Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-12-11
Considered ast

law can by no means all under
condemnation. During My co,
Plete fiscal year of it q h.
yielded nearly 5000 y.
nue. than was received
duties In the preceding ye@a
was, nevertheless a deficit betwea
receipts and expenditures of ) N
more than $4,000, 600. This however,
was not unexpected.
The situation was such In December,
seven months before the close of the
fiscal year, that the secretary of the
treasury foretold deficiency. Distress
in business circles and the depression
in all activities intervening since that
time, resulting from causes perfectly
well understood and entirely discon.
nected with our tariff law or its opera
ton, seriously checked the imports we
should have otherwise received and
readily account for the difference be.
tween this estimate of the secretary and
the actual deficiency, as we'll as for a con.
tinued deficit. ..
Indeed, 1t must be confessed that we
could hardly have had more unfavor-
able period than the last two years for
the collection of a tariff revenue. We
cannot reasonably hope that our recu-.
peration from this business depression
will be sudden, but 1t has already set In
with promise of acceleration and con-
tinuance. | believe our present taFif
law, If allowed fair opportunity, will
in the near future yield a revenue
which will overcome all deficiencies.
In the meantime no deficit that has &C.
Cured or may occur need excite or dis
turb us.
TO meet any such deficiency, we have
In the treasury, In addition to a gold
reserve of SIoo,ooo,ooo. a surplus OF
more than $I28yeoo,ooo applicable to the
payment of the expenses Of the govern
ment, and which must, unless expended
for that purpose, remain useless hoard,
or, If not extravagantly wasted, must In
any event be perverted from the pur-
pose Of its exaction from our people.
The payment, therefore, of any deR-
cheney In the revenue from this fund IL
nothing more than Its proper and legiu.
mate use.
The government thus applying sur
plus fortunately In its treasury to the
payment of expenses not met by its cur
rent revenues Is not at all to be likened
to a man living beyond his income and
thus mourning debt or encroaching on
his principal. II Is not one of the kunc-
lions CT our government to accumulate
and make additions to fund not needed
f6F immediate expenditure. With indi-
Fidma d als6 I'll AZ asEN6 6laMmslakFl
fort. qkB 81 81 f16l
fund me g0veFnmesi ~
ment Of It's running expenses u a aMl
An individual living beyond his income
aud embarrassing himself with debt or
drawing upon his accumulated fund or
principal is either unfortunate or i'm.
provident. The distinction Ia between 4
government charged with the duty of
expending for the benefit of the people
and for proper purposes all the money
1t receives from any source and the ins
dividual who ls expected to manifest q
natural desire to avoid debt or to accu.
mulate as much as possible and to live
within the income derived from such
accumulations, to the end that they may
be increased or at least remain un.
impaired for the future use and enjoy.
ment OF himself and objects Of his love
and affection who may survive him.
1t is UNNECESSARILY better to appro.
pirate our surplus to the payment Of
justifable expenses than to allow 1t to
become an invitation to reckless appro.
prlations and extravagant expenditures.
suppose It will not be denied that un-
der the present law our people obtain
the necessaries OF a comfortable exist
ence at cheaper rate than formerly.
This Is matter of supreme importance,
since 1t Is the palpable duty of every just
government to make the burdens OF
taxation as light as possible. The PEG.
pie should not be required to relinqulsh
this privilege of cheap living except
under the stress of their government,
necessarily made plainly manifest.
indorse the recommendation made
by the present secretary OF the interior
as we'll as his predecessor, that per
manent commission, consisting OF three
members, one of whom shall be m
army officer, be created to perform the
duties now devolving upon the com
missioner and assistant commissioner OF
Indian affairs. The management Of the
bureau involves such y
verse details and the a
uninterrupted policy al
that hope the change so AasasA
meet the approval Of the congress.
AN APPEAL FOR ECONOMY.
In concluding this communicates.
its last words shall be an appeal to
the congress for the most rigid econ
omy In the expenditure of the money
1t holds in trust for the people. The
way to perplexing extravagance Is
easy, but return to frugality is dill.
cult. When however, II is considered
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