Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-01-28
As the Case Stands.

The American people may as well
begin to reconcile themselves to the
ugly fact that the restoration OF the
Democratic party to power involves
strong probability, il not an absolute
certainty, of increased taxation. AS
the case now stands, says the Globe
Democrat, the revenues Of the Govern
ment are barely sufficient to meet its
ordinary expenses; and any attempt
to lessen the burden Of the tariff
must necessarily be attended by
danger of causing deficit. The only
feasible way of carrying out the Chi
cago promise of tariff reform is to
provide in the first place for levying
sufficient internal taxes to make up
for the loss from the removal or re-
duction of duties on imports.
1t is all very well to talk
about taking away the props that
sustain certain industries, or,
In other words, to abolish the
advantage of protection; but it is an
other and very different thing to tell
how this can be done without in
creasing rather than diminishing the
amount that the people have to pay
for the support Of the Government.
The present tariff is a tariff for revenue
only in the sense that it yields only
so much as is needed to meet current
demands and save the Treasury from
bankruptcy. If the Democrats pro-
pose to remove all protective duties,
then they must impose non-protect-
i've duties Of like degree, which will
be equally as hard to pay, or they
must devise new forms Of taxation
bearing directly upon the business
and property of the country.
This troublesome aspect OF what
was represented during the campaign
to be a very simple matter has set
some Of the Democratic statesmen to
serious thinking; and their conclu-
sion seems to be that the duties must
be reimposed upon coffee and sugar,
or an income tax must be levied, or
money must be borrowed. Either OF
these three alternatives is open to
the same general objection that is
urged against the present tariff law.
That is to say, any one Of them would
prolong the burdens Of the people,
and prevent the realization OF the
dream Of lower taxation upon which
Cleveland is supposed to have been
elected. The situation is simple, and
the humblest citizen can readily
understand it. A certain sum OF
money must be raised to defray the
expenses of the Government - II
not in one way, then in some other
way. Under the existing ar
rangements, this want is mainly
supplied by the receipts from customs
duties. Those duties cannot be abol-
ished unless means are provided for Sc
curing an equal amount from differ
emit source. In any event the people
will finally have to foot the bill. 1t
is difficult to understand, therefore,
how the relief so loudly promised can
be furnished. We cannot get along
with any less revenue than Is now
being collected; we are likely, on the
contrary, to need more. The Gov
eminent cannot obtain money by any
magical or miraculous process. 1t is
dependent entirely upon the familiar
expedient Of taxation, either direct
or indirect, and nothing is more GER
tain than that any scheme Of tarifl
reform in the line Of the Chicago
platform must include some method
OF making good the loss by requiring
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