The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-07
TARIFF REFORM,
ECONOMY, HONESTY.
Democrats Think German Has
Sounded the keynote.

Democrats Think German Has
Sounded the keynote.
Washington, Aug. 6.-Senator Cor
man in his talk with the newspaper
men on his return from Europe sue
cessfully parried all questions as to
his candidacy for the presidency but
his reply to the question as to what
he regarded as the paramount issues
ddr next years campaign is being
much discussed in Washington
There's a reformation of the tariff
for one thing" said Senator German,
economy for another, honesty-hon-
esty in public places-is the other.
In this sentence the Maryland sem
ator suggested what many Democrats
believe will be three leading planks
in next years platform. They be-
lieVe that tariff reform, economy, ana
honesty would be three OF the best
battle cries with which the Democrats
could go into next years fight. De
spite the dissatisfaction of many Re-
publicans in all parts of the country
with the present trust-sheltering Ding
ley law, with it's high taxes on the
materials used by American manufact-
urers and with it's collection from the
people of 100000 600 per year more
than is necessary to meet government
expenses, it is certain that the RepuD-
lican party cannot be trusted to make
any move in the direction of tarin re-
form. The reVisionists in that party
are being quieted with vague prom
ises of action after the presidential
election. When that election is over,
however the standpatters will find
some other excuse for delay, and II
the country must wait for revision
of the tariff until it is made by the
Republicans there is little prospect of
ANYTHING being done for years TO
come.
In some quarters Senator Germans
declaration in favor of tariff reform
as one of the leading issues for the
next campaign will occasion some sur
prise, for the Maryland senator has
been accused by superficial observers
of not being an advocate of lower tar
if taxes and his record on the VIII
son bill is pointed to as justifying this
accusation. Senator Germans course
on the Wilson bill, however, Will stand
the closest scrutiny. 1t is a matter
of history that that bill when finally
enacted into law, and emasculated by
the decision of the Supreme Court on
its income tax feature failed to pro-
duce sufficient revenue for the needs
of the government. How much worse
it would have been, and how much
larger the bonds issues of the second
Cleveland administration would have
been if the Maryland senator had not
kept the fiscal needs of the government
in view at all times can only be
imagined. Had the income taXfeature re-
: manned in the law it would have yield
ed ample revenues, but not excessive.
Conditions are more favorable for re-
duction of customs taxes, than they
were in, 1894 when the Wilson law
was enacted. The expenses of the
government have been unnecessarily
increased by the extravagant appro-
priations that have marked the past
few years, but the revenue producing
power of the country has expanded in
even greater proportion. A low aver
age of tariff taxes would yield much
higher total of revenue than was the
case nine years ago. Further than
this. when Senator German, and his
associates were insisting that the Will
son bill rates should be kept up to
the proper revenue producing point,
they could count on only $4,000, 900
from internal revenue, while the inter-
nal revenue receipts for the last fis-
cal year amounted to over, $3.50 900, 900,
and they are still rapidly increasing.
Tariff reform, economy and honesty
The three are closely interrelated. Tar
if taxes which take from the people
money in large excess of the needs of
the government, afford a constant
temptation to extravaganza and dis
honesty. In the opinion of many DEM
ocrats, the party can do no better
than to take its stand for a policy
that will not take from the pockets
of the people more money than the
government needs and will see to it
that the money collected is eco
nomically and honestly administered.
The record of the Republican party
since the close of the Spanish War
makes the time very oppOrtune for
the adoption of such a policy by the
Democrats. The Dingley law has taken
from the people and piled up in the
treasury hundreds of millions of dol
lars that the government has not need
ed. Despite the wasteful extravaganza
and the downright dishonesty that has
prevailed and an available cash ball
ance of more than $500 900, 900, which by
skillful bookkeeping is reduced in the
published statements to $3.50 900, 000 has
been piled up in the treasury, while
Secretary Shaw and Secretary Gage,
before him, are on record as saying
that $50,000000 would form sufficient
working balance for the treasury. 1t
is not strange that Republican sena-
tors and representatives in the inter-
ests of the benefciaries of the Dingley
law have appropriated money in the
most wildly eXtravagant manner in the
vain effort to cut down the growing
surplus. 1t is not strange that men
of little moral stamina in the govern
ment's service have taken advantage
of the opportunities afforded by the
lavish eXtravagances of the govern
ment and have sought to enrich them
selves by divisions with favored con-
tractors. Senator Germans declara-
ton for tariff reform, economy and
honesty is most timely.