Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-01-28
S H { R NJ A n !,
Strong Speech BY the
Ohio Senator.
lie Completely Riddles Prssi-
dent CIeVelsld's Message.
Great Argument in Be-
half of Protection.
Mastery Discussion Of The Surplus
Question.
Democratic House Continued
by the Mississippi Plan.
In Ten Years It Originates No Re-
duction Proposition.
Congress Gould Not by a Pre-
tended Outcry
Be Driven to Reverse the Country's
Policy.
Figures of Interest and Indisputabls
Be Driven to Reverse the Country's
Policy.
Figures of Interest and Indisputabis
Facts.

The mere announcement OF the TACT tnat
Senator Sherman was going to dissect the
Presidents message and then scatter far
and wide the mangled remains of what was
originally very feeble attempt was suf-
ficient to fill the Senate galleries yesterday
morning with a large delegation Of the
general public and to crowd the floor with
members OF the House, who would rather
hear good tariff speech than anything
else that congressional oratory can produce.
Mr.. Sherman said:
The President of the United States, de-
parting from the practice OF his illustrious
predecessors, dropped from his recent an
nual message all reference to the foreign
relations of the country and to the interest
ing questions in national affairs, even omit
ting the usual recognition of the Supreme
Ruler of the universe, and postponfng all
things, celestial and terrestrial, until the
surplus revenue be got rid of. This extra
ordinary message he (Mr. Sherman) felt
called upon to consider; to inquire whether
the dangers spoken Of in it were exagger-
ated or not, and to examine the remedies
proposed. The existence OF surplus rev.
enue had been q constant occurrence be-
fore and since the close of the war. In
stead of its being danger 1t was an fndica-
tion of the continuous increase OF the do
nestle productions of the country, and its
foreign and domestic commerce, and of
the steady improvement of its financial
condition. When, In 1906, President Jeffer-
son had the good fortune of surplus, he
asked, in his message to Congress,
to what purpose the surplus should
be applied, and expressed his belief that
the patriotism of the people would prefer
the continuance of the imposts and the ap-
plication Of the money ''to the great pur-
poses of public education, roads, rivers, and
canals" Gen. jackson, when he had the
like good fortune, had recommended the
distribution of the surplus amongt the states,
and bill for that purpose had been intro
duced by Mr.. Calhoun, had passed both
houses by large majorities, and had been
signed by President jackson. Larger sur
pulses had frequently been dealt with
wisely by Republican administrations, being
either applied by the executive authorities
to the payment OF the public debt or its
accumulation having been prevented by
Congress from time to time by the reduc-
ton or repeal of taxes, These simple
remedies had been applied in the admins
tration of each of Mr.. Cleveland's pIede-
cessors since the close of the war without
other matters being neglected or cry of
alarm being raised. All such reduction Of
taxes had been made by the Republican
party. The Democratic party had now had
control at the House Of Representatives
since the success Of
"THE MISSISSIPPI PLAN"
except for two years, and have not In that
time originated or proposed a reduction of
taxes. The only Republican Congress in
ten years had, by the act
of March, 1888, largely reduced
both internal taxes and customs
e. 4ha lfu xyhi oh
now so alarmed the President Why had
not the President followed the example of
his predecessors by using the powers con-
ferred upon the Secretary of the Treasury,
and applying the surplus to the reduction
of the public debt +? Instead of that, and
though outstanding bonds were redeemable
at pleasure, his administration had changed
the form of the debt statement SO as to con
ceal nearly thirty millions of money as I'M
available assets, and had swelled the sur
plus for nearly year, until friend and foe
alike cried out against it. II the President
regarded this growing surplus as a danger,
why had he not, as soon as possible. brought
his Influence to bear upon Congress to pro-
vide for a reduction of taxation And why
had not Congress applied the remedy The
forty-ninth Congress had lived its two
years and died. Mr.. Cleveland was then
President of the United States. The House
of Representatives contained large ma
jority Of his political friends. They alone had
the initiative-the observation-disclosures
to introduce bill for reduced taxes. Why
had not that been done? The only answer
was that controlling majority of the
Democratic rarity would not allow bill to
be reported unless 1t contained provisions
which lin the opinion Of majority of the
members of the House, would greatly in
jure or
DESTROY DOMESTIC PRODUCTION,
create great distress, and reduce wages. If
1t had been the desire to reduce taxes
without reducing American production
the task was easy; but the enormous
powers Of the Speaker OF the House were
used TO prevent even the presentation of
such bill, and In this the Speaker had lit
was uuderstood) the hearty sympathy and
support of the President and Secretary of
the Treasury. He MIR. Sherman) had called
the attention of the Senate on the 10th of
July, 1886, to the precise difficulty and
danger of the situation, and to the readi-
ness Of the majority OF the Senate to pro-
vide for the reduction of taxes and the APP
plicatiop of the surplus; and IL it had not
been for the action Of the President and his
administration Cincluding the Democratic
majority In the House of Representatives,
the taxes would then have been reduced
without eDdangeriDg domestic industries.
Even without reduction Of taxation the
surplus revenue might have been applied
for great national objects but for vetoes of
the President; for the failure of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to exercise plain dis
cretionary powers conferred upon him by
Jaw, and for the failure of the Democratic
House Of Representatives to make appro-
priatioDs for some OF the highest ma
tional objects demanded by the people.
The President MAD, on what be (Mr. sher-
man) regarded as
A FRIVOLOUS REASON,
refused bis signature to the river and harbor
bill. which would have appropriated more
than $40 ,O00, 900 for necessary public works,
and by bis veto OF the dependent pension bill
he had withheld from Union soldiers appro-