The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-10

the force of the otherwise unanswerable
argument which that surplus presents IN
favor of reduction of tariff duties and
other war taxes which are at this time so
unnecessarily burdensome to the people and
detrimental to the general welfare.
THE PROPOSITION UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Second, we deny that Congress has any
power or right to appropriate money from
the Treasury for distribution among the
States and Territories. Such thing has
never been done, and there is no precedent
for it in the whole history of Congressional
legislation. The only time it was ever at
tempted was in 1885, and it was then aban-
doned as unconstitutional, and recourse had
to the loan act of that date.
3. The passage of this bill would be tan
tamount to a legislative declaration that
there is no limit or constitutional inhibition
on Congress in the matter of the appropria-
ton of public money-that the power of
Congress is unlimited and discretionary. 1t
would be an usurpation tending to sap the
foundation of the republic and violative of
the fundamental principles of the Demo
cratic party
ABSURD AND DANGEROUS.
4. If Congress had the right which the
advocates of the bill assert, to reimburse
and repay the States and people money law
fully collected in the way of taxation, it
necessarily implies the right to levy and
collect taxes in either of the forms afforded
by the constitution for the purpose of rails
ing money with which to make such reim-
bursement or repayment-a doctrine both
absurd and dangerous.
| Fifth. The bill is neither equitable nor just
to those who actually paid out the taxes be-
cause it provides for the distribution of
money to the States and territories equal to
| the whole amount of the collection in each,
regardless of the shifting of the population
during the last 81 years.
| Sixth. This bill has provoked an agitation
in favor of refunding the cotton tax; but no
| bill has been brought forward and pressed
for that purpose. gave notice (which | do
not recalD that if this bill is to be passed,
| will, at the proper time offer that amend
ment.
CAN'T BE MADE ACCEPTABLE
Wecould at any time since the considera-
ton of this bill began, have allowed it to
proceed to a point in committee of the
whole, when we might have offered any
amendment we saw proper; but our oppO-
| sition to the bill is such that no amendment
which can be adopted, except it be to strike
out the anacting clause, can make it accep-
table to us. This bill is not before the
! House according to its rules, and in
the usual course of procedure. 1t has not
| DeeIl T6dCIeu III lUS OTutT OH Uu6 Ca leItldT,
| but has, by an unusual report from the
Committee on Rules, been placed before all
other business. and held there to the exclu-
sion Of all other business.
| In matter involving such vital princi-
pies of constitutional government as this
bill involves, and in which the people are
ten-fold more deeply interested than in the
distribution among the States of any
amount of money from the Federal Treas
ury, we feel that it is our duty, though in
the minority, to resort to every legislative
means which the House allows.
RANDALL's WORK.
Instead of discussing the Cultivate Union
| Pacific bill tonight, as the House agreed a
week ago it would do, the House was sitting
idly by, while the doorkeepers, who had been
pressed into service as substitutes for the
weary clerks, called the roll, or the Ser
geant-at-Arms hunted for absentees. There
is every reason tonight to think that the
deadlock will last at least over tomorrow.
| This will shut out the Outhwaite Union
| Pacific bill-a result which President Charles
Francis Adams found himself utterly unable
! to prevent. Should the deadlock last all
week the tariff bill can hardly be taken up
on Tuesday of next week according to the
not ce given by the acting chairman of
the Committee on Ways and Means, be
cause Mr. Randall has held all the appro-
priation bills back SO that it would seem
necessary to postpone the consideration of
the tariff bill This is what the Republi-
cans and Mr.. Randall are really working for.
| Meanwhile if they can pass the direct tax
| bill. taking 1000, 900 or $l8,000,0O out
of the surplus tn will insist that there is
Just so much less need of reducing tax
alton. Mr.. Randall is responsible for the
situation. His vote in the Committee on
Rules reported the.resolution setting apart
two days for the direct tax bill from which
| all the trouble comes.