The evening times., 1896-12-07

through their suffrages tine political belief is
they honestly profess, the noisy, pestllent
ana partisan eInpioye, who loves political
turmoil and contention, or who renders
lax and Erudging service to an admins
ttation not representing his political view $
should be promptly and fearlessly dealt
with III such a way as to furnish warning
10 others who may be likewise disposed
he annual report of the ConiinisslUiiers
Will be duly transmitted, and | commend
the import ant matter they have III charge
greSs.
The interstate Commerce Commission has
during the last year supplied abundant
portaHce OF the work
INTERSTATE committed to Its
COMsIMERCE. Puoic trausporta-
tiun Is a UNIVERSAL
necessity, and the question Of just and
reasonable charges therefor has become OF
vital Importance, not only to shippers
tuue or proiuccrs aud consumers. he
justice AMI equity OF the principles en-
bohied III the existing law, passed for the
purpose OF regulating these charges, are
everywhere coIicedeu, and there appears
to be no question that the policy thus en-
tered upon has permanent place In our
Institutions.
AS the present statute, when enacted,
was in the nature of the case more or less
tentative and experimental, IL was hardly
expected % supply u complete and adcq quatc
system. While its wholesome effects are
manifest ard have amply Justified Its en-
actment, II il evident tnat all desired re-
forms in transportation methods have not
been fully accomplished In view OF the
judicial Interpretation which provisions
or this StatIte nave received and the de-
rcctS disclosed by the efforts made for its
its revision and amendment
appear To bee>sciitial to tbecnl that II may
more effeCtuaiiy reach the evils designed
10 bc corrected. nope accommodation
or the commission upon the subject Will be
fa1 "a laaH
Congress.
1 uesire to recur to the statements else
where made concerning the governments
receipts and expenditures Tor the purpose
or yenturing upon
TIL e TARIFF. some suggestions
touching our present
tariff Ia and its operation.
This statute took effect on the 2Sth day
OF August lS3i Whatever may be ITS
shortcuniing complete measure OF tariff
reform, II must be conceded tnat 1t has
opened the way to "A rreer and greater eX-
change OF commodities between us and
other countries, and thus furnished wider
market for our products and manufactures.
The only entire fiscal year during which
this law has beenIn force ended On the3Uth
day of June, o96. In that year our i'm
ports increased over those OF the previous
yearmorethanS6,5 g, 500 900, whilet he vaineUf
the dUmeSt tic product SweeNpOrted and W whiC h
found markets abroad We're nearly So
900, 600 nUrethanduringthep preceding year
Those who insist that the cost to our
people ofarticles coming TO oInabroad
1ortheir neeifuluse should only beincrea Sed
through tariff charges to an neXtent necessary
10 meet the expenses OF the government, is
well as those who claim that tariff charges
may lie laid upon such articles beyond the
necessities of government revenue, and with
the additional purpose OF SO increaSn. their
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 ble the
government to meet tie necessary expenses
OF lts maintenance.
Considered as its sufficicncy in this
aspect. the present law can 10y 10 means
fail under just CCndemDat on. During
operation it has yielded nearly SS,cOc,OOU
more revenue than was received Fl ON tariff
duties iii the preceding year. There was
nevertheless deficit between oGr receipts
and expenditures OF littlrc n ore than
S25. 200, 900. This, however. was nol
unexpected. The situation was such in
December last, seven months before the
close of the fiscal year, that the Secretary
of the Treasury fOretOid deficiency or
SlT,Uou,OoO.
The great and increasing apprehension
and ttmidity in business circles and the de-
preston in all activities Intervening since
that time, IT sulting from causes perfectly
well understood and entirely disconnected
with our tariff law or its operation, seri-
ously 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 well as for a continued deficit
Indeed, 1t must be confessed that we
could hardly have had more unfayoTahle
period than the last two years for the col
lection OF tariff revenue. We can not
reasonably hope that cur recuperatlon from
this business depression will tie Sudden.
but 1t has already set IN with a promise OI
acceleration and continuance.
i believe our present tariff law, il al
lowed a fair opportunity, will in the near
future yield a revenue Which, with rea-
sonabie economical
REV EN uE. expenditures viii
overcome all de-
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 one hundred millions, a
surplus Of more than one hundred and
millions of dollars, applicable
to the payment of the expenses of the gov
ernment, and which must, unless expended
for that purpose, remain useless hoard,
or IL ifnoteXtravagantly wasted. must In any
event be perverted from the purpose of its
therefore. of any deficiency in the revenue
from this fund, is nothing more than its
proper and legitimate use.
1he government thus applying surplus
In its treasury to the payment
of expenses not m It by its current revenues
is not at all TO be likened to man living
be yond Ills income, and thus mourning debt
or encroachIns on ms principal
Its not one of the functions of our gov
ernmenu to accumulate and make additions
to fund not needed for immediate ex
pendIturs With individuals ii Is the cl ief
object of struggle and effort.
The application or an accumulated fund
by the government to the payment OF its
running expenses is duty. An individual
living DeyOnd his income and enIba rraSSing
hmselr with debt, or drawing upon his ac
cuuiulaNed fund OF principal, is either un-
fortunate or inprovident. Ttc distinction
is between a government charged with the
duty OF pending for the benefit of the peo
pie and for proper purposes all the money
it receives from any source and tie ind-
vidual whois eXpectedt to manifest natural
desire to avoid debt or TO accumulate as
much as possible and to live within the in
come derived from such accumulations, to
the end that they may be increased, or at
and enjoyment of himself or the objects
of his love and affection who may survive
him.
1t is ip1measurably better to appropriate
expenses than to allow it to become an
invitation to reckless appropriations and
expenditures.
1 suppose 1t Will not be denied that under
the present law urpeople obtain the neces-
sarles OF comfortable existence ut n cheap
er rate than formerly. This is a matter of
Importance, since it is the palpabc
duty OF every Just government to ma kc
the burdens of taxation as light as posi-
Bile. The people should not be required TO
rehnGuish this privilege of cheaper liv-
ing except under the stress of their gov
necessity made plainly manifest.
This reference to the condition and pros
poets OF our revenues naturally suggests
an allusion to the weakness and
vices OF our financial
RETIREMENT OF rietHotls. They have
been frequently press
GREENBACkS. ed upon the attention
of Congress in pre-
vious communications, and the in,
evltable danger of their continued
oleration pointed out. Without
now repeating these details, cannot re-
fraiu from again earnestly presenting the