The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-05
Senator sherman's speech.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4-Tn the Senate, to-day
Mr.. Sherman called up his resolution to refer
the Presidents message to the finance commit
tee. and delivered a speech in support of thu
principle OF protection. Mr.. Sherman said:
The President of the United States. departing
from the practice of his illustrous predecessors,
dropped from his recent annual message all ref
erence to the foreign relations of the country
and the interesting questions in national az.
fairs, even emitting the usual recognition of the
all things, celestial and terrestrial, until the
plus revenue be got rid OF. This extraordinary
message he [Mr. Shermanl felt called upon to
consider; to inquire whether the dangers spoken
of in it were exaggerated or not, and to examine
the remedies proposed. The existence OF sur
plCs revenue had been a constant recurrence be-
fore and since the close Of the war. Instead of
it's being a danger, /. was an indication of the
continuous increase of the domestic productions
of the country and its foreign and domestic COM
merce, and of the steady improvement OF its
Jefferson had the good fortune Of surplus
revenue he asked lin his message to
Congress) to what purpose the surplus should be
applied, and expressed his belief that the patri-
otism of the people would prefer the continuance
of the imposts and the application OF the money
to the great purposes OF tie public education
when he had the like good fortune, had recon-
mended the distribution OF the surplus among
the States, and bill for that purpose had been
introduced by Mr.. Calhoun, had passed both
by President jackson. = surpluses had
frequently been dealt with wisely by Republican
administrations, being either applied by the
executive authorities to the payment of the pub
lie debt. or it's accumulation having been pre-
vented by Congress- from ii to time, by the
reduction repeal of tax, sse simple rem
edfes had been applied in administration OF
each of Dir. Cleveands Jcessors tsince the
close Of the war), without other matters being
neglected or a cry of alarm being raised.
All such reductions of taxes had been made
ia ic Democratic
had now had control of the House of Represent
atives since the success of 1.-The Mississippi
time originated or proposed reduction of taxes.
The only Republican Congress In ten years had,
by the act of March, 1883. largely reduced both
internal taxes and customs duties to meet the
very difficulty which alarmed the Presi-
dent Why had not the President followed the
examples of his predecessors by using the power
and applying the surplus to the reduction of the
public debt. Instead of that, and though out
standing bonds W ere redeemable at pleasure his
administration had changed the form of the
debt statement so as to conceal nearly thirty
millions of money unavailable assets and had
sweiled the surplus for nearly a year until
friend and foe ankle cried out against 1T IL the
President regarded this growing surplus as q
danger, why had he not, soon as possible,
brought his influence to bear upon Congress to
provide for reduction of taxation And Why
had not Congress applied the remedyf The Forty
ninth Congress had lived its two years and died.
Mr.. Cleveland was then President or the United
States. The House of Representatives con-
tanned a large majority of his political FRIENDS.
They alone had the initiative-the constitution
al power to introduce q bill to reduce taxes.
Why had not that been donef The only answer
was that a controlling majority of the Demo
cratic party would not allow q bill to be report
cd unless it contained provisions wilhelm the
opinion of 3 majority of the members of the
rnestic production creating real distress aud re-
duce wages. If 1T had been the desire TO re-
duce taxes without reducing American proaae