The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-01-12

Ceettco uoHuS-aVCii DOItS 10 sUH Cc0C0lGu
and MOTTO constitute a part of the sinking
fund. That law had been passed at his
I Mr.. Sherman 81 request, while he was
Secretary Of the Treasury. toYmeet the
very difficulty and to operate at any time.
Under it the Secretary Of the Treasury
could have and ought to have, applied the
surplus from time to the purchase or Ie-
demption of United States bonds.
WHY NOT AN EXTRA SESSION.
Besides, if the dangers from the surplus
revenue were SO great and imminent as
the President said, why had not the Presi.
dent convened Congress during the last
summer to deal with what be called THE
precarious condition Of financial affairs, =
and the absolute peril at hand?" What
more extraordinary occasion could occur
for the exercise of the power to convene
Congress? But tie President had. not
done this aud Congress (now in regular
SESSION. was not to be driven in pell-meH
| by an cutlery to reverse the eoantry's pol
| icy for thirty years-that policy being to
build domestic indutries by reasonable and
! proper protection against foreign product
| ions. He Mr.. S. wished TO approach the
question presented by the President with
sincere respect for him and his nigh office
but with consciousness that Senators and
Representatives, had the responsibility Of
acting upon such matters with fuller in
formation and a broader view of the inter
est of their constituents than any eXecu-
tive officer, however elevated, could have.
He agreed Jas he had said more than once
last Congress- that the revenue should be
reduced. It would be a pleasing and
gratifying task, and the moment that the
House of Representatives would give the
Senate jurisdiction Of the subject matter,
the Senate would be ready 10 share in that
duty as it had done as many as six times
since the close Of the war, and if the Sec
rotary of the Treasury would from time to
time Go his part of applying the revenues to /
the the judicious purchase OF the puolic delft
the delays of the democratic party might
be repaired, and taxation reduced without
gripping industry He did hot attribute
either to the President OF the Secretary OF
the Treasury, an intent to produce the
dangers and difficulties with whichthec0un
try was threatened, nor did he call in
question their integrity OF fidelity: but
when they tried to alarm the country SO as
to induce Congress to break down great
industrial interests, he pointed them TO
the neglect of public duty entrusted to
49, s&a.s,7 az Eas
woes. II evil came 10 tie Republic by
this surplus it was their fault. They had
the power now, and power neglected was
often as great crime as o power usurped.
and artificial scare could not be tnade to
cover the faults and defects of the admin
istration. The country had two di8tines
systems of taxation, one upon the Amer
lean production OF spirits, tobacco. and
beer, the other upon imported goods, the
products of foreign nations. TIE FIRST Of
these the President had dismissed with
single sentence. saying that none OF those
articles were necesaaries, shat ereseened
to be no Just complaint Of such taxation
by consumers, and chat there seemed to be
nothing SO well able to bear the burden
without hardship to any portion Of the
people.
PRODUCERS AND CON SUAIERS.
1t might oe that there Nas nc complaint
of consumers, but could 5hdt be said Of
the producers Of thes.. articles? They
were all either the product OF the farm or
immediate fruits OF the product of the
farm. Their chief cost WAS in the leaf
tobacco, the corn, the rye tle wheat and
the barley Did not the II IS complain
of the tax? II the Pro.e.-a bought
they did not he was greall> ui~sa&au.
Tobacco manufacturers, Hers a1a
brewers might not complain ..goause the
necessary requirement OF c0ii'e .t laws
gave them close monopoly bat tie
| farmers who had to sell 70 licensed dealers
alone, did complain, Tie lax ~ whiskey
might, land to q certain XfeHt did) re-
strain in the use of whisky as 4 beverage,
and in that way the tax DID good, but the
taxes on beer and tobacco did not
The traditions and policy OF the Amer
lean people were against internal taxes.
They were necessity during the war, but
now, if continued, they should be reduced,
and the tax on tobacco especially should
BE- RENTED. Though not q necessity like
bread and meat, the use of tobacco was so
general that d tax was a burden TO the
farmer and to tile consumer. The special
taxes on rectifiers, special dealers, stills,
etc., Yielding annually SIS, 200, 600, oughtto
l>5 Unfit to
the states and the tax on spirits and
beer might be so modified that the states
could make taxes on the consumption of
these articles a bounteous source of reve
nue. and proper means of relief from the
burdens of local taxation. If the object
sought was only to avoid the accumula-
tion of surplus, the easy, natural and log
ical course was to repeal or largely 10 re
duce internal revenue.
BUT THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED
to continue these taxes without dimuni
ton, so that he might strike more eifec
tive blow at the taxes now resting upon
foreign productions. Il WAS OF these
latter that he had used the epithets
vicious, inequitabe and illogical" Il
was at the tariff laws that the President
and the secretary of the Treasury ailnsd
their epithets and arguments the surplus
revenue being the n. ere pre,ext or oeca-
sion.
1t was the protective industrial policy
built up by the Republican party that they
would break down. The Presidents mes
sage. fairly construed. was a severe indict-
ment Of all engaged in manufactu es-a
sweeping accusation against the policy OF
protection as supported by the great mass
of his countrymen and recommended by
his most illustrous predecessors. It
showed hat he favored public policy
which would leave American manufac-
| turers2and workmen to the hard, sharp
and grinding competition OF the capital
anC labor of the world.
Il Lovely ClnpelxloB.
"What lovely complexion" we often
hear persons say. II wonder what she
does for it ~ In every case the purity
and real loneliness of the complexion de-
pend upon the blood. Those who have
49, 49, H. t