The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-19

and Abolition of Internal Taxes
WAsHISGToN, May IS The House
was called to order to-day by Mr. McMll-
lin of Tennessee As the Speaker pro ten
and the chaplain were absent, and the
reading of the Journal dispensed with,
the House Immediately went into Com
mittee of the Whole (Mr. Springer of
Illinois in the chain, on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Anderson Of Iowa denounced the
protective system and its horrible prog
eny, the innumerable modern monsters
known rs TRUSTS sired by greed and
damned by cOntrivance, which eimi-
mated from the American commerce the
vital principle of competition. Ap
plause
Mr. Cheadie of Indiana confined him
self to the discussion of the question
whether protection protected and main
taincd the Affirmative of the proposition.
The floor was then accorded to Mr..
Randall of Pennsylvania. He opened
his speech by referring to the Presidents
message, in which the Executive advised
Ongress that the surplus in the Treas
ury by the Both Of June at the end of the
current fiscal year would be expected to
reach the sum ol $4,000 COO including
prior accumulaliOns, or more closely
stated, the sum Of $4,000, 600, apart
from prior accumulations over and above
all the authorized expenditures, includ-
ing 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 utterance Of the
President, he understood the Executive
to be adverse TO any reduction Of the in
ternal taxes, as that mode of taxation
afforded, in the opinion Of the Pres
ideHt, mo jus, complaint, and that
nothing is so well able TO bear the
burden without a hardship 10 any
portion Of the people The President
further said that the tariff law was
vicious snd illogical source Of inequitable
tax, and out TO be revised and modified
and the President had urged upon Con.
gress an immediate expression of this
matter, TO the exclusion of all others The
President had asserted in substance that
a reduction necessary should by made by
additions 10 the free lists and by the
lowering of the rates of duty. In the pres
ence of such language, emnating from
the executive authorized by the direc-
ton of the Constitution to 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, it was impera |
lively required OF the representatives Of |
/ bo ,,aDrla 10 .risr. fair int nj |
prompt attention to the suggestion made. |
He had done so. He had introduced and I
bad referred 10 the Committee on Ways !
and Means a bill TO reduce and eGualize |
duties on imports. and to reduce he inter /
nal revenue taxes, and some of the provis- /
Ions of that bill showed that the remedies |
he would apply were at variance with !
those recommended by the President. /
President sought to prevent the |
of the surplus revenue by |
resOrling to the changes in the customs
iuties only.
The remedy he (RandalD proposed was
axes as well as by full revision of the
ariif as promised to the people by the
Democratic Convention of 1884 The re-
luciiOn provided for in his bill aggrega-
ed $77 600 900 in internal taxes. Those
axes had always been last TO be levied
md first 70 be repealed, when no longer
necessary. Jefferson had given the death
Vow 10 excise taxes, that most vicious of
III taxes, and among other things he re-
eved the thanks Of the Legislature OF
lis native State for having the internal
axes abolished the first lax a'sO 10 be
epealed after the war Of 1912 had been
hc excise tax which was recommended
" Madison, and was the first law enact.
q under the administration OF Monroe. {
The Democratic Convention Of 1884 de- ,
lar ID that the internal revenue was a
var tax and this declaration, taken iu con
eCliOn with the o, her declarations OF the
latfOrm clearly establish the fact that the
pinion Of the convention was that some ,
{ the internal revenue taxes should first
o, and that they should all 20 whenever
sufficient sum was raised from custom. ,
Ouse taxes to meet the expenses of Gov
rnment economically administered. The d,
Ountrv was practically in such cOndi :
on now. and the true response to these
warranted the repeal Of the
lternal revenue taxes 10 the extent pro- ,
osed 10y his bill He favored now, as +,
c had always done, Il total repeal Of the !
lternal revenue taxes. Applause. In /.
be bill which he introduced he proposed !
} sweep all these taxes from the statute
ooks except the tax of fifty cents on a
hisky, and he would transfer the col C
,ciion OF that Tax 10 the customs officers q
that was found TO be practicable. l
The House was thrown into an uprOar 5
MS afternoon at the conclusion of Mr. I
andali's hour \ request was made J
lat Mr. Randall be allowed to proceed, d
ut objection was made by Mr. Mills of
exas, an objection which was greeted
ith jeers and Kisses by the Republicans.
Mr.. Mckinley then yielded portion +,
his time, but by an amicable arrange .
eni, suggested by Mr. Breckinridge of 4
entucky, Mr.. Randall was permitted to +
roceed without limitation of time, Mr. :
andall concluded his speech at 1875, }
nj was followed by Mr.. Mckinley of q
hio. .