Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-11
A Problem for Democrats.


Three ways of increasing the rev.
enue and Of warding off a deficit are
open to the Democracy. First, a
duty can be placed On sugar, coffee
and tea: secondly, an income tax can
be created: and thirdly, duties on
manufactured goods and on the raw
materials Of manufacture can be re-
duced. The first plan would yield
from 1000, 900 to $50, 000,0 900 Of
revenue As much or more, depend
ing on the rate and scope of the tax,
could be gained by the second scheme.
There is much uncertainty as to how
the third scheme would operate and
the amount Of revenue it would bring
in, says the Globe-Democrat. A cut
of duties to what is vaguely under
stood as the revenue rate would
increase importation sufficiently
to materially enlarge the GUS
tom house receipts, but the
Democrats would not dare make a
cut of that sort The utmost gain
perhaps in the revenues from any re-
duction in duties which could have
chance of adoption in the next Con-
gress would be from $4,000, 900 to
$50, 900, 900. OF course a decrease in
expenditures would lessen the neces-
sity for an increase in receipts, but
the economists" of the Democracy,
judging by their management Of af-
fairs in the House in the present
Congress, will hardly 60 far in this
direction. The natural tendency in
all growing countries is toward an
expansion in governmental eXpendi-
lures, and the total in this country,
even in the next three or four years,
is not likely to be brought much be-
low the preseet figures.
An increase in the revenue, there
fore, 10 some degree, appears to be
imperative, but any method which
can be proposed for doing this will be
sure to encounter opposition from
some quarters. The placing of a
duty on sugar, coffee, and tea would
be an exceeding unpopular move, for
it would bring about an immediate
increase in the price Of these COM
modities, and harmfully affect all
classes Of people. AS they are
articles Of general necessity, nobody
could escape the burden, and the bur-
den would be as heavy absolutely on
the poor as on the rich. In this re-
spect it would be far more election
able than the income tax. In theory
the income tax is ideally just. 1t
compels men to pay to the state in
proportion to the means which the
state has enabled them to
acquire and which it defends
them in maintaining. In practice,
however, it has been found to be I'm
equal and unjust. 1t is necessarily
inquisitorial to an offensive degree,
and it puts bounty on trickery and
a penalty on honesty by permitting
the dishonest to evade much Of their
obligations and to thus increase the !
burdens of their honest neighbors.
A reduction Of duties on the raw ma
terialS of manufacture would encOun-
ter the hostility Of the domestic pro-
ducerS, and q cut in the finished prod
ucts would call out the opposition
of manufacturers and lead to the
lobbying which in the past was so de-
moralizing to lawmakers and dis
graceful to the country. If, as now
appears probable, the Treasury in the
coming fiscal year will find itself I'M
able to meet its current obligations
task calling for the highest qualities
of craftsmanship will confront the
Democracy.