The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-09
". VA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1884
be taken on the bill on January 20, and
Mr.. Wilson opened the debate.
Mr.. WILSON'S OPENING.


Mr.. Wilson opened the debate.
MR.. sw1LsoN's OPENING.
Mr.. Wilson said that the bill
about to be considered presents
scheme of tariff reform pre-
pared by the appropriate committee OF
the house, which it was now for the
house to consider and to deal with in
its own deliberate judgment. Every
bill covering so wide a field of legisla-
ton and dealing with so many subjects
must necessarily represent in its de-
tails some compromise of opinion
among those entrusted with it's prepa-
ration. Any bill passed by. Congress
under present conditions at least must
necessarily represent such compromise.
He did not believe that the country
would underrate the difficulties con-
fronting those who now attempt to re-
wise and reform our tariff system.
Among these difficulties were the drop
ping away of friends whose zeal for re-
form was in proportion to the square OF
tho distance from their own localities
and their own industries, and other
friends who differed in judgment as to
the method now, to be pursued. So,
also, tho great commercial distress
which has in recent months come upon
the country, paralyzinS so many indus
tries and throwing so many thousands
out of employment. made the task OF
reform the moro difficult, while it made
the necessity for the reform, more i'm
perious than ever. Atwhat time could
taxes be lessened with greater Justice
and greater humanity than at time
when thousands are struggling for the
bare necessaries of life, and when could
we, with greater timeliness and benefit,
ril Of tho fettarr from nrOduc-
tion and trade than when production is
suppressed by its burdens and trade
hampered by its restrictlonsf
TIT EMPTY TREASURY.
A third difficulty in the way of re-
form now was the emptiness of the
treasury. We are called upon to re-
duce taxes at time when government
receipts are running so low that daily
revenues have ceased to meet daily ex-
penditures.7 Hetbelieved he could not
better consume the time of the house
in opening this debate than by giving
the story of our depleted treasury and
placing the responsibility for its pres
ent straits where that responsibility.
Justly belonged. During the four years
ged headlong from an overhowing
treasury to bankrupt treasury and
that, too, without lessening of the bur-
dens of taxation upon the people, but
rather by most substantial and op-
pressive increase of the taxes. The last
report of Secretary Fairchild estimates
the surplus revenue for that year OF
$1O5,OO0,00O. When the Cleveland ad-
ministration went out Of office on the
fourth day Of March, 1889, it turned
over to its successor an available cash
balance amounting in the form of treas
ury statement that in the past two,
years to $lS5. 100000.
The Fifty-first Congress dealt with
the treasury surplus after the true and
traditional methods Of protection, which
was to lessen or abolish those taxes
which pass directly and undiminished
from the pockets of the taxpayer to the
public treasury, and to increase those
taxes which were intercepted in their
passage from the pockets OF the tax
payer to the public treasury by the
private toll-gatherer.
The Mckinley bill reduced the inter
nal revenue taxes on manufactured
tobacco, abolishipg special taxes on
dealers and manufacturers OF tobacco
and wiped ont the duties on raw sugar,
which for years past had been our chief
revenue producing article on the GUS
toms list. Both, OF these taxes were in
just and proper sense revenue taxes,
and neither of them should have been
touched so long as the rates OF duty
upon clothing and other necessary ar
ticles of consumption were so enormous
ly oppressive.
Tobacco taxes were reduced under the
cry that tobacco had become necessity
for the poor as we'll as the rich, but
new and heavier taxes were laid on the
woolen clothing OF the poor man, so in
dispensible to his health and his pro-
ductive energy. Sugar was untaxed to
give the American workingman a free
breakfast table. but new taxes were
placed on his cups and saucers, his
plates and dishes, his coffee pot, his
knives and forks, his food and mis- table
cover. In word. he was relieved
from the taxes he paid his government
in order that he might be made to pay.
much more taxes to the beneficiaries of
that bill These released, the taxes
would have yielded US in the interval
since their omission more than $780,
100000 and would have saved us from
any danger of treasury deficit
DECREASE OF THE SURPLUS.
The magnificent surplus turned over
by the Cleveland administration was
thus scattered. A large portion OF it
was used to purchase, at high premi-
ums, bonds not yet due. But even this
did not dissipate the surplus, and the
Fifty-frst Congress was obliged to try
its hand upon it, 1t refunded the di-
rect tax to the states, mere log-rolling
scheme to get at the treasury surplus,
which Mr.. Cleveland had vetoed when
attempted in previous Congresses. This
was q pure gratuity, but it has taken
out of the treasury over $14, ,000.0 900.
Next came the sugar bounty act, under
which sums amounting to SIT, 100000
have been paid to sugar growers. Last
of all as the chief means of distributing
the surplus was the dependent pension
bill, under which our annual pension
expenditure has risen more than $780,
OOO, 900. Whatever of merit or justice
there might have been in this bill. it is
very certain it would never have be-
come a law but that these other pen
sinners our nrotected industriea. might