The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-08-25
Efforts to Escape from their Dilemma

press inform us that some Republican Sena-
tors have footed up the amounts of the va
rious appropriation bills, and claim that the
surplus remaining at the end of the present
fiscal year will not exceed twelve or fourteen
millions of dollars. They charge these APP
preparations to the Democratic House, of
course. The receipts for the year ending
June 80, 1889, are estimated at $40, 100000
in round numbers, and the appropriations
foot up $42S, 000,0 900, an excess of some $780,
DOC. 900 more than the appropriations for last
year. These are the figures of the Republi-
can Senators, but are not reliable. The ap-
preparation bills have not all been passed,
and it is quite likely that the receipts for this
year will exceed by S26,OOO,OOO the expendi-
lures. Then, too, there are now in the treas
ury about $40, OO0, 900, which, with the sur
plus to accrue this year, S26,0OO,OO0, will
make an aggregate of S1G6, 100000.
If the appropriations have been extrava-
giant, as alleged, much of the extravaganza
must be charged to the Senate, for that body
has added largely to every appropriation bill
sent over by the House, and even proposed
to add the direct tax refunding bill to one of
them, which alone would have increased the
appropriations something like Sl5,0OO,O0O.
1t would have insisted upon doing so, but for
the fact that the Republican leaders in the
House had agreed with the Democratic lead
ers to postpone the matter until next session,
and informed the sages of the Senate of it,
and admonished them to stay their hands as
they would swamp the Republican party by
their extravaganza.
If there has been extravaganza in appro
priations it is strong argument for tax re-
duction. The Democrats have all along con-
tended that plethoric treasury tempted to
extravaganza and reckless expenditure. As
long as the treasury has large. surplus
schemes will not be wanting to reduce it, and
the only way to avoid unnecessary expendi-
lures is to reduce the revenues, by reducing
taxation, to an amount equal to the needs of
the government economically administered
The Republican Senators some six weeks or
more ago, concluded that reduction of tax
alton was necessary and imperatively de-
platform declared against any revision of the
present tariff A committee has been dill
gently at work on bill, but after all these
weeks it is now thought tariff bill will not
be presented Views were found to be so
conflicting that it is now said one cannot be
framed that will command the full support of
the party, and that the measure has been
abandoned. While the Western Senators
demanded free lumber, free salt and other
additions to the free list, the Eastern Sena-
tors were unwilling to concede these, and
monopolsts and trusts, who are expected to
furnish the ''fat' for campaign purposes, were
demanding higher rates Of duty. The party
in the Senate, therefore, became hopelessly
divided, it is alleged, and work on the bill
has stopped, and to find way out of their
dilemma is what is now puzzling the leaders.
Some profess to have found it in the large
appropriations for this year, which they claim
will leave but Sl2,0OO,000 surplus, thus rem
dering any reduction of the tariff unnecessary.
Even if this be true, the fact will not help
them. AT the end of the present fiscal year,
according to their own figures, the surplus
will be S152, DOC, 900, and to reduce this tariff
revision is necessary. The Mills bill proposes
reduction of about S74, 100000, and it will
require two years at this rate to get the money
out of the treasury and return it to the people,
from whom it should never have been taken.
However, the Republicans must give some
excuse for not bringing forward the promised
model tariff bill, and proclamation, setting
tariff reduction has been made impossible,
will probably be issued. This will not be
true, but then the Republican Senators rushed
madly at variance with the declaration of their
national convention and in defiance of the
opinions of some of their leaders, and de-
clared tariff reyisions tcas necessary, and
finding that, owing to disagreements, they
must abandon their plans, they are obliged to
gave some reason for the change. The al
legged extravagance of the House may satisfy
some Republican voters, but the farmers,
particularly in the West, the manufacturers
who have concluded free raw materials would
Stimulate business and enable them to com
pete in the markets of the world, and the
consumers and taxpayers viii not be hood
winked by any such statement, as long as
there are 10000, 600 lying idle in the treas
ury, which is to be further increased by twelve
millions during the year, as Republicans ad-
nit.
The declarations of the Republican plat
form, that the party would not surrender any
part of the protective system, has driven many
Republicans to Cleveland. The detection
might have been arrested, had the Senate
carried out its discrimination to present bill
for tariff reduction. bat now, it seems, the
Republican majority have fallen in line with
their platform and no bills to be brought for
ward.
The Democrats viii appeal to the country
on the Mills bill, and the indications are for
full and hearty endorsement.