The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-03-19
MKINLEY'S MESSAGE.
President Urges Upon Congress the
Need for More Revenue,
Alarming and Existing Conditions
Should Be COrrected-TariR BIZ
Should Take Precedence.

WASHINGTON, March 16.-The presi-
dent yesterday sent the following mes
sage to congress;
To the Congress Of the United States:
Regretting the necessity which has required /
me 60 call you together, feel that your assem- /
bling in extraordinary session is indispensable |
because Of the condition in which We ind the |
revenues Of the government 1t is conceded |
that It's current expenditures are greater than /
its receipts and that such a condition has eI- /
listed for now more three years.
With unlimited means at our command We /
are presenting the remarkable spectacle Of in /
creasing our public debt by borrowing money |
to meet the ordinary OUTLAWS incident upon even |
an economical ana prudent administration Of /
the government An examination Of the sub |
ject discIoses this fact in every detail and leads
inevitably to the conclusion that the condition |
OF the revenue which allows It is unjustihable |
and should be corrected
We find by the reports Of the secretary Of the /
treasury that the revenues for the fiscal year
ended June 50, 1892, from all sources were 1925
s8S 26022, ana expenditures for ell sources were
Sis 95S 60856 leaving an excess Of receipts over
expenditures OF s9 ,914 1896. During that fiscal
year $40 SO 1878 we're paid on the public debt,
which had been reduced since March 1, 1888,
e259, 076 800 and the annual interest charge de-
creased S11, 6S4, $1,000.
The receipts OF the government from al
sources during the fiscal year ending June 80,
1888 amounted to 1851 7l8 55f "a and its eXpeHdi-
lures to $3.50 S54 sS765, showing an excess Of re-
ceipts over expenditures of g 341 ga. % Since
that time the receipts Of no fiscal year, and
with but few exceptions Of no month Of any
fiscal year, have exceeded the expenditures.
The receipts Of the government from all
sources during the fiscal year ended June 80,
1894, were S372, So 1888 and its expenditures
$40, COS, 1881 leaving deficit the first since
the resumption Of specie payments, Of $685.
2G052 Notwithstanding there was decrease
Of SIC, 769 i2S7S II the ordinary expenses Of the
government, as compared with the previous
fiscal year, its income was still not sufficient to
provide for its daily necessities and the gold re-
serve in the treasury for the redemption Of
greenbaCks was drawn on to meet them. But
this did not sufiCe, and the government thenre
sorted to loans to TepleniSh the reserve, In Feb
ruaFy 1894 LOCO colin bonds were issued, and in
November following second issue Of so COO, 600
was deemed necessary. the sum Of S1l71Tl,795
was realized By the sale Of these bonds, but the
reserve was steadily decreased until on Feb
ruary g. 1885 q third sale Of ST.. 5l5 400 in bonds
for S55, 116 pa was announced TO congress, The
receipts Of the government for the fiscal year
ending June So 1895, were $3.50, 353, 20330, and
the expenditures 1888, 175, 4234s, showing 9 de-
felt Of $40 sO5,2I318
A further loan Of slO0OOO,O0O was negotiated
by the government in February, 1895, the sale
netting Sill, 1856 245, and swelling the aggregate
of bonds issued within three years to S262, 3i5,-
400
For the fiscal year ended June so, 1898, the
revenues Of the government from all sources
amounted to S409 455, 40578 while its eXpendi-
lures we're S49I,6ls. 6544S, or an excess Of ex-
penditures over receipts OF SIS EOS, 24550 In
other words the total receipts for the three
fiscal years ended June 30, 1885 were insufficient
by Sl7,8 ,729 4d to meet the total expenditures
Nor has this condition since improved. From
the first half Of the present fiscal year, the re-
ceipts Of the government, exclusive Of postal
revenues were SI57, 507, 60375 and its expendI-
lures exclusive Of postal service 1885,, 2l0O Ol22
or an excess Of expenditures over receipts Of
eS7, 9O2 S96.46 In January Of this year the re-
ceipts exclusive Of postal revenues were ga
Sl6-99405 and the expenditures exclusive Of
postal services $780, 200 $50 20, deficit Of $685.,
S95 "a for the month.
In February OF this year the receipts eXclu
siYe Of postal revenue were &24, 430, 997.3e, ana
expenditures exclusive Of postal service S28,-
595,O5666 q deficit OF 43S ,O59 %; OF a total
deficiency Of Si8},0jl ,5S04 for the three years
and eight months ending March I, 1897 Not
| OEly are we without a surplus In the treasury,
but with an increase in the public debt there
/ has been a corresponding increase in the an
uUal interest charge from 50 893 $50 20 In 1892
the lowest Of any year since 1852, to S34 ss7, =
| 297.60 In 1895 or an increase Of Sill 493, 4144Q
1t may be urged that even If the revenues Of
| the government had been sufficient to meet all
| its ordinary expenses during the past three
/ years the gold reserve would still have been
/ insufficient 70 meet the demands on it and that
| bonds would necessarily have been issued for
| its rspletiOn. Be this as 1t may, it is clearly
manifest, without denying OF Affirming the cor
| Feetness Of such a conclusion, that the debt
would have been decreased in at least the
| amount Of the deficiency, and business conf
! dence immeasurably strengthened throughout
| the country.
Congress should promptly correct the exist
! Ing conditions, Ample revenues must be sup
| piled not only Tor the ordinary expenses Of the
| government but for the prompt payment Of
/ liberal pensions and the liquidation Of the
/ principal and interest Of the public debt.
| In raising revenues, duties should be
50 levied upon foreign products as
to preserve the home market, so far as possible
to our own producers; TO revive and increase
manufactures; to relieve aud encourage agricul-
ture; to increase our domestic and foreign COM
merce; to aid and develop mining and building,
and to render TO labor IN every
field Of useful occupation, the liberal wages and
adequate rewards to which skill and industry
are Justly entitled The necessity Of the pas
sage Of tariff law which shall provide ample
| revenue, need not be further urged The
imperative demand Of the hour is the prompt
/ enactment Of such 8 measure, and 70 this
| object I earnestly recommend that congress
shall make every endeavor. Before other bus
mess is transacted let Us first provide sufficient
revenue to faithfully administer the govern
ment without the contracting OF further debt
OF the continued disturbance OF our finances
WILLIAM MCKINLEY