The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-15
FOR STABLE VALUES.
REPRESENTATIVES, ARSNEY'S PLAN OF
RAISING A REVENUE.
His Idea Is to Get One-half From Customs
Duties, One-fourth From Internal Rev.
enue and the Balance From a Tax on In
comes-In a Hole.


enue and the Balance From Tax on In
comes-In a Hole.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Especial u
MANY public men are discussing the posi-
bility of finding way to avoid constant
revision of the tariff and the resulting I'M
settling of values and disturbance OF
business. AS was described in former
dispatch, tho suggestion has been made
and Endorsed by many prominent mem
bers of the house and senate to have an
amendment to the constitution which
should require two-thirds vote in either
branch of congress for changing the tariff
schedules except during the congress i'm
mediately following the taking of federal
census Representative Tarsney, one OF
the handwriting members of the ways
and means committee, has another plan
which is attracting much attention. Mr.
Tarsney spoke of it today to your CORE
spondent as follows:
A New Revenue System.
sI believe it possible for us to devise
revenue system which could be made per-
manent and which could provide for the ne
tessities of the government, shifting as
they are, without disturbance of values
and business. The trouble with any
scheme of this sort is that the eXpendl-
lures of the government vary from year to
| year. and still more uncertain is the rev,
enue which any given tariff law will pro-
| duce. The trade of the world changes so
materially in few years that tariff
which should yield enough revenue in 1894
might not yield enough within many mil
lions in 1896, or might go to the other ex-
| IRENE and produce an enormous surplus.
NV plan obviates this difficulty. 1t is to
raise one-half the revenues which it is es
timated we shall need, say, for 10 years
ahead from customs duties, and one-half
of the remainder, or one-fourth OF the
whole, from internal revenue taxes. The
| final fourth should be raised by tax upon
incomes.
"The last named tax, not affecting val
| ues of materials, commodities or products
in any way, should be made the governor,
the regulator, from year to year. 1t the
revenues in given year are not sufficient
for the needs of the government, let con-
gress add small percentage to the income
tax, just enough to make up the defl-
cheney. If the revenues are too large, re-
| duce the income tax in sufficient proper
| ton to maintain revenues at par with eX-
penditures. We can raise $50, 900, 900 or
800, 900, 900 or $500 900, 900 in this country
from an income tax, and the burden will
be so small that but few individuals will
feel it at all. 1t falls heaviest upon thoso
who are most able to bear it. The beauty
of the plan is that it would place in the
hands of congress a means of regulating
the governments income, year after year,
without requiring the duties upon imports
[ n, e Il
ufacture to be touched at all. Raising and
| lowering the income tax would disturb no
values, disarrange no business plans, and
put stop to the incessant talk that tariff
tinkering is running the country. do not
claim any originality for this plan. 1t is
only an adaptation of the English system,
and though 1 am no great admirer of the
| English am willing to learn wherever l
can. This system would surely be more
scientific and satisfactory than the one
which we have been following for so many
| years, and which seems to make it neces-
sary to have new tariff law about once
in four years.
Yet He Is Not Happy.
Levi a. Letter is one of the millionaire
residents of Washington. Mr.. Letter has
Just built one of the most magnificent
houses in this city. He has an ample for
tune. Yet he is not wholly happy. A few
weeks ago Mr.. Letter gave 500, 600 to the
new Columbian museum in Chicago, which
Marshall Field had just endowed with a
round million. Thereby hangs tale. Mr..
| Field and Mr.. Letter were once partners
in the dry goods house of Field Letter &
Co., which is still continued by Marshall
Field, and which is the greatest purely
mercantile concern on the American con-
tinent, ranking ahead of any house in New
York or elsewhere in amount of sales.
Mr.. Fields income from his retail store
alone is said to be an even 81 ,000, 900 8
year, SO he can well afford to give even sc
large a sum as 81, 900, 900 to the founding
of O new museum. Probably Mr.. Letter
had no thought of giving $780, 900 to this
museum nor to anything or any one till
he heard of Mr.. Fields gift. Be it known
that though Field and Letter were once
partners they are not now good friends
They do not speak as they pass by. When
Letter heard of Fields gift, he saw 8
chance. He knew it was Mr.. Fields am
bition to have the Columbian museum
named after himself, and Letter thought
he would forestall that little game. 81
he gave his 500, 900 on the condition that
the museum should be named the Column
D1an museum ana mourning else.
, Something In a Name.
Then Mr.. Letter chuckled. He thought
J he had spoiled his old partners plans very
nicely. But, 10 and behold, the trustees
: meet, agree to name the institution th'
) Field Columbian museum, and Mr.. Letter
: is in hole. If he gives his money not
withstanding the name of Field, he is onl!
! helping to honor the man he does not like
r If he takes his subscription back, he ad
vertises to the world the narrowness of TIT
5 motive which led him to make the sub
2 scription in the first place. Mr. Leite
) said to your correspondent today he ha(
{ not decided what he would do in the prem
Uses. He believes it wrong to name an!
great public institution after an individ
5 ual. He points out that the Aston librar!
: of New York and the LenoX library ar
e deserted by other people and have not dom
, the good in the world which they nigh
' have done had they not been so named
r According to Mr.. Letter, lacking of
mans name on great public institution
causes other people to lose interest in it
Mr.. Letter is Sin hole" with his 500, 900
and there is good deal of curiosity her
rs to how he will get out of it.
Warped Flagstaffs.