The Forrest City times., 1899-01-06

Thus from July l. 1892. TO December l
OF this year, the federal government has
expended over 1894. 900. GOO more than It
has collected from taxation. and its
present state In this respect is far worse
than the first.
War viii largely explain the huge
deficit of the fiSea! year. 1898; hut the
still larger deficit low being piled up,
AID amounting 10 above Ss3,000.000 for
the five months since June 80 last. has
been contracted after new sources of
revenue have been tapped TO an es-
timated extent CT from Sl25.000.000 TO
SIS. 0oo. 600 a year, ard under condi-
tions as TO army and navy expenses
which now promise TO become perma-'
cent and which this administration Is
striving to make permanent. Since hos
tilities with Spain were suspended and
half the volunteer army was disbanded
aid the navy was practically put upon
a peace footing. the monthly deficit has
averaged over Sl0.o0o.oo0. 1t is now
likely 20 remain indefinitely at nearly
that figure under present conditions Of
taxation and projected policies of i'm
perial domain.
Two great revenue measures have
been enacted within IS months for the
purpose Of placing the government on
a revenue-paying basis. and the govern
ment is as far from that position now
as it ever has been in the six years OF
deficit. II is living on borrowed money
n
ever.
The actual ordinary expenditures Of
the government in the fiscal year 1s9.
amounted TO five dollars per capita tax
of estimated population. The ordinary
expenditures now prevailing are al the
rate of nine dollars per capita of es-
timated popula tion. The actual tax
revenues collected from the people in
1897 amounted TO about $3.50 per capita.
The actual revenues which must be co.,
lected from the people under the pro-
jected policies of the Mckinley admins
! tration will amount to nine dollars Pc
capita yearly. We have been and arc
paying ourway partly on borrowed
| money. But this cannot continue with
out national bankruptcy. The flu.
measure of the new financial burdens
| OF the imperial republic is Yet TO be cur
rently assumed by the people.
When these burdens are fully as
stunned through current taxation, il will
appear that the actual federal tax bur
den upon the masses Of the people has
been increased by 81 per cent.-that
federal taxes have been nearly doubled
within two years. That is the amazin =
record TO be written OF Mr.. McK;nley's
| administration as il is now shaping III :
course Of things.
/ These federal taxeSare collected chief
ly from consumptioY-instead of from
Income or property. They consequently
fall upon the people in nearly equal
weight or amount per individual, and
| are collected in unseen ways. If they
were collected by federal tax gatherers
from door 10 door, the administration
| of Mr.. Mckinley, under the policies (
has voluntarily and eagerly projected,
would be obliged to send forth its min
lens 10 collect SIS from each average
family throughout the naticn. where
only SPA was being collected when Mr..
Mckinley came into power. The ad-
ministration which undertook that co..
lection would not live a day beyond the
time in which the people could get at it,
and the imperial policies it was so com
piacently promoting would be buried
under a furious popular uprising
| Springfield (Mass.) Republican.