Morning journal and courier., 1888-09-10

We are annually collecting at our custom houses and by means of our internal revenue | taxation many millions ic excess of all legih- mate public needs. As consequencs there now remains in the national treasury sur plus of more than $1S0, ,000, 900. No better evil I oeuce could be furnished that the people are l exorbitantly taxed. The extent of the super fuous burdens indicated by this surplus will be better appreciated when it is suggested that such surplus alone represents taxation aggregating more than one hundred and eight thousand dollars in county containing fifty thousand Inhabitants.
 Taxation has always been the features of organized government, the hardest to recon oile with peoples ideas of freedom and hap piness When presented in s5,direct form nothing will arouse popular discontent more quickly than unnecessary. taxation. Our farmers, laborers and all our citizens closely scan the slightest increase in the taxes as- sessed upon the lands and other property and demand good reasons for such increase. And yet they seem to be expected in some quarters to regard the unnecessary volume of iDsidu- ous and indirect taxation visited upon them
 by our present rate of tariff duties with in- difference, if not with favor. The surplus revenue now remaining in the treasury not only furnishes conclusive proof of unjust taxation, but it's existence constitutes 8 sepa- rate and tndependant menace to the pros perity of the people. This vast accumula- tion of idle funds represents that much mon ey drawn from the circulating medium of the country which is needed in the channels of trade and business.
 It is great mistake to suppose that the consequences which follow the continual withdrawal and hoarding by the government Of the currency of the people are not or lm- mediate importance to the mass of our citi~ zens and only concerns those engaged in large financial transactions. In the Restless enterprise and activity which free and ready money among the people produces is found that opportunity for labor and employment and that impetus to business and production which bring in their train prosperity to our citizens in every station and vocation. New ventures, new investments in business and manufacture the construction of new and important works and the enlargement enter prises already established depend largely up- on obtaining money on easy terms with fair security, and all these things are stimulated by an abundant volume of circulating medium. Even the harvested grain of the farmer re-
 mains without market unless money is forthcoming for it's movement and transpor- tation to the seaboard. The first results of scarcity of money among the people Is the exaction of severe terms for it's use: h. creasing distrust and timidity is followed by @ refusal to loan or advance on any terms. Investors refuse all risks and decline all se- curities and in general flight the money still in the hands of the people is persistent ly hoarded. It is quite apparent when this natural if not inevitable stage is reached de- precision in all business enterprise will as a necessary consequence lessen the opportunity for work and employment and reduce salaries and the wages of labor. instead then of being exempt from the infiu- ence and effect of an immense surplus lying idle in the treasury, our wage-earners and others, who rely upon their labor for sup af o11d k1xya Ia the situation others, seeing the appr bach of danger, may provide against it, but it will find those depending upon their toll for bread unprepsred, helpless and defenseless. Such state of affairs does not present 8 cese of idleness resulting from disputes between the 1aboring man and his employer, but it produces and enforced stoppage of employ ment and wages.
 REMEDIES FOR THE SURPLUS.
 In reviewing the bad effects of this accu- mulated surplus and the scale of tariff rates by which it is produced, we must not over look the tendency towards gross and scandal ous extravagances which congested treasury induces, nor the fact that we are maintaining without excuse, in g time of profound peace, substantially the rate of tariff duties imposed iR the time of war, when the necessities of the government justified the imposition of weightiest burdens upon the people. Divers plans have been suggested for the return of this accumulated surplus to the people and the channels of trade. Some of these devices are at variance with all rules of good finance; some arc delusive, some are absurd and some betray by their reckless extravagance the demoralizing influence of great surplus of public money upon the judgments of in dividuals. While such efforts should be made as are consistent with public duty and are sanctioned by sound judgment to avoid danger by the useful disposition of the sur- plus now remaining in the treasurp, t is evident that if this distribution were accom- plished, another accumulation would soon take it's place if the constant flow of rednn- dant income was not checked at it's source by 8 reform in our present tariff laws.
 |. We do not propose to deal with these con- ditions by merely attempting to satisfy the people of the truth of abstact theories nor by alone urging their assent to political doe trine. We present to them the prorositions that they are unjustly treated in the extent of present federal taxation; that a result a condition of extreme danger exists and that defense and safety promised in the s1aran- tees of their government. We believe that the same means which are adopted to relieve the treasury of It's present surplus and pre- vent it's recurrence should cheapen to our people the cost of supplying their daily wants. Both of these objects we seek in part to gain by reducing the present tariff rates
  preciate the importance to the country of our domestic industrial enterprises. In the rec tiacation of existing wrongs their maintenance and prosperity should be carefully and in a friendly spiIit considered. Even such reliance been invited should be fairly and justly re- garded. Abrupt and radical changes which might sndanger such enterprises and injuri- ously affect the interests of labor dependent upon their success and continuance are not contemplated or intended. But we know the cost of our domestic manufactured products is increased and their price te the consumer enhanced by the duty imposed upon the raw material used in their manufacture. We know that this increased cost prevents the sale of our productions at foreign markets in competition with those countries which have the advantages of free raw materials. We know that confined to home market our manufacturing operations are curtailed, their demand for labor irregular and the rate of wages paid uncertain.
 FREE RAW MATERIALS.
 We propose therefore to stimulate our do- nestle industrial enterprises by freeing from duty the imported raw materials which by the employment of labor are used in our home manufactures, thus extending the mar kets for their sale and permitting an in- creased and steady production with allow ance Of abundant profits. True to the un- deyiating course of the Democratic party we will not neglect the interests of labor and our workingmen. In all efforts to remedy existing evils we will finnish no excuse for the loss of employment or the reduction of the wages of honest toil. On the contrary we propose in any adjustment of our reve nue laws to concede such encouragement and the advantage to the employers of domestic lator as will easily compensate for any dif- ference that may exist between the standard of wages which should be paid to our laboring men and the rate allowed in other counties. We propose, to, by extending the markets for. our manufacturers to promote the steady the cost of necessaries of life we increase the purchasing power of the workingmen's wages S..l n.la AIo fho nn,,,fnrks r,f l,ia houna .,.l