Evening star., 1896-12-07

| in the nature of the case more or less ten
| tative and experimental, it was hardly ex-
pected to supply adequate system.
While its wholesome effects are manifest
| and have amply justified it's enactment, it
| is evident that all desired reforms in trans
| portation methods have not been fully ac-
complished. In view Of the judicial inter
probation which provisions of this statute
| have received and the defects disclosed by
| the efforts made for its enforcement. its
| revision and amendment appear to be IS
| sential to the end that it may more effect
| ually reach the evils designed to be Or
rected. l hope the recommendations of the
commission upon this subject will be
promptly and favorably considered by the
Congress.
THE TARIFF.
/ desire to recur to the statements else
| where made concerning the governments
receipts and expenditures for the purpose
| of venturng upon some suggestions touch-
| ing our present tariff law and its opera
| ton.
This statute took effect on the 2sth day
| of August, 1884 Whatever may be it's
| shortcoming as a complete measure of
| tariff reform, it must be conceded that it
has opened the way to freer and greater
other countries. and thus furnished wider
| market for our products and manufactures.
The only entire fiscal year during which
this law has been in force ended on the Both
| day Of June, 1896. In that year our i'm
ports increased over those of the previous
year more than ST, 100000, while the value
of the domestic products we exported and
which found market abroad was nearly
s7O00OOOO more than during the preceding
year.
Thos, who insist that the cost to our peo-
pie of articles coming to them from abroad
for their needful use should only be in
creased through tariff charges to an extent
necessary to meet the expenses of the gov
ernment. well as those who claim that
tariff charges may be laid upon such ar
ticles beyond the necessities of government
revenue, and with the additional purpose
of 80 increasing their price in our markets
as to give American manufacturers and
producers better and more profitable op-
portunities. must agree that our tariff laws
are only primarily justified sources of
revenue to enable the government to meet
the necessary expenses of its maintenance
Considered as to its suiiiciency in this
aspect the present law can Dy means
fall under just condemnation. During the
| Only complete fiscal year of its opera ton it
has yielded nearly $S,pO,VU0 more revenue
than was received from tariff duties in
the preceding year. There was neverthe-
less. a deficit between our receipts and
expenditures of a little more than $1,000
coo. This, however, was not unexpected.
The situation was such in December last.
seven months before the close of the fiscal
year, that the Secretary of the Treasury
lCretOlI ba
great &nd increasing apprehension and tim
dity in business circles and the depressi on
in all activities intervening since that time
resulting from causes perfectly well under
stood and entirely disconnected with our
tariff law or its operation. seriously check
ed the imports We would have otherwise
receive ed. and readily account for the diff
terence between this estimate of the Sec
| retary and the actual deficiency as well
| as for a continued deficit. Indeed it must
| be confessed that We could hardly have
had more unfavoraple period than the
| last two years for the collection Of tariff
| revenue.
We cannot reasonably hope that our re-
| crpcra,ion from this business depression
Will be sudden, but it has already set in,
With a promise of acceleration and con-
| tinuance
l believe our present tariff law if allowed
fair opportunity will in the near future
yield a revenue which, with reasonable
| economical expenditures, will 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 a gold
reserve of s1oO,poO,OO0, a surplus of more
| than s12S.OoO,00O applicable to the paymen.
he nf he
| which must, unless expended for that pur-
| pose, rem ain a useless hoard, or If not ex-
travagantly wasted. must in any event be
perverted from the purpose of its exac-
| tion 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 surplus fortunately in its treas
Gry to the payment of expenses rot met
by its current revenues, is not .at all to be-
Ekened to a man living beyond his income
and thus inc drring debt or encroaching on
| his principal
1t Is not one of the functions of our GOV
ernment to accumulate and make additions
| to fund not needed for immediate ex-
| penditure. With individuals it Is the chief
| object of struggle and effort The applica-
! ton Of an accumulated fund by the govern
| ment to the payment of its running ex-
penses is a duty. An individual living be-
yond his income and embarrassing him
| self with debt. or drawing upon his ac-
cumulated fund of principal. is either un-
fortunate or improvident The distinction
| Is between 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 manifest
| a natural desire to avoid debt or to ac-
cumulate as much as possible, and to live
within the income derived from such at-
cumulations, to the end that they may be
| increased. or, at least remain unimpaired
fer the future use and enjoyment of him.
self or the objects of his love and affection
who may survive him.
1t is immeasurably better to appropr;ate
our surplus to the payment of justifiabIe
| expenses than to allow it to become an
| invitation to reckless appropriations and
extravagant expenditures
l suppose 1t will not be denied that. un-
der the present law, our people obtain the
| necessarieS of comfortable existence at
| cheaper rate than formerly. This is a
| matter of supreme Importance, since II is
the palpable duty Of every just govern
ment toumake the burdens of taxation a 3