The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-31
A DISHONEST RuLING

| p+NACeig NsuilSle ueclslOn 10 with
hold the sugar bounty earned this year
from the maple sugar producers smacks
strongly OF dishonesty, and however it
may be regarded in Government circles
1t is about as petty and dishonorabIe n
| piece OF business as ever was INDUCED
in by high official Of the United States
| Government.
IL persisted iD II will tend even more
than the income tax law to prove the
| present Gorman bill unconstitutional in
that it makes the law retroactive. The
facts in the case are substantially as
follows:
The maple sugar crop was gathered
during the months Of February. March
and April Of the present year, months
before the present law went into effect,
The bounty was earned when the sugar
was produced. A number Of checks were
already made out and were actually in
the hands of the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue to be forwarded to their
destination when the new bin became
law. Secretary Carlisle has ordered
these checks returned to the department,
holding that the passage of the law
repeating the Mckinley act requires him
to suspend forthwith all operations un-
der the bounty clause.
These checks were prepared for the
purpose Of paying the bounty which had
been earned on the maple sugar crop of
the spring Of this year. on the working
of the seconds" of last years cane crop,
and on final payments to producers of
cane, beet and maple sugar last year in
certain cases where for some reason
there had been delay in passing upon
claims.
Nobody who had a bounty claim in
the treasury department unsettled at the
time the new tariff law went into effect
will, under this decision. get anything.
unless they institute proceedings in the
courts and are able to recover.
Some of the producers had already
been paid and the delay in paying the
others has been due TO the slow opera |
tions of the Treasury department itself.
Mr.. Carlisle intends to take advantage
OF this delay to withhold the payments
on bounty already earned, on a fiimsy
pretext, while ignoring the fact that the
belated payments were caused by the
of the department of which
lie is the official head.
Senator Caffrey of Louisiana in dis
cussing the ruling sensibly points out
that " the Secretary's ruling is clearly
wrong, in my opinion. The new tariff
act cannot be made to apply retroactive
y. These claims against which this
ruling is directed were based on a law
which was in full operation until a few
lays ago. Tho repeal of that law does
lot affect in any way the validity of any
,laims which arose through it and by
'irtue of its provisions. They are valid
'laims, and will have to be paid by the
Government now or at some future
ime."
1t Is interesting to note that the
Northern States are the ones affected.
nd while the exact amount Of duty in
ach State has not been arrived at. ow-
ng to the slowness of the treasury de-
tho figures of last year indicate
he amount Of Indebtedness probably
ne, although 1t is likely that this years
ayments should be larger, thanks TO
he incentive Cf the bounty system.
The figures last year were: Maine.
$40; New Hampshire, $24sO. 10 Yer
iont, $GS, 2G7 so New York, $50, 4O1 .O6
ennsylvania. $sO9O39; Maryland.
e76S.39; West Virginia, $156.26 Ohio.
il53.94; Michigan, $160S. e5; Mime
'ta, S9l6.6i; Massachusetts, 1856. "a:
'tal, SIG, 6,1el9O.
Thepettiness Of Mr.. Carlisle's decision =
apparent at glance, and he is evi- !
entity relying on the small amount !,
due to enable him TO carry
1t his dishonorable course. as the
'penses of litigation would largely =
'nsume the amount of bounty TO be :
ceived by each producer.
A more dishonest transaction has =
'ver been attempted in the history of y
merican finance. -