Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-01-21
WASHINGTON.
WORK OF THE 5oTH CONGRESS
A Few Ofthe Bills which were Introduce
ed in the Senate and House.

ed in the Senate and House.
Jan. 13.-Senate-In the Senate today
the annual report of the public printer
was presented, urging larger appropria-
tions for modern machinery, and lncreas-
ing facilities for the government printing
Office. Mr.. Sherman presented an Amend
ment to immediate deficiency appropria-
| tion bill to provide that six per cent in
terest from the time of the future Of the
deficiency bill of last year be allowed on
items including in both bills. The bill
| to refund direct taxes to the States from
which collected came up for discussion.
The debate was interrupted by motion
, by Mr.. Riddleberger to go into executive
session. This was at the end by tie,
and was renewed and defeated by vote
of 2G of 97. The motions to go into ex-
ecutive session were made with view to
forcing action upon the Lamar Domina-
ton, bet as several of Mr.. Lamar's friends
had assisted on postponement until
Monday, they did not vote with Mr..
Riddleberger. The direct tax bill was
then laid aside, and Mr. Vance took the
floor for speech in favor of tariff and in
ternal revenue reduction.
! MI. dnCe Sdlu l1uto 1du OCCh Niu"h
closely by the Presidents message on the
subject of the surplus and taxation. The
contest had to be fought squarely and the
question had to be decided unequivocally
on its merits. That question was, should
taxation be enforced for the support of
the government, or for the enrich
ment of private Individuals Should
money be collected from the people for
public, or for private purposes? No re-
putable hypothesis could be formed
which presented any other phase OF the
| question. The question was, where
should the reduction of taxes begins The
proposition of most of the Democratic
Senators following the lead of the Pres
ident) was to begin and end with tariff
taxation. The Republicans (on the 9th
er hand) proposed to begin by reducing
only in part internal taxes, and by adj
ding to the free list those things COM
ing from abroad which did not compete
with things made in this country, and
the duty on which was therefore all rev.
nue.. For himself he proposed to begin
both evils as he found them-excessive
internal taxes and excessive tariff taxa
ton.
In North Carolina there was cause OF
complaint against each, but there was far
more complaint as to the method OF in
ternal taxation than there was to the
amount. Which, he asked, should not
the excessive tax be repealed or greatly
modified? The exigency which called it
into existence had long since passed
away. It involved the right of a man
to do what he pleased with his own
within the bounds of the law of liberty:
il involves the right of the farmer to sell
the product of his labor to any purchaser
who offered the best price; it involved
the right of the husbandman to utilize
the fruit of his orchard instead of leav-
ing it to rot on the ground; 1t involved
the still more momentous question wneth-
er the poor mans cabin should be indeed
his castle, protected by the organic law,
whether it might be ransacked at any
hour of the day or night by petty Off
cial ''dressed in little brief authority
in search of tribute. for an overflowing
treasury. The people of North Carolina
cared little or nothing about the tax
on spirits or tobacco. They would pay
it cheerfully if they could be spared the
oppressive and vexatious methods and
machinery of its collections. 1t was not
question (as was often so triumphantly
stated of a choice between free whisky
and free blankets; because the duty on
blankets was now practically prohlbltory
and they would not be any cheaper II the
excise on whiskey was removed. Mr..
Vance proceeded with much detail to IL
iustrate many of the inconsistencies IN
the staff, partly as being against the
articles consumed by the poor and IN IA
vor of those consumed by the rich, he
declared the central theory of the staff
was iniquity, and that he was opposed
to the whole thing out and out, and he
should not vote to put anything in the
free list, the tax on which was pure revc-
nue.. He should strive earnestly to re-
duce taxation on the necessaries OF life,
and he should discriminate in nothing
except against luxuries and in favor Of
the helpless and unprotected. At the
conclusion of Mr.. Vance's speech the
subject went over, and Mr. Gray proceed
ed to make constitutional argument
against the educational bill. He felt II
incumbent on him to enter protest
against measure so full of danger and
so monstrous in its provisions. Senators
who were urging the bill believed IN
higher law than the constitution; he did
not doubt their sincerity; they were re
lieved from all scruples on that score;
he appealed to Southern Senators ana
asked then whether their knowledge OF
human nature, their experience IN lie.
instructed them that there was any rea-
sonable hope that the people OF their
States. after eight years of demorallzing
dependence on this golden stream. from
the National Treasury, would again de-
clare for their independence and would
thrust away the hand still held out
to feed them. In the course Of his argu-
ment, Mr.. Gray asked what truth had
been so clearly established during the
last century as this; that the greatest
means Of liberty and the highest type OF
citizenship and civilization had been
achieved and maintained by local self
government. This was an educating in
, fluence which the bill ignored and tend