Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-02-09

the same and similar subjects, presents a
contrast as astounding as it is unexpected
"a cor fict as irTeconcilable as tits positive
and ahsolute-aE enigma which, cOniessing
my own inability to solve, / viii now pro-
coed brihy to aDalyze and will then leave
its further consideration to the Senator and
to the country.
The President, in his message, calls at
tentiOn 10 the unnecessary accumulation
OF surplus of the peoples money In the
Treasury, already amounting TO $4,000
600. presages that it will reach $40, OOO,-
600 BY the end of the fiscal year, and de-
clares that if disaster shall result from the
continued inaction of Congress, the re-
sponsibility must rest where it belongs.
The honorable Senator has dismissed this
solemn warning of the President with a
wave of the hand. The existence Of a
surplus has been "A constant occurrence be-
fore and since the close OF the war" he
SAYS. And, continuing, he declares that
when, in 1906, President Jefferson
had the good fortune OF a surplus revenue,
he. ia his message, said: To what other
objects shall these surpluses be appr0pri-
NNEU AakNA AllN NnAAAN N-A1NAAtAA VI
the public debt and during those intervals
when war shall not call for them? Shall
we suppress the impost and thus give that
advantage 10 foreign over domestic manu-
actures?' He believed the patriotism Of
the people would prefer its continuance
aud application for the purposes OF public
education, roads, rivers, and canals.
From this extract it would be fairly as
sumed that Mr. Jefferson had treated the
unnecessary accumulation of surplus IN
the Treasury rs lightly as the honorable
Senator Is disposed to do But, Mr.. Pres,
ident. the extract which has been quoted
is unfair TO Mr.. jefferson, unfair to the
Senate, unfair to the country, and does no
credit. If may be permitted the remark,
70 the fairness Of the honorable Senator
himself. l can not say that the Senator
has deliberately garbled Mr.. Jefferson, but
I can and do say that he quoted the bali
of q sentence and that he omitted the other
half, the qualifying part, which Will be
found on page CO, volume 8, of Mr.. Jetfer-
sons works, in the following words:
"And other objects of public improve
ment as it may be thought proper 10 add
to the constitutional enumeration of the
Federal powers"
JEFFERSON MISQUOTED
The Senator has gone further. He has
in his extract from MIR. JEFF
ferson before the word canals the word
''and," thus, innocently of course, leaving
10 the hearer and to the reader the i'm
preston that the sentence closed there.
And the Senator has omitted entirely the
of Mr.. Jefferson which follows
soon after. in the same message, IN the fol
lowing words:
u suppose an amendment to the Con-
stitution By consent Of the Senate neees-
sary, because the objects now recommend
ed are not among those enumerated IN the
and to which 1t permits the
public funds to he applied"
What a contrast Mr. Jefferson on the
one hand, as the honorable Senator pre-
sents him, contemplating as a trivial mat
ter the probable unnecessary accumula-
tion of money in the Treasury with the
passing suggestion that it be devoted to
internal improvements, and Mr. Jefferson
on the other, patriot President as he was,
solemnly invoking a change in the organism
law of the land, in order to anticipate and
to avoid the dangers of a surplus revenue.
Ia his message of December, 1882, Gen
eral Jackson declared that the
'soundest maxim OF public policy aud the
upon which our Republican in
are founded recommended
proper adaptation of the revenue to the
expenditure; and they also require that the
expenditure shall be limited 10 what by an
administration shall he con-
sistent with the simplicity of the Govern
ment and necessary TO an efficient public
service"
And so of Mr.. Webster. Contemplating
in 1886 surplus which would be regarded
As hardly significant in these days OF over
taxation, Mr.. Webster declared, and in the
very substance of the Presidents message,
that
this present pressure is not known OF felt
Dr. believed here in anything like its true
extent. II we give no relief l know not
what may happen, even in this day OF high
In his message December 6, 1881, deal
ny with the surplus IN the Treasury,
PRESIDENT ARTHUR SAID:
In view, however, of the heavy load
IF taxation, which our people have already
borne. we NAV well consider whether it Is
not the part of wisdom to reduce the rev.
,nue, even if we delay little the payment
IF the debt. Ii seems to me that the time
mas arrived when the people may justly
demand some relief from their present
lnerous burden, and that by due economy
in the various branches of the public ser
vice this may readily be effected"
He then proceeds to recommend certain
Of internal revenue taxes
aud the abolition of others, excepting,
however, those upon tobacco in its various
forms and upon distilled spirits and fer
mented liquors, and also makes other ex-
,eptions in the same line. He proceeds to
add:
THE tariff laws also need revision, but
IA 4 ,,r,h,I nav 10 ,,,sd ~ the con