The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-12-19

rIsveland's False Position on the Qucstieu

Inc tariu act OF 1874, which President
Cleveland refused to sign because of its
Inconsistencies and crudities." and be-
cause il contained provisions not in line
with true democratic reform %, midi
eating that "the deadly blight of trea-
son has blasted the councils of the brave
in their hour of might" seems 10 suit
him perfectly now. lie thinks IL has
benefited the people and he is not dis :
turbed by its shortcomings as rev.
enuc measure.
He asserts that:
Il believe our present tariff law. n al
lowed fair opportunity. VIII In the near
future yield "A revenue which. with rcason-
ably economic expenditures. will overcome
al deficiencies. In the meantime no def
lett that has occurred or may occur need
sxeite or disturb u.s."
The president is thus Indifferent To
deficits, though amounting to $4,000
600 in the last five months, because
there is IA surplus in the treasury from
the sale of bonds of $i2s,oO0.O 900 over
and above the gold reserve of $100,00O,-
600. But how long viii that surplus, NOT
ali OF which is practically available for
the payment of current expenses, hold
out when there is a difference of IS ,00O,-
600 n month between receipts and ex-
penditures? But he does NOT seem 10
care. There is enough To last till the
tth OF next March, and after his term
expires he has no care or solicitude.
The president pretcnds 20 have faith
In the present patchwork tariff law
solely because for the fiscal year ended
June 30 the customs receipts were near
~ $S,000,000 more than for the preced-
ing fiscal year, during all but two
months of which most of the duties OF
the Wilson-Gorman law were in force.
IL is true that for the last fiscal year
there was deficit OF $25,000 900, but
that does not interest the president. No
matter what deficit manifests itself, the
patchwork Wilson-Gorman act must
not be disturbed TO make il yield more
revenue! IL is a sacred thing in his
sight.
The falling off in revenue during tho
last few months he ascribes To causes
entirely disconnected with our tariff
law"-the free silver agitation--and he
assumes that the recovery from the
business depression, which has already
begun, will result in the receipt by the
government OF an adequate income, pro-
vided an economic policy is pursued.
What does he mean 10y that? He doesn't
state what he wants retrcnchcd. He
should have done SO. Unless the build
ing of the new navy and coast defense
Notifications and river and harbor inn
provements arc also stopped IL is diff
cult 10 see how the $50 900 900 or $780,
100000 year OF revenue deficit can be
stopped.
But the president does not refer to-
the fact that there are certain objects
of expenditure concerning which the
government cannot economize. IL must
spend much money on coast defenses.
The national safety requires that TO l,e
done. 1t must add TO the navy till il
is strong enough for it's purpose. And
congress will not stop the work OF the
rivers and hnrbors-that is certain. The
revenue which the Wilson-Gorman law
will produce in more prosperous timss
will be some greater, but il will not Do
nearly sufficient, and all government
expenses will increase as population
grows.
The president defends that bad law
OH another ground. He says:
whatever may be It's shortcomings as n
complete measure OF tariff reform, n must
be conceded that Il has opened the way TO
y freer and greater exchange OF commodl-
ties between us and other countries, and
thus furnished a wider market for our
products and manufacturing.
He arrives at this fanciful and falso
conclusion because the imports for the
last fiscal year exceeded those of tho
preceding 12 months by 100000 and
the exports by S7O,0o0,oO0. But the ex-
ports fell Sij0,000,000 below those OF
the fiscal year OF 1892, when those resi-
procity agreements which opened new
markets for American products were in
force. The president, while well aware
of these important facts, is candid and
honest enough to conceal them.-Chi-
cago Tribune.