Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

SOME EXCERPTS FROM THAT
INTERESTING DOCUMENT
The Tarifr-In Income Tax-FOr.
Affair Department OF Chinr>r-
The silver Act-NaiionaI Hanks
civil service.
After a hard struggle. ta!iii reform
i directly before Us. Nothing 70 i'm
portant claims our attentions and
nothing 50 clearly presents itself a.
both an opportunity and Il duty-an
opportunity To- deserve the gratitude
oi our fellow citizens; a duty imposed
upon us 10y our oi,-repeated profess
>ion> and iy the emphatic mandate OF
the people After iull discussion. our
countrymen have spoken in favor of
this reform. and they have confided
the work OF it, accomplishment to the
hands OF those vino are solemnlv
pledged to it. If there is anything in
the theory OF representation in pub
lie places of the people and their de.
sires, if political officers are really the
servants of the people, and if political
promises and professions have any
binding force, our failure to give the
relief SO long awaited will be sheer
recreancy. Nothing should intervene
to distract our attention or disturb
our effort until this reform is accom-
plished by wise and careful legislation.
While We should stanchly adhere to
the principle that only the necessity
of revenue justifies the imposition OF
tariff duties and other federal taxa
ton, and that they should be limited
by strict economy, we cannot close
our eyes to the fact that conditions
have grown up among us which in
justice and fairness call for discrim-
mating care in the distribution OF
such duties and taxation as the emer-
gency of our government actually de-
| mands.
REDUCTION IN NECEssARIES.
Manifestly, if We are to aid the PEG.
pie directly through tariff reform, one
of its obvious features should be a re-
duction in the present tariff charges
upon the necessaries of life. The ben.
etits of such a reduction would be pal
pable, and substantially seen and felt
by thousands who would be better fed,
better clothed and better sheltered.
These gifts should be the willing ben
elections of government whose
highest function is the promotion of
the welfare of the people. Not less
closely related to our peoples pros
perity and well-being is the removal OF
restrictions upon the importation OF
raw material necessary to our manu-.
facturers. The world should be open
to our national ingenuity and enter.
prise. This cannot be while federal
legislation through the imposition of
high tariff forbids to American manu-
facturers as cheap materials as those
used by their competitors. 1t is quite
obvions that the enhancement of the
price OF our manufactured products re-
sulting from this policy not only
confines the market for these products
within our own borders, to the direct
disadvantage of our manufacturers,
but also increases their cost to our
citizens.
THE INTERESTS OF LABOR.
The interests of labor are certainly |
though indirectly involved in this fea.
ture of our tariff system. The sharp
competition and active struggle among
our manufacturers to supply the unit
ed demand for their goods soon fills
the narrow market to which they are
confined. Then follows suspension
of the working of mills and factories, a
discharge OF employees and distress in
the homes of our workingmen. Even
if the often disproved assertion could |
be made good that a lower rate of
wages would result from free raw ma
terial and low tariff duties, the intelli-
gence Of our workingmen leads them
quickly to discover that their steady
employment, if permitted by free ma.
terials, is the most important factor in
their relation to tariff legislation.
THE WILSON BILL COMMENDED.
A measure has been prepared by the
appropriate congress committee en-
bodying tariff reform on the lines
herein suggested which will be prompt
ly submitted for legislative action. 1t
is the result Of much patriotic and I'M
selfish work, and / believe it deals
with, its subject as consistently and
thoroughly as the existing conditions
permit. am satisfied that the re-
duced tariff duties provided for in the
proposed legislation. added to existing
internal revenue taxation, within the
near future, though perhaps not inn
mediately, will produce sufficient rev.
enue to meet the needs of the govern.
ment.
THE INCOME TAX.
The committee, after full considera-
ton and to provide against temper
airy deficiency which may exist before
the business OF the country adjusts it.
self to the new schedules, have wisely |
embraced in their plan few addition.
al internal revenue taxes, including a |
small tax upon incomes derived from
certain corporations. These new as
sessments are not only absolutely just
and easily borne, but they have the
further merit of being such as can be
RENTED without unfavorable business
disturbances whenever the necessity
of their imposition no longer exists.
In my great desire for the success
of this measure, / cannot restrain the
suggestion that its success can only be
attained by means of unselfish counsel
on the part of the friends of tariff re.
form and as result of their willing
ness to subordinate personal desires
and ambitions to the general good.
The local interests affected by the pro.
posed reform are so numerous and 80 |
varied that, il all insist upon legisla-
ton embodying them, the reform must
inevitably fall.
RELATIONS WITH EUROPEAN POWERS.
Our relations with the French re-
public continue to be intimate and
cordial. sincerely hope that the ex-
tradition treaty with that country as
amended by the Senate will be con-
summated.
While occasional questions affecting
our naturalized citizens returning to
the land of their birth have arisen in
our intercourse with Germany, our
relations with that country continue
satisfactory.
The questions affecting OLE relations