Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-05
ON FHE issue OF '8S.
Sherman Argues from a Protective
Standpoint in Answer to Presi-
dent CIevsland's Message.
He Would Repeal The Tobacco Tax,
Modify the Whisky Tax and RedHce
the Duty on Sugar BY One Half.
Tho Duty on Imported Articles not Added
10 the Price OF Similar Articles OF
Home Production.
SHERMAN ON THE MES SAGR.

home froduCttons
SHERMAN ON THE MESSAGE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Senstor Sher-
man haraugusd the Senate to-day on the
sntject Of Presiden. Clevelsnd's mes
sage. Mr.. Sherman thought the Presi-
dent exaggerated the danger Of the sur
plus and called attention to the fact that
President Jefferson and President Jack
son had recommended, in preference to
redrcing.the import duties, the spplica-
ton Of the money for public improvement
or distribution among the states. The
Republican administration had used
it to piy the public debt or reduced it by
the reduction or repeal Of taxes. The
last time the Republicans were in power
in the House they had reduced~bo the
internal taxes and the customs duties.
Now the Democratic party should do its
duty. II the President regarded this
growing surplus as danger, why had he
not brought his influence to bear upon
Congress to provide for reduction Of
taxstior? The House OF Representatives
friends. They alone had the initiative
constitutional power to introduce 8 bill
to reduce taxes. But the controlling
majority of the Democratic party would
not allow bill to be reported unless it
contained provisions, which, in the opin-
ion of q minority of the members OF the
House, would greatly ipjure or
DESTROY DOMESTIC PRODUCTION,
creating real distress and reduce wages.
II it had been the desire to reduce the
taxes without reducing American pro-
duction the task was easy, tut 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, it was understood. the
hearty sympathy and support of the Presi-
dent and the Secretary CT the Treasury.
Even without the reduction of tsx.tiSn
the surplus revenue might be applied for
great national objects but for the vetoes
of the President, for the failure of the
Secretary of the Treasury to exercise the
plain discretionary powers conferred
upon him by law and for the
failure OF the Democratic House
of representatives. to make appro-
priations for some OF the highest national
objects demanded By the people. The
President had cast DOUBT upon the power
OF the Secretary CT the Treasury to enter
the market and
PURCHASE BONDS.
The second section Of the sundry civil
bill Of March 5, 1881, gave the Secretary
of the Treasury power at any time to APP
ply the surplus or so much OF 1t as he
might consider proper to the purchase or
redemption of United States bonds,
such bonds TO be cancelled and
not to constitute part Of the
sinking fund. That law had been
passed st his (Mr. Shermsn's) request
while he was Secretary of the Treasury,
to meet every diff Guilty, and to operate at
any time. The country had two distinct
systems of taxation, first, upon American
and the other upon imported goods, the
products OF ,reign nations. The first Of
these, the President said, there seemed
to be no Just complaint of, such as taXs-
ton by the consumers. 1t might be said
that there was no complaint of the con-
sumers. Did not the farmers complain Of
the taxi II the President thought they
did not he was
GREATLY MISTAKEN.
Tobacco manufacturers, distillers and
brewers might not complain, because the
necessary requirements OF the collection
laws give them close monopoly, but the
farmers who had to sell licensed dealers
alone did complain. The tax on whisky
might restrain the use of whisky as .
beverage and in that way the tax did
good, but the taxes on beer and tobacco
did not. The tax on tobacco especially
should be RENTED. Though not neces-
sity like bread and meat, the use OF
tobacco was so general that its
tax was burden to the farmer
and to the consumer. The special tax on
rec.ifcers and special dealers whose
stills yield annually Ne52, 0e0. coo ought to
be repealed and their imposition left to
the states. The tax on spirits and beer
might be so modified thst the states
could make taxes on the consumption Of
the articles bounteous source OF rev.
enue and proper means Of relief from
the burdens Of local taxation. II the OBJ
ject sought was only to avoid the accumu-
iation Of surplus the easy, natural and
logical course was to repeal or largely re-
duce the internal revenue. But the
President proposed to continue these
taxes
WITHOUT DIMINUTION
so that he might strike q more eff sctive
blow at the taxes now resting upon for
eigu productions. Last year the total
value of foreign importations was $685.
0OO, 600, 1926 600, 900 OF the amount being
free OF duty SO that IS TO over one-tnird
of all the articles OF foreign production
consumed in this country, there was ab-
solutely free trade. Tley were mainly
such articles as by reason OF climate
could not be produced here and did
not come into competition with domestic
industry. With that kind Of free traie
no Wa in hearty sympathY. Is was eX-
sctly opposite to the polic7 proposed by
the President and by the school TO which
the President belonged. They sought to
place t,xes upon articles now free, such
as tes and coffee, in order thai q greater
reduction might be made on articles thst
did not come in competition
WITH HOME INDUSTRY.
Articles of voluntary use, luxury or ap-
petite, not in common use amorg the
people and which are almost exclusively
used by the wealthy, should receive the
highest rate collectable Notwithstanding