Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-29
REPRESENTATIVE MUrCuLER.
How He " ould Raise Revenue to Meet .
Deficiency In the Treasury.

Representative Muichler Of Pennsylvania.
who is in the city to attend the preliminary
meeting Of the appropriations committee, has
his mind made up 10 what is the wisest
course FOR the democrats 20 pursue.
The only thing" he said. which would
render al extra session of the next Congress
really necessary would be a deficiency in the
treasury. Whether there Is or is not such q
deficiency can only be known after the coming
short session gets 70 work. though there is good
reason 10 believe tina. a deficiency exists. In
any event | think il would be wise 20 call the
Fifty-third Congress together next April and
haze IL organize. The Speaker could pe elected
and the committee assignments made. Then
the important Committees, such as that on WAYS
and means, appropriations and pensions could
sat during the summer. while Congress took q
recess until October or an adjournment until
The regular time of meeting in December. The
ways and means committee during it's summer
sessions would be able TO frame a tariff bah on
careful and conservative lines. go as gradually
to bring Us back 70 a tariff for revenue without
seriously disturbing the industries that have
been built up on the present tariff
HOW To INCREASE THE REyENrEs
Granting there is a deficiency. what method
would you favor to so increase the revenues as
to meet it. Mr.. Mu:chler2' was asked.
The tirst thing woa,d do would be to re-
peal the sugar bounty and restore the duty on
sugar. Placing sugar on the free list de-
IrlTed the government OF ST, O00 90 ANNUALLY
IN reTenue, and the bounty paid 20 the planters
Increased The loss TO the government IS 000. O0C
or $40 ,OoO. 900 more. Ard this was never done TO
cheaper the price Of sugar to the consumers.
IL was done in order to enable the republicans
TO increase the tariff on wooden goods. CARPETS
and other articles Of absolute necessity in every
household, and thus protect the favored manu-.
faci1rers Of those goods. ! would also. If il
was found necessary. restore the duty on tes
and coffee and add a little to the taX on whisky
and tobacco. In this way YOU viii get genu.
me revenue tariff on articles that are not res
necessaries Of life. while YOU could take off tn,
duties on articles Of clothing. blankets and car
pets, which every human being and every
household must have IN n climate like this
something of this kind must be done 10 NEE
the vast pension and other expenditures Of III,
government If it is not. then The alternativ,
would be an income tax, in favor OF which some
strong arguments can be made.
AN INCOME TAX.
They say an income tax is inquisitorlal: tina
1t Is not right for the assessors to know how
many bonds man has got. But is it more in
! Guisitorial than tax on houses and lots! |.
| there any better reason why the assessor should
insist on knowing how many houses YOU owl
than on how many bonds you own? No, tn,
| real objection to the Iucome tax is that il put,
premium on perjury; that the honest mar
would pay it;while the INSCRIPTIONS man would
escape ii altogether bv swearing he didn't hav,
enough income TO bring him within its pro
! visions"
On the pension question Mr.. Mutchler said
he favored revision Of the pension rolls to finC
| out how many frauds there were on them; a re
organization Of the pension office. and making
! it a bureau of the War Dennrtment 40 as 10 pe
the whole pension System out of politics as IA
| as possible. He would have the case of ever
man drawing pension reopened and re-ex
amined by pension courts, and stop this system
I of sending pension examiners about the coun
| try to find men TO give pensions to.