The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-19
THE GREAT DEBATE.
speeches of Randall md SIcKinley-An Up
rOnr In the House.

knpnCnth III ~
ronr In the House.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 1S.-The
House was called to order by Mr.. McNlil-
lau Of Tennessee, us Speaker pro TEN,
and, the Chaplain being absent, the
reading Of the journal was dispensed
with and the House Immediately went
into Committee Of Whole (Nlr. Springer,
Of Illinois, in the chair on the taritFbill.
Mr.. Anderson, OF Iowa, spoke briefly
in imposition to the principle OF protec-
tion and at the close Of his remarks MIR.
Randall took the floor. By this time the
floor was filled with members, and the
galleries crowded with spectators, many
OF the diplomatic corps being noticed in
their gallery.
Mr.. Randall opened his speech by re-
lcrring TO the Presidents recent message
in which the Executive advised Con-
grcss that the surplus in the Treasury by
the 3Oth of Jnnc, ut the end OF the cur.
rent fiscal year, would be expected to
reach the sum OF Sl40,000, 900, including
prior aCcumulatiOns, or, more closely
estimated, the sum OF Sll3,00O,0OO apart
IRON prior accumulations over and above
all authorized expenditures, including
the sinking fund for the current year.
He then quoted from the Presidents
message defining his position on the
tariff and internal revenue questions,
and said that from the utterancc OF the
President, he understood the Executive
to be adverse TO any reduction OF the
Internal revenue taxes, rs that mode OF
taxation afforded, in the opinion OF the
President, "no Just complaint, and that
nothing is so well able to bear the bur
dcn without hardship to any portion OF
the people, -
The President further said the tariff
law was vicious and illogical source OF
inequitable tax, and ought to be revised
and modified; and the President had
urged upon Congress the Immediate eX-
preston OF this matter to the exclusion
0iall others. The President had assert
ed in substance, that the reduction that
was necessary should be made by 9ddi-
tions to the free list and by the lowering
OF the rates OF duty.
WHY HE INTERPRETED.
In the presence OF such language,
cmanating from the Executive author
lied by the direction of the constitution
10 communicate and from time to time
give to Congress information on the
state OF the Union, and recommend such
measures as he should judge necessary,
il was imperativCly required OF the rep
rcscntatives OF the peopleto give fair, in
tclligcnt and prompt attention to the
suggestions made. He had done so. He
had introduced and had referred TO the
Committee on Ways and Means a bill to
reduce and cqualize duties on imports
and TO reduce the internal rev
cnuc taxes, and some provisions oi
that bill showed that the remedies he
would apply were at variance with those
recommended by the President. Re
publican applause.l The President
sought to prevent the continuation o.
the surplus revenue by resOrting t
changes in the customs duties only. The
remedy he (Mr. RandalD proposed wa
through the repeal OF internal revenue
taxes us well rs byn thorough revision o
the tariff, us promised to the people b!
the Democratic Convention OF 1884. Th'
reduction provided for in his bill aggre
gates $77,OO0,000 on internal taxes
These taxes had always been the last t.
he levied, and the first TO be repealed
when no longer necessary.
jefferson had given the death blow I!
excise taxes, that most vicious OF al
taxes, and among the things he receive,
the thanks OF the Legislature oil his NJ
tive State for doing was for having tn
internal taxes abolished. The first ta
also to be repealed after the war oil ISL!
was the excise tax, which was recon
mcnded by Madison, and was the nm
law enacted under the administration
Monroe. The Democratic Conventio
Of 1854 declared that internal revenu
was war tax, and this declaration
taken in connection with other declar'
tions OF the platform,
CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THE FACT
that the opinion OF the convention WI
that some Of the Internal Revenue tax
should first 90 and that they should q
so whenever sufficient was reaIHs
from Custom House taxes to meet u
expenses Of the Government econom
cally administered. This country W
practically in such q condition nov, Of
the true response to these declaration
warranted the repeal Of the intern
revenue taxes to the extent propos'
by his bill.
He favored now, rs he had Olwa
done, total repeal Of the internal re