Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-12-01

proposition TO Issue new government
bonds to make up "a deficiency in the
revenues of the government is exciting
considerable interest. 1t will excite
considerably more in terest if it becomes
! generally understood that the Demo
Gratis, acting as q party, really contem-
plate such an issuance. For number
of years past the policy of the govern
/ ment financiers has been to reduce as
much as possible the public debt, and
the disappearance of the much talked
of surplus in the Treasury is in part due
to that. The proposition to turn around
now and issue new bonds will meet
with disfavOr in many directions, and
it is uncertain what the effect would be
on the party undertaking it. Certainly
an attempt on the part of Congress to
authorize the issuance of new bonds
would excite much opposition. The
disorder would make the attempt to
issue bonds embarrassing to the party
responsible for it. A reason being put
forth by young Cable, of Illinois, and
other Democrats who favor an extra
session, is that bonds should be issued
at once SO the responsibility for the
condition making such move neces-
/ sary might be put upon the outgoing
administration.
The reciprocity provision which Mr..
Blaine succeeded in inserting in the
Mckinley bill is narrower than he in
tended, and too narrow to accomplish
: his purpose of substantial free trade
between the three Americas, with COM
mon protection against the developed
manufactures and cheap manufactur-
ing labor of Europe. A statement by
our Minister to Mexico shows that the
list of articles which the Mckinley
bill authorizes the government to use
as reciprocity stock in trade is much
too restricted to enable us to make a
satisfactory arrangement with Mexico.
The reciprocity provision has worked
admirably, SO far as it goes, in increas-
ing our trade with countries which pro-
duce coffee, sugar and hides, and can
well and safely be extended until it
puts the three Americas, in which this
republic holds the manufacturing su-
premacy, upon reciprocal free trade
basis as nearly as possible. The ques-
ton of protective or revenue tariff or
approximate free trade without Euro
pean manufacturing competitors in
wolves difficulties which do not en-
barass the proposition of reciprocal
free trade between the three Americas
with protect n against the rest of the
world.
President Harrison, several cabinet
officers are the civil service commits
sioners and discussing the advisability
of extending the provisions of the civil
service law so as to put within the
classified service many people not now
within its protective scope. AS gen
eral proposition the civil service law,
it is stated, embraces all Government
employees, except those who have to be
confirmed by the Senate and messen.
| gers, laborers, &c. By special order
of the President chiefs of divisions in
the several departments haveup to this
time been exempted from this operation.
The various subtreasurers, too, are now
4 without its scope. These matters have
been discussed quietly for some time,
and there is a general concensus of
opinion in departmental circles that
they too should be put into the civil
service. This can be done by an order
of the President, He, it is said, has
been considering this extension for
some time and was only prevented
| from ordering it before the election by
the sad circumstances with which he
was surrounded for the previous six
months.
No greater tribute can be paid Secre-
tary Rusk than is found in the figures
made public in his annual report. In
1888 the balance of trade against the
United States was over $2S, 100000 In
1899 it was over S3,000,000. In 1890 the
balance was in our favor and amounted
to less than $4O,OOO,OOO. Last year it
was still on the right side and amounted
to S202, 100000. OF this vast prepon-
derance agriculture claims credit for
nearly eighty per cent. and if Secretary
Rusk had not been so modest he might
have said truly that much of the tre-
mendous increase was due to his keen.
sightedness and administrative ability.
Agricultural shipments during the yeal
which ended last June exceed by the
value of Sl5O,O00, 900 the agricultural
shipments of any previous year, and
were worth $3.50, 900, 900 more than those
of 1889, when the Wisconsin granger
took charge of the department.
All the estimates compiled by the
several Executive Departments, with
the exception of those of the interior
Departments, are now in the hands OF
Secretary Foster of the Treasury De.
partment They are being printed fol
submittal to Congress when it meets
in December. These estimates, as fal
as they have been compiled by treasury
officials, show an increase of S53,5OO,.
600 over the estimates for the same
lbranches of the public service for the