Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-14
INTER-OCEAN
SCORED BY SHERMAN.
The Ohio Senator Takes a Turn
at the Message.
And Gives Strong Reasons
Against Free Trade.

And Gives Strong Reasons
Against Free Trade.
In the senate. last Wednesday. when
the presidents message was being re-
ferred to the committees, Senator Sher-
man spoke a. follows:
The president of the United States. de-
parting from the practice of his illustri-
Gus predecessors. dropped from his re-
cent annual message all reference to the
foreign relations Of tho country and t
the interesting questions in national at
of the Supreme Ruler of the universe.
and p%ostponing all things, celestial and
terrestrial, until the surplus revenue be
got rid OF. This extraordinary message
he (Mr. Sherman) felt called upon to con-
slider; to inquire whether the dangers
spoken of in it were exaggerated or not:
and to examine the remedies proposed.
The existence of a surplus revenue has
been a constant occurrence before and
since the close of the war. Instead of
Its being a danger, il was an indication
Of The continuous increase of the domes-
tic productions Of the country and its
foreign and domestic commerce, and OF
the steady improvement of its financial
condition. When, in 1906, President
Jefferson had the good fortune OF a sur
plus revenue. he asked lin his message
to congress) to what purpose tho surplus
should be applied, and expressed his be-
would prefer the continuance Of the inn
posts and the application of the money
''to tho great purpose of the public edu-
cation, roads, rivers and canals" Gen.
Jackson, whom he had the like good for
tune, had recommended tho distribution
Of the surplus among tho states, and a
bill for that purpose had been introduced
by Mr.. Calhoun, had passed both houses
by q large majorities and had been signed
had frequently been dealt with wisely
by Republican administration, being
either applied by tho executive authori-
ties to the payment OF the public debt,
Or its accumulation having been pre-
vented by congress, from time to time,
by the reduction or repeal of taxes.
These simple remedies had been applied
in the administration of each Of Mr..
Cleveland's predecessors (since tho close
OF the wary, without other matters being
neglected or a cry Of alarm being raised.
All such reductions of taxes had been
made by the Republican party. The
Democratic party had now had control of
the house of representatives since the
success of 'the Mississippi plan" (except
for two years., and had not in that time
originated or proposed q reduction Of
taxes. The only Republican congress in
ten years had, by the act of March, 1883,
largely reduced both Internal taxes and
customs duties to meet the very difficulty
which now so alarms tho president. Why
had not the president followed the sx-
ample OF his predecessors by using the
power conferred upon the secretary Of
the treasury and applying the surplus
to the
SEDUCTION OF THE PUBL1C DHBT3
Instead of that. and though outstanding
bonds were redeemable at pleasure, his
administration had changed the form of
the debt statement so as to conceal nearly
thirty millions of money 40 unavailable
assets, and had swelled the surplus for
nearly q year until friend and foe alike
cried out against it. If the president re-
garded this growing surplus as Il danger
why had he not, us soon as possible,
brought his intluanco to bean upon
congress to provide for Il reduction of
taxation? And why had lot congress
applied the remedy? The Forty-ninth
congress had lived its two years, and
died. Mr.. Cleveland was then president
Of the United States. The house Of rep
resentatives contained a large majority
of his political friends. They alone had
the initiative-tho constitutional power
to introduce q bill to reduce taxes. WHY
had not that been done? Tho only an
swer was that u controlling majority OF
tho Democratic" party would not allow u
bill to be reported un'ess it contained
provisions which, in tho opinion Of the
majority Of he members OF the house,
would greatly iujure or destroy domestic
production, creating real distress and re-
duce wages. If it had been tn. desire to
reduce taxes without reducing American
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
hearty sympathy and support OF the
president and secretary OF The treasur"..
He (Mr. Sherlnan) had called tho atten
ton Of the senate or July 10, 1856, to the
precise difficulty and danger of the sit
uation, II to the readiness of the major
ity Of the senate to provide for the re-
duction Of taxes and tho application Of
the surplus; and if it had not been for
the action Of tho president and his adj
ministration, including tho Democratic
majority in the house Of representatives,
the tax would then have been reduced
without endangering domestic indus
tries. Even without a reduction of tax
alton the surplus revenue might have
been applied for great national objects
but for tho yetoes OF tho president, for
the failure of tho secretary of the treas.
ury to exercise plain discretionary
powers conferred upon him by law,
II for tho failure of the Democratic
house Of representatives to make appro-
priations for some Of the highest national
objects demanded by the people. The
president had, OH what he regarded as Il
frivolous reason, refused his signature to
the river and harbor bill, which would
have appropriated moro than $40, 0O0, 600
for necessary public works; and, bv his
veto Of the dependent pension bill, he
had Withheld from Union soldiers apprO-
priations made for their relief. The
house. too, had refused to provide for a
system of coast defense, for a proper in
crease and
BUILDING UP OF THE NAVY
and of the commercial marine for postal
communication with the South American
states, and for the encouragement and
support of schools. It has also neglected
or refused to appropriate S., 900, QUO for
Deficiencies admitted to be duo, or to pass
the senate bill for the refunding t. the
several states the direct tax levied in
1852 (3l4, OOO, O0O). Had these several ap-
preparations, sanctioned by the senate.
Ooen IHaue ny tue mousse ana apprOvou
by the president, and had tho residue of
the surplus been applied to the purchase
Of the public debt, the condition Of the
treasury which now so alarms the presi-
dent would not have existed, the public
debt would have been greatly reduced,
aud improvements of vital Importance
TO American would be in
course OF construction. The president
has cast doubt upon the power of the
secretary Of the treasury. to enter the
market and purchase bonds. He spoke