The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-08

| hlllL lllt DbllN1 Nlllh 'llAllNu AAl'll 'lhf'
Il permanent place In our legislation.
AZ The present statute. when enacted,
was, In tho nature OF the case, moro
or less tentative and experimental. II
was hardly expected to supply II COM
plctr aud adequate system. While It's
wholesome effects nrc manifest ana
have amply Justified III enactment, IL
iS evident that nll desired reforms In
transportation methods have not been
fully accomplished.
In vlCw OF the judicial Interpretation
which some provisions Of the statute
have received and tho dolCCts by the
efforts made for itl enforcement, It's
revision and amendment appear 10 he
essential TO the end that II may moro
CfICCtually reach tho evils designed TO
he corrected. | hope the recommends
lion OF the commission upon this sub
Jcct viii be promptly and fayorably con-
sidCrcd by the Congress.
Iiir G0rmnu-W wilson IEilI.
| desire TO rcCur to the statements
elsewhere made concerning the govern
mcnt's receipts and expenditures FOR the
purpose OF vcnturing upon some Fug-
EostiOns touching u present tariff law
aD1 Its operation.
This statute took effect OF the 18th
day OF August, 1891. Whatever may
he It's SHORTCOMINGS as n COnplct" meas.
urc Of tariff reform. II must be con
CCdCl that II has opened the way TO Il
frccr and greater exchange or COmmOd-
itIca between us and other countries.
and thus furnished Il wider market for
our products and manufactures. The
only entire fiscal yen during which
this law has been In force ended on the
| mt IA IUNF nf INV,a 1NuN l., that NFNpp
our Imports Increased over those OF tho
previous ear moro thnn &c. 900, 900, while
the value OF the domestic products we
exported and which found markets
abroad WINS nearly $7O,0O0,O0J more than
during the preceding year.
Those who Insist that the cost Of our
people OF articles coming 10 them from
abroad for their necdtul Is1 should
only be Increased through tArSm charges
TO IN extent necessary 10 meet the cX-
penSc9 OF the government as we'll. as
those who claim that tarln charges
may be laid upon such articles beyond
the necessities Of government revenue
and with the additional purpose Of 50
Increasing The price In our markets. as
TO give American manufacture and pro-
duccrS better and more profitable OPP
portInit!cs. must agree that our tar
80 +"'' - N'tAy PAAhAhA'y JhSN4AANN
ms sources OF revenue 10 enable the
government to meet the necessary cX-
pcnscs OF It's maintenance. Considered
as 60 Its suiiciency In this aspect, the
present law can by no means fall under
just condemnation, During the only
complete fiscal year OF its operation It
has yielded nearly $S,0O0iOO0 . rev
enue than vas received from tarif du-
ties In the preceding year. There was,
nevertheless. q deficit between our re-
Ccipts and expenditure Of u little more
than SOS, 900. 0O0. This. however. was not
unexpected. The situation was such in
December last. seven months before the
close Of the fiscal year. that the report
81 h treasury forct2lG 4 deficiency Of
ST. 0O,O 900.
The great and increasing apprchen-
sion and timidity In business circles
and the depression in all activities in
tcrveninG since that time resulting
from causes perfectly well understood
and entirely disconnected with our tar
!r law or It's operation. seriously check
I'd the imports we would have other
wise received, and readily account for
the difference between this estimate Of
the secretary. and the actual deficiency,
as we'll as for Il continued deficit.
Indeed. Il must be confessed that We
could hardly have had n more unfav-
orablc period than the last two years
for the collection Of tariff cvcnue. We
cannot reasonably hope that our re
cupcration from this business depress-
Ion Will be sudden, but 1t has already
set in With Il promise, Of accclerat!0n
and continuance.
l believed our present tariG law, II
allowed a fair opportunity. will in the
near future, yield a revenue which. with
reasonably economical expenditures.
VIII overcome all deficiencies. In the
meantime no deficit. that has occurred
or may occur, need excite or disturb us.
To meet any such deficit We have
In the treasury in addition to 4 gold
reserve OF n hundred million 4 sur
plus Of more than one hundred and
;wcnty-elght millions OF dollars appli-
cable to the payment Of the expenses
Of the government. and which must,
unless expended for that purpose, re-
main 4 useless hoard. or. II not cX-
t~ravaGantly wasted must In any event
be perverted from the purpose OF It's
cNaction from our people. The pay
ment. therefore. OF any deficiency in
the rcveEIc from this fund is nothing
more than its proper and ltGitIuute
use.
The government ;rus applying a sur
plus fortunately In its treasury to Che
payment OF expenses not moi by its
current revenues. Is not all 10 be likcn-
ed 10 n mar living beyond his income
and h Il incurring debt or cncroach-
Ing on his principal.
II Is not one Of the functions OF oar
government % accumulate and make
additions to n fund not needed FOR I'm
mediate expenditure. With individuals
II 10 slA -htHF Llsu.t % wtr8~N .-r
effort. The application OF an aGcumu-
lated fund by the governments TO tn?
payment OF its running expenses is 4
duty, An individual living beyond his
income and embarrassing himself with
debt, or drawing upon his accumulated
fund OF principal, is either unfortunate
or imprOvidCnt.
The difference between n government
charged with the duty OF expanding for
the benefit OF the people and for proper
purposes all the money Il receives from
any source, and the Individual who Is
expected to manifest Il natural desire
Ia avoid debt or 20 accumulate as much
as possible and to live within the In
CnmC derived from such accumuIa-
tons to the end that they may be in
creased or at least remain un.mpaIreG
for the future u6@ and enjoyment Of
himself or The objects Of his love and
affection whO may survive him.
II Is Immcasurcahiy better to appro-
print" our surplus To the payment OF
iustiilabl2 expenses than to nl!0w il to
become nm invitation 10 reckless M
preparations and c~NtTavlgant cNpcnd,-
lures.
! suppose It VIII not be denied that
under the present law our people obtain
the necessities Of Il comfortable exist
cncc at Il cheaper rate than formerly.
This is 4 matter OF supreme Import
ancc, since II Is thu paIpnOIc duty of
nNnrN imsI nuu.unn nnunL 4. ~ -