National Republican., 1888-02-04
Ono Way TO Dispose of the Surplus.

The Hon. VIM. r. Moore, one OF the lead
ing merchants of Memphis, Tenn, and q
Republican member Of the forty-seventh
Congress, has written a letter to the Mem
pbls 1raldnche on the revenues and the sur
plus, In which he suggests an increase OF
customs duties to decrease income, the re-
tention Of the internal revenue taxes, aud
the disposal of the surplus In the following
manner:
"Spoliation" claims, which have been 50
| many times favorably passed upon by pre-
vious Congresses Second, in ostAbli,hng
| an American system of national education to
| elevate the prodigious masses of provincial
| ignorance ano illiteracy. Third, to bal and
set ail rat navy that will place us by respect-
able comparison alongside other nrst-clasi
maritime nations. Fourth, in establishing a
merchant marine that Will enable us to trans.
port our own agricultural, mineral, aud me-
chanical products. Fifth, 10 build aud erect
fortihcations along our Atlantic and Pacific
coasts ana upon the borders of our great chain
OF northern lakes u guard us agl MT foreign
invasion. Sixth, for improving the nav!gl-
billty ofour Mississippi, Missouri Ohio, and
other splendid rivers. Seventh, 70 establish q
great international waterway from the st.
Lawrence, on through lake Meaig IN aud the
Mississippi river to the Gulf of Mexico, aud,
eighth, cut mighty ship cau1l each through
the lsthmus of Panama on the west, AMI the
peninsula of Flor Ia on the east. whereby the
great highway route of the worlds commerce
may be shortened over 10000 miles ia It's on
ward course, and more than Sl0O,010,OlO may
be annually saved to toiling humanity; thus
making our great United States absolute
mistress of the earth.
Speaking Of the effect OF the proposed
reduction IN customs duties, Mr.. Moure
says what Is undoubtedly true:
Reduction of the tariff will inevitably tend
toincrease rather than reduce the treasury
''surplus." 1t will force many, especially of
the weaker American manufacturers, out of
business. 1t will drive thousands OF wage
workers from their shops into the corn. wheat,
and cotton fields, and reduce thereby the prices
OF farmers products in proportion as The
products of European redundant pRuper labor
are imported under the free trade system of
England, which she is now, in all her news
papers, rejoicing that Democratic President
is soon to inaugurate in the United States.
In regard to the "burdens OF taxatlon''
that the Democrats talk OF, Mr.. Moore
says:
Those burdens-and those only-that op.
press us, especially in the southern states
are purely local burdens-taxes of state
county, and cOrporatlon-and, grlcye to say
1t, they are taxes imposed generally by our
own good Democratic free trade officers.
Closing his letter Mr.. Moore uses the
following impressive language:
There is no surplus" If the govern.
ment would only go on in the wise and
necessary Republican policy of building up,
instead of the destructive Democratic free
trade policy of pulling down. But II, which
heaven iorefend, the people OF this na'ioa,
lulled into deluded sense of false security,
snail remain, for any reason, laggard and un-
concerned, regarding ms of trning import the
momentous issues which Democratic free
traders would here inaugurate, they Will wake,
when too late, to flni our factories closed our
arIisans-if not wholly idle employed av less
than half present wages-wages dictated by
EnGllsh manufacturing Iords-and financial
panic overspieadIng this great nation un-
matched by any in all the history of the past
While the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN does
not iIdorse all the ideas advanced by Mr..
Moore, particularly the retention OF the
internal revenue taxes, he says great deal
that is well worth the consideration of the
peUDle,