The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-02-09

Tlttn Avenue H0tel. IN the corridor o
which lie is frequently to be seen with on,
hand III his pocket and the other full O
letters, is Elk Senator Warner Miller. H,
,, is millionaire paper maker, the pioneel
in the wood-pnlp manufacture in this
country. He served on the Finance Com.
mittee Of the Senate for four years, during
which time he was on the subcommittee
that investigated TIE entire customs duty
system. His business requires his close
attention this winter, as his partners are
taking vacations, but he follows public
affairs closely, and is said to be fighting
for the Republican nomination for gov
ernor this fall. Senator Miller was a col
lege professor in his younger days, and is
still student. On the table in his TO I'm
where | found him yesterday, were works
on the tariff. on socialism, on history, and
on art. When asked to chat about the
absorbing question of the day, lie said:
The principal reason given by free trad
ers for removing the present tariff, is that
we have surplus in the Treasury and are
collecting more money than we need for
the expenses of the Government. 1t by
no means follows because we have sur
plus that we should abolish the means by
which that surplus is created, and as a
fact we have no surl lus as long as we have
a debt to pay. The direct question in
volyed is whether the country is more
prosperous under the present system of
customs taxation than it would be if this
system were abolished. That is the whole
tariff issue in nutshell and practically
answers itself because there is no man in
the country so ignorant that he doesn t
know that the condition of the people of
the United States is immeasurably su-
perior to the condition of people IN any
other country. 1t is charged by the free
traders that the present system of taxa :
ton is war tariff, and that as twenty FIVE
years have elapsed since the war it should
be abolished as no longer necessary. This
is fallacious reasoning because of the fact
that taxation that was made necessary by
the war has not yet ceased to be necessary.
We still have about 81 200, 900 1000 of war
debt to pay, the interest Of which alone
amounts to about $50, 000 900 year. The
annual payments for pensions amount to
$75, 100000 per annum. The contribu-
lions to the sinking fund amount to some
100000 or $40 100000 more. Thus
there are expenses of government at the
present time directly attributable to the
war amounting to over $150,000,000 per
annum. So that the cry that the tariff
should be abolished because the war is
over falls to the ground. If any system
of taxation may he called war tax, it is
the internal revenue system which in all
history has only been levied in times of
war or until the Indebtedness incurred by
the war is paid off.
But is there no need for reduction of
the revenue?
= is admitted OF all hands that we age
collecting more money than we need for
the expenses of the government, including
the expenses | have already named, for
the interest on the war debt, for pensions
and for contributions to the Sinking Fund.
The only point of dispute is how to reduce
the tariff and how much we shall reduce it,
HOW MUCH REDUCTION IS WISE?
How much would you reduce it?
During the last fiscal year, according to
President Cleveland S message, the surplus
revenue amounted to little over $50 ,00O,-
600. According to the estimates of his Off
GERS, it is stated that the present fiscal year
would show a surplus equal to or exceed
ing 500, 0000 GOO. 1t would hardly be wise
to reduce the tariff to the entire amount
of the surplus for the reason that if the
| business of the country should fail off or
if for any other reason we should have
hard times, there would no longer be g
surplus, but instead there would be de-
ficit. The revenue should not be reduced
more than $75 900 900 or SS5, 900 900 at the
utmost.
Where would you make this reduction?
President Cleveland suggest that be-
cause there is no complaint as to the in
ternal revenue system of taxation, it
should be left as it is. | do not agle with
him. If this plan was adopted the reve-
nue. reduction would be made only on the
customs duty. The revenue received
from the customs duties last year amount.
ed to 1904, 100000 If q reduction of $751;
600, 900 or 800, 900, 900 be made from that
source it will be seen that the whole pro.
tective tariff system would be broken
down. Wisdom would seem to dictate
| that tIn decrease in thn rnvnnua Shnul1
be made both ON the customs and on the
internal revenue system. If the internal
revenue tax on leaf tobacco and spirits for
mechanical arts and medicinal purposes
should be abolished, at least one-half of
the surplus would be disposed of. If the
consumers of leaf tobacco are not COM
planning about the tax on it the farmers
who grow tobacco are complaining, and
very bitterly at a tax that is levied on
| their product when there is no need of it.
| Many of oGr manufacturers would be
aided and benefited if the tax OH alcohol,
which they use in their various processes,
was emoved. The tariff should be care
| fully revised by the people in sympathy
with it and brought into harmony with
the present condition of the country. If
the tariff on sugar was entirely removed
or re 1uced on the bounty plan. our people
would get cheaper sugar, and the prod ucer
would not be injured. and if it should be
found that a bounty given to producer
was not a success by encouraging home
production we should be paying nothing
out OF the Treasury and the people would
secure one of the necessities of life, at a
much lower rate than they are now pay
ing.
How about infant industries needing
protectionS
The industries Of this country are no
longer infant Industries. In his message
the Presinent intimated that manufacture
ers are still claiming that their industries
are in an infantle condition and must
have the aid Of Government protection
This is not the case at ALL Only free
traders who desire to ridicule and break
down our tariff system talk about our in
FAINT industries. The fact is that the
value of our manufactures is greater than
bat .Ne 81