Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-07
THE rARIPf.
warm words OF Praise Tor the kxist
ing Law.

ing Law.
1 desire TO recur 10 tue statements
elsew here made concerning the gov.
efnmenps receipts and expenditures
for the purpose Of vsnturing np-
GU some suggestions touching our
present tariff law and Its operation.
This statute took effect on the twenty
eighth day Of August, 1894. What.
ever may be its shortcomings AZ . com.
plete MEASURE Of tariff reform, 1t must
be conceded that 1t has opened the way
to freer and change OF com.
m0dities between us and other coun-
tries and thus furnished q wider
market FOR our products and manu-
featuring. The only entire fiscal year
during which this law has been In
force ended on the SDGh day OF June,
1895. In that year, our imports in.
CREASED over those OF the previous year
Of the domestic products we exported
anu which found markets abroad,
war nearly $70,OO0,O00 more
than during the preceding year.
Those who insist that the cost TO our
people OF articles coming 10 them from
abroad for their needful use should only
be Increased through tariff chsrges ~
an extent necessary to meet the ex.
penses Of the government, az well AZ
those who claim that tariff charges
may be laid upon such articles beyond
the necessities OF government revenue,
and with the additional purpose OF 80
increasing their price In our markets
as to give American Manufacturers anu
producers better and more pr0ntsble op.
portunities, must agree that our tariff
laws are only primarily justified MS
sources Of revenue to enable the gov.
eminent to meet the necessary sx-
penses OF its maintenance. Considered
as to its suffioiency In this aspect, the
present law can by no means fall un-
der Just condemnation. During the
only complete fiscal year OF Its opera
ton It has yielded nearly $4,000, 900
more revenue than was reosived from
tariff duties in the preceding year.
There was, nevertheless, n deficit be.
tween our reoeipts anu expenditures
OF little more than SIS, 000,0 600.
This, however, was not unexpected.
The situation was such In December
seven months before the Close VI the
fiscal year that tue secretary Of the
treasury ioretold n deficiency OF Sl7,.
100000. The great and increasing
apprehension anu timidity Ia busiuess
circles and the depression in all acliv-
ittes intervening eince that time,
resulting from causes perfectly we'll
understood aud entirely disconnected
with our tariff law or its operation,
seriously checked the Imports we
would have otherwise received anu
readily account for the difference be-
tween this estimate OF tue secretary
and the actual deficiency a.
well as for continued deficit.
Indeed 1t must be confessed that we
could hardly have had more uniavor.
able period than the last two years Ior
the collection of a tariff revenue. We
cannot reasonably hope that our recu.
peration rom this business depression
will be sudden, but 1t has already set Ia
with a promise Of acceleration AMI
continuance. believe our prese nj
ta,if law,if allowed q lar opportunity,
will IN the near future yield q revenue
which, with reasonably ecou omical
expenditures, will overcome all def.
cienciee.
In the meantime NO deficit that has
occurred or may occur need excite
or disturb us. To meet any such de.
ficiency we have In the treasury, In
addition to gold reserve OF one nun.
dred millions, q surplus OF more than
one hunured and tweniy-eight mil.
lions Of dollars applicable to the pay.
ment Of the expenses OF the
government, and which must, unless
expended for that purpose, remain a
useless hoard, or, II not extravsgantly
wasted, must In any event BIZ psrveri.
ed from the purpose OF Its exRction
from our people. The payment, there.
fore, of any deficiency In the revenue
from this fund is nothing more than
its proper and legitimate use.
The government thus applying = sur.
. plus fortunately In It's treasury to the
payment OF expenses not met by II,
current revenues, 10 not at all TO be
likeued 10 q man living beyond his
income and thus mourning debt OF
encroaohing on his principal. II 10 not
, one OF the functions Of our govern.
, ment 10 accumulate and make add.
tions to fund not needed for I'm.
mediate expenditure. With individ.
, usls II 10 the chief object OF struggle
an accumulated fund by the
! government to the payment OF
It's running expenses is duty.
| An individual living beyond his In.
come and embarrassing himself with
, debt or drawing upon his accumulated
, iund OF principal 10 either unfortu ms te
/ or improvident. The distinction II
between 4 government charged with
the duty Of expanding for the benehi
Of the people and for proper purposes
, all the money II receives from any
source, and the individual who Il
expected 10 manifest natural desire
to avoid debt or to socu mu late n
, much as possible and to live within
the income derived from ouch aoou
, mutations, to the end that they may
i. be increased or at least remain unim
paired for the future use and enjoyment
OF himself and the objects OF his love
and Affection who may survive him
1t Is immsasurably better 70 appropri.
ate our surplus TO the pay ment o.
justinaole expenses than to allow 1t tt
preparations and extravagant expsndi
| lures.
l suppose II will not be denied that
under the present law our people OBJ
tain the necesssries OF com Portable
existence at q cheaper rate thar
formerly. This Ia matter OF supreme
Importance, since II is the palpabit
duty OF every Just government tt
make the burdens Of taxation as light
as possible. The people should not b,
required to relinquish this privilege o
cheap living except under tho stress
OF their governments, necessarily mad,