The herald., 1896-12-08
le careful consideration of the con-
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

| the Importance of the work committed
| to its charge. Public transportation is
| a universal necessity, and the question
| of Just and reasonable charges there
| for has become one of vital Importance,
| not only to shippers and carriers, but
| also to the vast multitude of producers
| and consumers.
The Justice and equity of the principles
| embodied in the existing law passed for
| the purpose of regulating these charges
| are everywhere conceded, and there ap-
pears to be no question that the policy
| thus entered upon has a permanent
place in our legislation. AS the present
| statute when enacted was, in the ma
| ture of the cause more or less tentative
! and experimental, it was hardly expect
ed to supply a complete and adequate
system. While its wholesome effects are
manifest and have amply justified its
enactment, it is evident that all desired
reforms and transportation methods
| have not been fully accomplished.
| In view of the judicial interpretation
which some provisions of this statute
| have received and the defects dis
| closed by the efforts for its enforcement,
| its revision and amendment appear to
be essential to the end that it may ef-
fectually reach the evils designed to be
corrected. I hope the recommendation
of the commission upon this subject will
| be promptly and favorably considered
| by the congress.
| THE TARIFF.
| / desire to recur to the statement else
| where made concerning the government
! receipts and expenditures for the pur
pose of ventSring upon some suggestions
| touching our present tariff laws and its
| operations.
| This statute took effect on the 2Sth
| day of August, 1894. Whatever may be
| its shortcomings as complete measure
| OF tariff reform, 1t must be conceded that
it has opened the way to freer and
| greater exchange of commodities be-
| tween us and other countries and thus
! furnished wider market for our prod
| ucts and manufacturing. The only
| entire fiscal year during which this law
| has been In force ended on the Goth day
| of June. 1896. In that year our imports
! increased over those of the previous year
| more than So, 5000, 600 while the value of
| the domestic products we exported and
which found markets abroad was nearly
| $40, 900 more than during the preced-
ing year.
| Those who insist that the cost to our
| people of articles coming to them from
abroad for their needful use should only
| be increased through tariff charges to an
| extent necessary to meet the expenses of
govrnment, as we'll as those who claim
that tari charges may be laid upon such
articles beyond the necessities of the
| government revenue and with the addi
|
| price in our markets as to give American
manufacturers and producers better and
more profitable opportunities, must agree
| that our tariff laws are only primarily
| justified as sources of revenue to ena
| BILE the government to meet the necessa
ry expenses of it's maintenance. Consid-
| cred as to it's efficiency, in this aspect
| the present law can by no means fall
Under just condemnation. During the
| only complete fiscal year of it's opera
| tion it has yielded nearly S., 900, 900 more
| revenue than was received from tariff
duties in the preceding year. There was
nevertheless deficit between our re-
ceipts and expenditures of a little more
| than $25, 900, 900. 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 a deficiency of $17,-
| 100000. The great and increasing ap-
prehension and timidity in business cir
| cies and the depression in all activities
| intervening since that time. resulting
| from causes perfectly well understood
| and entirely disconnected with our tariff
| law or it's operations, seriously checked
the imports we would have otherwise
received and readily account for the
difference between this estimate of the
| secretary and the actual deficiency as
l
deed it must be confessed that we could
| hardly have had a more unfavorable
| period than the last two years for the
collection of a tariff revenue. We can
rot reasonably hope that our recupera-
| tion from this business depression will
| be sudden, but it has already set in.
| with a promise of acceleration and con-
| tinuance. I believe our present tariff
| law, if allowed a fair opportunity, will
| in the near future yield revenue which,
! with reasonably economical expendi-
lures, will overcome all deficiencies. In
| the meantime no deficit that has oc-
Cured or may occur need excite or dis
| turb us.
To meet any such deficit we have in
| the treasury, in addition to a gald re-
serve of 100000, surplus of more than
| $12S, 900, 900 applicable to the payment of
| the expenses of the government and
| which must, unless expended for that
| purpose, remain a useless hoard. or if
not extravagantly wasted must, in any
| event, be perverted from the purpose
of its exaction from our people. The
! payment therefore, of any deficiency
! in the revenue from this find is nothing
more than its proper and legitimate use.
! The government thus applying a sur
plus fortunately in it's treasury to the
| payment of expenses not met by its cur
rent revenues is not at all to be likened to
l
| mourning debt or encroaching on his
principal. 1t is not one Of the functions
| of our government to accumulate and
make additions to a fund not needed for
| immediate expenditures. With individ-
uals 1t is the chief object of struggle and
effort. The application of an accumula-
| ted fund by the government to the pay
| ment of its running expenses is a duty.
| An individual living beyond his in
come is embarrassing himself with debt,
| or in drawing upon his accumulated
fund of principal, is either unfortunate
| or improvident. The distinction is be-
| tween a government charged with the
duty of expending for the benefit of the
people and for proper purposes all the
| money it receives from any source, and
the individual who Is expected to mani
fest natural desire to avoid debt, or to
| accumulate as much as possible and to
| live within the income derived from such
| accumulations, to the end that 1t may
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. 1t is I'M
measurably better to appropriate our
surplus to the payment of justifiable
expenses than to allow it to become an
| invitation to reckless appropriations
| and extravagant expenditures. I sup
pose it will not be denied that under the
present law, our people obtain the neces-
saries of O. comfortable existence at a
cheaper rate than formerly, This is a