The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-18
THE DINeLEY TARIFF BILL
REVIEWED by EX-sECRETARY
WILLIAM L. WILSON.

Declares 1t Is Glass TaxatIOn-AlI
For Private POckets-Says Harri-
sons Administration Would Have
Found n Deficiency But For n
Trust Fund-American Consumers,
Mr.. Wilson Declares, VIII BE Prey
ed Upon by Trusts and COmblna-
tiOns.
From the New York Herald.
On the 9Th of October, 1890, when the
treasury statement showed a surplus reve-
nue. for the fiscal year ending June 80 of
$S5. 100000 tariff bill went into operation
under the title, "A Bill to Reduce the Rev
enue and Equalize Duties on Imports and
for Other Purposes" In January, 1897,
when a statement for the fiscal year end
ing June &c. 1896, shows a deficiency in rev.
enue of over $25,OOO,OOO, certain to be very
much greater for the current year. a tariff
bill 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 gen.
eral structure and particular items, ex-
cepting as to the sugar schedule, that it
may be well 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 production
of public revenue being an incident and
entirely subordinate to taxing all the
American people for the benefit of a small
part of the people.
The protectionist has but one remedy
which he applies whether the revenue be
redundant or deficient If times are pros
porous and more money than is needed
pours into the treasury he increases
taxes by scheme that turns the larger
part of their avails into private pockets,
and this reduces public revenue. If times
are depressed ana less money than is need
ed pours into the treasury he seizes the
preteXt of Increasing public revenues by
adding enormously to the amount of pri-
waite eXaction. Any tax that passes di-
rectly and Is controlled by some faVorite
interest from the taxpayer to the govern
ment is an abomination which he will
never permit If he can help 1t to remain
upon the statute book.
The act of 1890, whatever its other eff
fects, did reduce revenue. From a large
surplus II swept us headlong to a defcien-
cy, although Il weighed the people with
heavier taxes, and although another law,
pdsseu IN july lcJN, turned INTO the treas
ury as a part of the general assets to be
used for paying expenditures a trust fund
OF more than S5i,O0O,0O0 which belonged TO
the national banks and had always been
held for the redemption Of their notes.
Even before the Harrison administra-
ton ended we should have been confront
ed with large deficiency, but for the use
OF this trust fund and the further fact
that Secretary Foster, by change of
bookkeeping added to the treasury ball
ance S20,0OOO0O OF token and subsidiary
coin. not before treated as a treasury as
set With these extraordinary additions,
even, we wound up the fiscal year, June
80 1893, with a surplus of only $2,34t GA, as
against a surplus OF the fiscal year, June
80 1880, Of over SS5.00O,OO0. before the above
trust fund and subsidiary coin were touch
ed And during the fiscal year ended
June 30 1894, through all of which the
Mckinley bill was in force, expenditures
exceeded the revenues TO the amount OF
500. sos go. Notwithstanding the fact that
the expenditures OF the government were
Sl5,9526 GA less than In the preceding year
This statement shows how absurd NQd
groundless IS the claim constantly made
by the protectlonists that recent deficits