Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-12
He Would Have Tariff for Protection
and the Surplus reduced by the
Pensions, Subsidy, River and RarbOr
and Other Similar Subjects.

| pOstponing all things celestial and ter
testrial until the surplus revenue be got
rid of. This extraordinary message he
! (Sherman) felt called upon to consider,
to Inquire whether the dangers spoken
of in it were exaggerated or not,
and to examine the remedies proposed.
The existence of the surplus revenue had
| been d constant occurrence before and
| since the close of the war. Instead of its
| being danger, it was an indication of a
continuous increase OF the domestic pro-
| ductious of the country and of its for
eign and domestic commerce, and of a
steady
IMPROVEMENT OF ITS FINANCIAL CONDITION.
A larger surplus had frequently been dealt
with by republican administrations, it be-
ing applied by the executive authorities
to the payment OF the public debt, or its
accumulation having been prevented by
congress from time to time by reduction
or repeal of taxes. These sim pie RENE
dies had been applied in the administra-
ton OF each of Cleveland's predecessors
since the close of the war, without other
matters being neglected or a cry Of
alarm being raised. All sBch reduction
of the taxes had been made by the repub-
lican party. The democrats had now
had control of the house since the sue
cess Of the Mississippi plan, except for
two years, and had not in that time
originated or proposed a reduction
of taxes. Why had not tie presi-
dent FOLLOWED the example of his
| predecessors by using the powers con
ferred upon the secretary of the treas
ury and of applying the surplus
to Ike reduction Of the public debt. In
= ,4~4r,~ 4
bonds were redeemabIe at the pleasure of
the administration, the president had
changed the form of the debt statement
so as to cancel nearly $60,000,000 Of
money as unavoidable assets, and had
sWelled the surplus for nearly a year,
until friend and foe alike had cried out
against it. If the president had regard
ed this growing surplus as Il danger,
why had he not, as soon as possible,
brought his influence to bear upon con-
gress to provide for reduction of taxa
ton, and why had congress not applied
the remedy? If it had been desired to
reduce taxes without reducing Ameri
can production, the task was easy;
but the enormous powers of
the speaker of the house were used to
prevent even the presentation of such a
bill, and in this the speaker had, it was
understood, the hearty sympathy and
support of the president and of the Sec
rotary of the treasury. The president
had, upon what he (Sherman) regarded as
a frivolous reason, refused his signature
to the river and harbor bill, which would
hive propriated more than $10,000,O00
for necessary public works, and by his
veto of the dependent pension bill he had
held from the union soldiers the appro-
priation made for their relief.
The house, too, has refused to provide
for
SYSTEM OF COAST DEFENSE
for the proper increase and building up
of the navy and of q commercial marine,
for postal communication with the South
American states, and for the encourage
ment and support Of the public schools.
It had also neglected Or refused to ap-
propriate for $8,O00,0O0 of deficiencies
admitted to be due. or to pass the senate
bill for refunding TO the several states
the direct tax levied in 1S62,-$14,O00,
000,-and these several appropria tions,
sanctioned by the senate had been made
by the house and approved by the presi-
cent, and had the residue of the surplus
been applied to the payment of the ma
tionaL debt, the condition of the treasury.
which now so alarms the president, would
not have existed, the public debt would
have been greatly reduced aud Improve
ments Of vital Importance to American
commerce would be in the course of con-
straction.
Senator Sherman continued: The coun-
try had
TWO DISTINCT SYSTEMS OF TAXATION,
one upon American production of spirits,
tobacco and beer, and the other upon i'm
ported goods, the products Of Foreign
aatIons. The first Of these the president
dismissed with single sentence, saying
that none of these articles were neces-
saries; that there seemed to be no Just
! com plant of such taxation by the con-
sumers, and that there seemed to be
nothing so well able to bear the burden,
, without hardship to any portion OF
! the people. It might be that
; there was no complaint of the consumers
but could that be said of the producers
of these articles? They were all primar
} lily the product OF the farm Their chief,
cost was in leaf tobacco, cor1, rye, wheat
and barley Did not the farmers com
plain of the tax? If the president
though. they did not he was greatly mis-
taken. The tobacco manufacturers, dis
tillers aud brewers might not complain
because the necessary requirements OF
the collection laws gave them close mo
nopoly, but the farmers who had to sell
80 the licensed dealers alone,
DID COMPLAIN.
The tax on whiskey might land to
certain extent did restrain the use OF
whiskey as a beverages; and in that way
the tax did good, but the taxes on beer
and tobacco did not Proceeding to de
tails, Sherman said during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1887, the total value o.
foreign importations was 1858 100000
1888, 100000 of that amount being free
of duty; so that as to over third o
all articles of foreign production con
sumed in this country there was abso
lutte free trade. They were mainl.
such articles as, by reason of the climate
could not be produced here, and did no
come into competition with the domestic
industries. With that kind OF free trade
he was in hearty sympathy. He woult
extend it to every article of common use
the growth or the production of which il
the United States was not profitable. [
was au exactly opposite policy that wa
proposed by the president and by tn
school to which the president belonged
q Sen. sherman said that as for himseli
he believed
PROTECTING ALL HOME INDUSTRIES,
/ without respect TO section or to place o
y manner of production, whether on tn
d farm or in the workshop. The farme
performed as valuable labor as he arti
: san, and the rights of every produce
1 should have equal and just consideration
;. without fear or favor. And yet the presi
~ Il =.