The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-19
Why He Disagrees With the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Mills.
He Has the Wrong Side Of the Ques-
ton, but Handles It Well.
A Strong Plea for the Adjustment
Of the Internal Taxes.
He Thinks This Is the Way by Which
to Reduce the surplus-Mills Inter-
rupts Him--MoKinley and Breck-
inridRe, of Kentucky.

lin, OF Tennessee, as speaker pro tem., and
the chaplain being absent and the read
ing of the journal dispensed with, the
House Immediately went into committee
Of the whole (Mr. Springer, OF Illinois, in
tho chair on the tariff bill.
~ Mr.. Anderson, OF Iowa, spoke briefly in
opposition to the principle of protection,
and at the close Of his remarks
Mr.. RANDALL TOOK THE FLOOR.
He opened hisspeech by referring TO the
Presidents recent message, in which the
executive advised Congress that the sur
plus in the treasury by the 3Oth of June,
at the end OF the current fiscal year, would
be expected to reach the sum Of Sl40, ,000,-
900, including prior accumulations, or
more closely stated, the sum Of Sll3, ,000,-
600 apart from prior accumulations over
and above all authorized expenses, includ-
ing the sinking fund for the current year.
He then quoted from the Presidents mes
sage defining his position on the tariff and
internal revenue questions, and said that
from the utteranccs Of the President he
understood the executive 10 be ad-
verse 10 any reduction OF the internal
taxes, as that mode OF taxation afforded in
the opinion OF the President "no lust
complaint, and that nothing is so well able
10 bear the burden without hardships 10
any portion Of the people," The President
further said that the tariff law was a vi
cious and illogical source OF inequitable tax
and ought TO be revised and modified, and
the President had urged upon Congress
the immediate expression OF this matter 10
the exclusion OF all others. The President
had asserted in substance that the reduc-
ton necessary should he made by addi-
tons 10 the free list and by the lowering OF
the rates OF duty. The presence OF such
language emanating from the executive,
authorized 10y the direction Of the consti-
tuition TO communicate, aud from time 10
time give 10 Congress information on the
state OF the Union, and recommend such
measures as he should judge necessary, IL
1 ys, ys,>imperatiycly required on the repre-
scntatiycs offi1f eeanlet0 give fair, in
/ tellgcnt and prompt attention TO the sug.
gestions made. lie had done 40. He had
Introduced and had referred To the COM
mittee on WAYS and means bill 10 reduce
and equalize duties on imports and TO re-
ducc the internal revenue taxes, and some
provisions OF that bill showed that the
remedies he would apply were at variance
with those recommended by the President.
The President sought 10 prevent the con-
tinuation OF the surplus revenue by resort
ing 10 changes in the customs duties only.
The remedy he (Mr. Randall) proposed
was through the repeal Of internal revenue
taxes rs well as by a full revision Of the
tariff, rs promised 10 the people, by the
Democratic convention OF 1884. The re-
duciion provided for, in his bill, aggro-
gated $77,000,00 on internal taxes.
Those taxes had always been the
last 10 be levied, and the first 20 be
repealed, when no longer necessary.
Jefferson had given the death blow TO ex-
else taxes, that most vicious Of all taxes,
and among the things he received the
thanks OF the Legislature Of his native
State for doing, was for hayingthe internal
taxes abolished. The ,frst tax also 20 be
repealed after the war OF 1912 had been
the excise tax, which was recommended
by Madison, and was the ilrst law enacted
under the administration OF Monroe. The
Democratic convention OF 1884 declared
that internal revenue was a war tax, and
this declaration, taken in connection with
the other declarations Of the platform,
clearly established the fact that the opinion
OF the convention was that some OF the in
/ tcrnal revenue taxes should iirst 20, and
that they should all 20 whenever n sufli.
cient sum was realized from custom
| house taxes 20 meet the expenses
OF the government economically ad-
administered. Tho country was practically
In such a condition now, and the true re-
| sponsc 10 those declarations warranted the
4 repeal OF the internal revenue taxes 10 the
extent proposed by his bill. lie favored
now, ~ he had always done, q total repeal
Of the internal revenue taxes. Applause.
In tho bill which he had introduced, he
proposed 10 sweep all these taxes from the
statute books, except tax of 90 cents on
nwhisky, and he would transfer the collec.
Zion Oi that tax 10 the customs officials II
THAT was found 10 be practicable. With
IAlbort Gallatin, he had regarded excise
taxes as offensive 10 the genius Of the pco.
pie, tolerated only ~ n measure Of emer.
Igcncy, and n soon as the occasion for them
had passed away they should cease 10 cx'
ist.
Mr.. Randall hero entered into an ex.
planation Of the heprinciplcs upon which his
h III had been constructed, and stated dis.
dnctly that II Il could DO made 10 appear
y any case that the measure he had pro.
roscd conferred more protection than was
Ht'AfA W ''N'N VIZ ANHA W ltWaNlA'h hN
mas ready 10 lower II. II In any instance
DC rate was too low 10 cover that cost he
xns ready 10 raise Il. Monopolies existed
Without tho tariff. The Standard oil
rust, the whisky trust and the cotton seed
oil trust, and Others that he could men.
tion--the greatest trusts In the whole coun.
iry-wore not protected by the tariff. lie
was for the protection Of labor-not In one
State, but In all. lie was for the prolec
ton and maintenance Of that industrial
system that allowed 10 labor n larger pro
lportionate share OF its products than wa
/, 1cralized In any other country or under
" other sysiom. Mr.. Randall tool
the schedule In his bill relat
20 steel rails. and quoted figures al
IcnFth 20 sustain his action In fixinl
l1+luties al the rates he proposed In hil
blL Tho duty ON cotton ties, he said, wa
ou1oi tho constituencies Of the persona
tam. II was only fair that they should
pay b duty M hoop iron aud as an article
of manufacture. Tho present law was I
poz|tiyo discrimination against the hons