Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-23
rJyE paEAvorNr QUESTION

! THE TARA MOUNT QUESTION.
Men OF ali parties admit that the
| paramount question at this time Is that
4 OF providing the government with sufii-
cicnt revenue TO meet expenditures.
Since the present administration came
into power there has been steadily
accommodating deficit and the interest
| bearing national debt has been In.
creased TO the extent of Si02000.000.
Such condition of affairs in n time
of peace is most extraordinary and If
permitted TO continue must seriously
impair the national credit. Under the
operation of the existing tariff law
there has been n large increase III the
value of imports without a correspond
Ing Increase in customs revenue, while
ut the same time the receipts from in
tcrnal taxes have fallen Off, according
To the report of the commissioner of
internal revenue, nearly Si.0WGOO for
the last fiscal year All the estimates
OF treasury receipts made by officials
OF the department UP to this time have
been considerably in excess of results,
and while it is possible that receipts
will improve during the remaining
months Of the current fiscal year the
probability is that the monthly deficit
will continue unless provision be made
for more revenue.
How this shall be done is perplexing
question 1t is the general understands
ing and is undoubtedly well founded
In nd
any proposal for increasing tariff
duties. He did not approve the pres
ent tariff act. which does not go as far
in the direction of so-cnllcd tariff re
form as he desired. but none the less
he is disposed TO let it stand as 1t Is
and in this respect it Is not doubted
that he will have the support of the
senate democrats. On the other hand
1t is assumed that whatever measure
for raising more revenue shall be
passed 10y the republicans of the house
of representatives will be in accord
with the tariff policy of the party.
1t is not expected that IL general re-
vision of the tariff will be undertaken.
though there are republican members
of congress who are in favor of doinS
this, but that it will be proposed to ad-
vance certain duties, transfer wool and
perhaps some other articles from the
free to the dutinblc list, and make some
changes from ad valorem to specific du-
tics. There are some republicans who
think il would be best not to touch the
tariff and others counsel letting the
whole question of more revenue rest,
but it is not probable the advice OF
either will prevail. The majority of
the republicans in congress, there Is
reason to believe, will regard it IS n
duty to adopt legislation for raising
more revenue and to frame it on pro
lection lines, believing that this is
what the people want. Such being the
situation there is small reason to eX-
pect that anything will be done for
giving the government more revenue
during the term of the present admin
istration.
Still it is possible that some sort of
compromise may be reached. The ad-
ministration is expected to propose In
creasing the beer tax from 81 to 81
per barrel, which it is estimated would
yield S3OOOO000 additional revenue.
Possibly the republicans will be willing
to increase the tax 80 cents per barrel.
Making the duty on sugar specific in
stead of ad valorem would add several
million dollars to the revenue and it
may be possible to bring the admins
tration and congress together on such
Il proposition. Other changes from
ad valorcm TO specific duties, as to
which there ought to be no conflict,
would add materially to the income
of the government. 1t has been sug-
gested that moderate duty on tea,
which would not be felt by the con
sumner, would yield Il generous sum, and
also probably have the effect TO i'm
prove the quality of the tea that comes
into the country. Obviously there are
ways enough of meeting the exigcncy
without appreciably increasing the bur
den of taxation upon the people, but the
difficulty Is to compose the conflicting
partisan considerations and whether
this difficulty can be overcome is prob
lematical.