Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1893-11-08
A Democratic Dilemma


 WAsHINGToN, Nov. lst. - Special Correspondence. The democratic party continues in as serious trouble as ever. Scarcely out of ono diff culty 1t finds itself plunged into another, with the prospect that this will be followed by still more se- rious ones. While the sky has cleared during the week as relates to the silver question, there are still some clouds in sight and it is evi- dent that a storm is gathering in relation to other and more import ant financial matters. The treasury department IS finding the prospec- tive effect of tariff reductions so de- pressing that 1t already becomes ap- parent that extraordinary measures
 must be taken to put more money into the treasury. Besides, this makes the situation for the gentle men who are preparing tariff bill extremely unpleasant and difficult. Their mission on earth, as they view it, is to reduce the tariff. How are they to do this aud increase the rev enue and yet prevent American gold from going abroad, is proving a most difficult problem with them. They feel that they must reduce the tariff in order to keep their pledges to the country. They also feel that the only way that they can keepup the revenue and reduce the tariff IS to make such reductions as will very largely increase all importations Yet if the importations are in- creased-the very trouble about which they have been complaining so much of lats-the e1portation of gold will be resumed. For if the impoTtations are enormously in- creased the balance of trade will of course be greatly against the United States, and 1t will be necessary to send abroad to pay for the articles so imported.
 So the leaders arc seriously troubled, and have scarcely found time to congratulate themselves upon the passage of the silver bill before they are plunged into the slough of despond over the necessity of providing some additional funds for the Treasury and yet at the same time redeem their pledges and reduce the tariff.
 Meantime the difficulties continue Co pile up ahead of the administra- tion. The fear of the probability that the Democratic party will re- duce the tariff leads the importers who have been accustomed to im- porting nearly a year m advance. Under the existing uncertainties now, however, they do not dare to import ans considerable quantity of goods oyeI a few months ahead, they expect Ihst the duty wi.l be reduced aud that they can get hem in cheaper a few months hence. Besides this the financial troubles which have arisen from the arm of the manufacturers and their Workmen has caused a very great falling of lu the amount of gOodl purchased by the people ol ths country. So for these two reasone the jmportations of foreign goods have greatly decreased in the pass few months. Thea result is that the receipts from the tariff have been enormously reduced and the amount of money coming into the Treasury from all sources Is very much less than the necessary running expen- ses. The receipts since July |, are about twenty million dollars below the the amount of the necessary expenditures. It becomes perfectly clear that the receipts for the fiscal yearwin fall fifty or sixty million dollars below the necessary expenses, and that some way must be devised to put more money into the Treasury to meet the running expenses.
 It IS this condition that dis tresses the Democratic leaders. 1t was this condition that had largely to do with the sudden change of front on the part of the southern democrats. They suddenly discov- cred that the Republican leaders were likely to bring in an amend ment to the silver bill providing for the issue of bonds. This would have been supported probably by eastern Democrats and they felt that there was danger of the pas sage of the bill, with an amendment 1 the issue of bonds to the | extent of two hundred millions. The Southern Democrats are op- | posed to the issue of bonds for they | think that the national banks. for | which they have the greatest en- mIty, want a further bond issue. hence they were willing to yield to prevent that. Two or three plans are proposed for increasing the money in the Treasury. One cf these is the issue of bonds. Another Is the coinage of the seigniorage bullion now in the Treasury which would give about fifty million dol lars for use during the cominy fiscal year, and the third is an immediate increase Tn the tax upon beer. to- oacco, and possibly whiskey. Each )f these propositions has it's friends and each has it's bitter opponents. | he result IS to be a hard struggle with only one thing at all certain md that Is that some way must be developed to increase the revenue which has fallen of by reason of Democratic tariff revision.
 O. P. AUSTIN.