard to unearned land grants has retained
for the public use nearly 100, OO0,0 acres
of public lands that were surrendered to the
railroads by Mr.. Teller and his predecessors
in the office of the Secretary Of the Interior.
By wise use of his veto power the Presi-
dent has checked extravaganza and saved
the country hundreds of millions of dollars.
The fisheries treaty negotiated by him Sc
cured to this country an advantageous set
Element, which the republicans of the Sen
ate have Just rejected from motives of par
tisan and most unpatriotic character. The
latest and most striking exhibition of the
Presidents breadth of view and courage
was his unequivocal demand upon Congress
to take advantage of the opportunity pre-
scented by superabundance of revenue to
reform the tariff laws. Upon this theme of
reduction of tariff taxation Judge Thurman
spoke with great effect. Reasonable taxa
tion," he said, meant taxation to meet the
needs of the government when economical
ly administered, and every cent wrung from
the people in excess of the government s
! needs was an intolerablc exaction. There
is now, he said, $4,000, 900, taken need
lessly from the peoples pockets by the high
tariff taxes, lying idle in the treasury, bear
| ing no interest and serving no good purpose.
Had it been left with the people to whom it
belongs, that sum would have quickened
| thousands of enterprises and created numer-
Gus opportunities for the wage Gamers of
the country. The existence of that vast
idle sum at Washington proves the neces-
sity of reduction of taxation. The Old
Roman showed no mercy to the fallacy that
nation can lift itself by its bootstraps. No
man ever got rich, be held, by having his
earnings taken from him in taxes. and to
say nation can tax itself into prosperity is
absurd. A few may profit by that doctrine,
but the many must suffer. As between in
ternal taxes and tariff taxes, the friend OF
the people must prefer to reduce the gov
ernment's surplus revenue by lowering the
taxes that bear upon the necessaries of life.
"The tariff, the Judge holds, sis tax
that takes hold Of everything-your hat,
your coat, your vest, your breaches, your
boots everything from the crown of the
head to the soles of your feet" 1t is not,
therefore, in his opinion, tax favorable to
the well being of the laboring man, but the
most oppressive form of exaction ever de.
vised by the ingenuity of man.