The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-08-02
THK COLUMBIAN AND DEMOCRAT
THE INTERNAL REVENUE SYSTEM.

II is clear that the internal revenue
system should be abolished as soon as
it can be done with safety to the ma
tional treasury. Under all ordinary
circumstances, il should have been
abolished long before il had existed
quarter Of century after the close Of
the war that created it, but the growth
of proAigacy has been 80 rapid that
now, after battling to reduce the sur
plus for some years. 1t is a grave ques-
ton whether even our bigh tariff taxes
and internal revenue taxes combined
will be sufficient to meet the expenses
of the government.
The decisions already made by Pen
sion Commissioner Tanner, if applied
equitably to all pensioners and appli-
cauts, would alone destroy the treasury
surplus during the next fiscal year I;
and with the new pension bill already
framed by those who assume to repre-
sent the Grand Army of the Republic,
to which the present administration
and its party friends are fairly com.
mitted by campaign pledges, it is evil
dent that there must be either q defeat
of the Grand Army pension measure
or inevitable bankruptcy of the treas
ury. In any event, there will be no
surplus if the Blair educational bill
and the present pension policy of Com
missioner Tanner shall be sustained !;
aud if campaign pledges as to pensions
shall be fulfilled, the present treasury
surplus will be transformed into de-
ficit at the close of the next fiscal year.
What theni
In the mean time the Southern Re-
publican representatives, upon whose
90 nstitutent, internal taxes fall most
heavily, have come to the front with
the declaration that the party must
unite in favor of the repeal of all in
ternal taxes or be defeated in the Or
ganization of the House. This move
ment is headed by Congressman Brow
er, of North Carolina, who voted for
the Mills bill and was reelected by the
Republicans, while his republican col
league, Nichols, who voted against
the Mills bill was defeated. He, and
a number of his Republican colleagues
i'm the South now give notice that the
party must squsrely declare for the re-
peal of internsl taxes or the admins
tration majority will be broken in the
election OF Speaker. This is serious
menace to both Republican unity, and
Republican power, and it is an issue
that can't be evaded. The anti-intern.
al tax Republicans hold the party ma
jority in their hands, and the oppres.
sive character of those taxes in the
Virginas, North Carolina and Tennes.
see, has aroused the people to take a
stand even against party to attain re-
lief.
If one-half the pledges made by the
friends of the present administration
before the election shall be fulfilled, it
will be simply impossible to repeal the
taxes without bankrupting the treasury
With a TANNER pension policy to be
followed by the Grand Army enlarged
pension bill; with pledges of scores of
millions for State education in the
South; with pledges for q complete
Navy; with pledges for complete
system of coast forti6cations; withlpled
ges for the most liberal river, harbo
and internal canal improvements; i,
simply becomes question of the gen
eral betrayal of campaign promises or
of national bankruptcy. If it were
possible to evsde or postpone the issue
It would be done, of course, but the
anti-internal tax Representatives hole
the House in their hands, and the,
dare rot surrender the interests o.
their constituents to party necessity.
Parties have kicked the internal tar
question as a mere political foot bal
for many years. The Democrats onc'
were nearly or quite solid for the re
peal of the entire system, but that wa
when they We're gouged and aayed il
party contests by internal tax officials
Next came high tariff men of 3oti
parties, who struck out for the repea
of internal taxes solely to compel
high tariff taxes in the interest of pro
lection, while low tariff men of oil
parties Topped over against the repea
of internal taxes to require the reduct
ion of tariff taves: but with the meet
ing of the new Congress all dodginl
and double-shuffi ng will be suddenly
halted by the avowed and obviously
determined purpose of Southern
Republicans to force final settlement
of the question. Considerate friend.
of honest government will welcome
any reduction of taxes as step TOWARD
wise economy, and we welcome thu
issue raised by Representative Brewer
and his associates, because it will stoE
Hypocrisy and lying in politics anc
statesmenship in dealing with the tai
question. 1t is quite time that we ge
down 10 common honesty in treating
our national taxes, and it seems Ger
tain that we will reach that importan
departure when the new House meet
in October or December next. Time
i