The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-04-10
THE DZNGZEY Bill RE.
VE NED.

OF the proposed changes OF duty i
the revised tariff, by Hon. Villa,
L. Wilson. printed in the New Yor
Herald, is not more scathing tha
just:
On the six of October, 1900
when the Treasury statemen
showed surplus revenue for tn,
fiscal year ending June 80, of $751;.
600, 900, tariff bill went into oper.
alton under the title, ga bill to
reduce the revenue and equalize
duties on imports and for other
purposes" In January, 1897, when
statement for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1896, shows a def
cheney in revenue of over s25, 900, :
900, certain to be very much
greater for the current year, a tariff
Dill is introduced under the title.
"a bill to provide revenue for the
government and to encourage the
industries of the United States"
These bills are SO nearly identical
IN general structure and particular
items, excepting as to the sugar
schedule, that it may be we'll to
consider the effect of the first bill
on the revenue of the country.
Both bills are vast and voluminous
schemes of class taxation, the pro-
duction of public revenue being an
incident, and entirely subordinate.
to the purpose of taxing all the
American people for the benefit of
small part of the people.
The protectionist has but one
remedy, which he applies whether {
the revenue be redundant or def e
c'ent. If times are prosperous, and '
more money than is needed pours a
into the Treasury, he increases t
taxes by a scheme that turns the Il
larger parts of their avails into pri- tt
vate pockets; and this reduces a
public revenue. If times are de- II
pressed, and less money than is p
needed Pours into the Treasury, he
SEXES the pretext Of increasing c.
public revenue by adding enor- vi
nouiy to the amount Of private ex- to
'ctlon: Any tax that passes d. P'
'ectly, and is controlled by some ID
avor'te interest, from the tax or
layer to the government, is an ye
which he will never re
'ermit, if he can help it, to remain it
pom the statute book. Pc
The act of 1890, whatever ITS pc
Their effects, did reduce revenue SUI
ION large surplus it swept US ne
to deficiency, although Gu
weighted the people with heavier on
xes and although another law. An
assed in July, 1890, turned into oily
Re treasury as part of the gen. ext
al assets to be used for paying S7s
'penditures, trust fund Of more say
an S54, 900. 900 which belonged are
the National banks, and had al {
'ys been held for the REDEMPTION the
their notes. uPc
Even before the Harrison admin wit
ration ended we should have been out
nfronted with large deficiency, ON
for the use of this fund and the PRO
'ther fact that Secretary Foster, wae
a change of bookkeen;no added emf
the Treasury balance twenty the
lions of token and subsidiary 'aoe
IN not before treated as a Treas IRON
= asset. With these extraordi- L
~ additions even we wound ~ und
fiscal year, June 80, 1898, with Illus
surplus of only S2,341,674, as IS
inst surplus for the fiscal year, men
'e 80, 1890, of over $85, 600, 900, proc
ore the above trust fund and IN {
sidiary coin were touched A,d equa
ing the fiscal year ended June are
r8o4, through all of which the man
kinley bill was in force, expen- nor
Tres exceeded the revan,a a'aS