Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-03
COME AT LAST.

the evils resulting to the business inter
ests of the country from a constantly in
creasing surplus in the treasury, the
Democratic majority are about to sub
nit their tariff reform bill. The Demo-
cratic party entered upon this task with
loud hurrah and blare of trumpets. 1t
was given out that the courage exhibited
by Mr.. Cleveland in his message would.
like the heaven in the loaf. infuse itself
throughout the entire Democratic party,
and that party in the future and from
that time on, would be the most cour-
ageous party which had ever directed
public affairs in this country. This cour-
ageous party gave out that the internal
revenue must remain and that tariff
duties must be largely reduced OH all
articles which are classed as necessaries.
From these loud pretensions people
were led to believe when congress con-
vened that the Democratic majority in
the lower house would, even before the
holidays, introduced bill which would
immediately put the large surplus in the
treasury into the channels of trade.
After three long months elaboration
what is the result? A reduction of a
small per cent of the tariff duties on
long list of unimportant articles which
not one man in a thousand cares whether
they are taxed or not. The only mate
rial change in the tariff proposed by this
Democratic measure is that of wool.
The farmer is not petted, but frankly
told that he cannot have his wool pro-
tected. The manufacturer of wooden
goods is taken care of, but the farmer
must sell his wool in the open markets
of the world, and buy his cloth of the
manufacturer who is protected by
tariff 1t is claimed this reduc-
ton will reduce the revenues of
the government about fifty-five
million of dollars. 1t is grave question
whether the reduction of tariff on a
large list of articles will not encourage
importers and increase the revenue on
those articles to an amount more than
what is lost by the articles put on the
free list. However, admit that the
present bill would reduce the annual
revenue fifty million. the bill is not to
take effect until the first of July and by
that time the surplus in the treasury will
amount TO over one hundred and fifty
million dollars. The amount of reduc-
ton proposed in this bill is less than the
annual increase of the surplus left in the
treasury after meeting all legitimate
demands of the government. 1t is not
then difficult to see that the present
Democratic measure Will utterly fail to
relieve the present stringency by putting
this horded money into circulation. The
business man or financier will
be unable 10 see any relief in this
measure.
Democratic statesmen may congratu-
late themselves that they have made a
show of fulfilling their promises to the
people without incuring the displeasure
of any Of the monopoiies formed by the
tariff. but the great mass of the Ameri-
can people will be likely to conclude
that this is only another proof of the
of the Democratic party
to govern this country The only way
left open TO the Democratic party to get
clear of the suplus, will be TO resort
to the plan always proposed by the
Republican party; pay of the national
debt. Then the Democratic party will
be paving the debt fiftv-tive million dol |
lars year less than proposed by the Re-
mn hiIran Marty That - all
ence. A very small affair 10 cause so
much expenditure of Democratic brain
and wind. This Is all there is left of the |
ooaSted policy of a Democratic admins |
ration. Ii has lost the confidence of the /
interests of the country and |
disappointed the free traders of this |
country and England,