The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1904-10-07

The Democratic policy has often been
-announced 10 be "a TARIFF FOR
REVENUE ONLY And what this high
sounding policy always in practice has
1roduced Is DIMINISHING REVENUE
AND INCREASING DEFICIT.
The great business depression which
-orertook the country during the last
Democratic administration was due not
sincerely to the anti-protection features OF
z Democratic tariff tinkering. but to the
very serious falling OF in government
revenues which it accustomed.
When there is n condition of uncer-
rGninty and instability" in business, which
Mr.. Parker himself has admitted follow
ed past attempts in the tariff tinkering
line. the imports OF certain classes of
sdutiable goods are always sure TO fall OF
even with the decreased tariff. for the
reason that the people consume less for
zeign luSuries in hard times than in good.
With the foreigners flooding the Amsri-
can markets with articles that can just
as well be produced by American labor,
our own people naturally have less imam
.ciai means with which TO buy foreign
faces, silks. teas, wines, perfumes. dia-
nonds, works of art. etc.
As a revenue producing measure the
Wilson tariff law was n stupendOus fail
snre Its authors showed colossal bust
ness Incompetence in their failure TO
make il supply anywhere near the
amount of revenues required to meet the
expenses of the government The reve
nue from the Wilson bill fell short OF the
estimates of its Democratic trainers by
mo less n sum than $S7000.000. and
this, including its sugar import tax, to
which many OF the Democratic leaders,
including President Cleveland himself.
had been bitterly opposed. This bill not
only did direct damage to manufacturing
industry everywhere throughout the
country, but it had disastrous effects on
the nations credit, because In causing
lfhe revenues to drop heavily below the
expenditures it forced the government to
draw Tor its routine expenses on the
treasury gold reserve, which was needed
to preserve the gold standard of value,
and this shrinkage in the gold reserve in
turn necessitated the enormous bond is
sues IN which syndicates secured their
notorious "rake-offs."
All through 1894 trade decentralization
dncreased, and the government revenues
for the first six months of the year turn
ed out to be about $40.000,O00 less than
the Democratic Secretary of the Treas
ury, Mr.. Carlisle. had estimated they
would be in his report of December.
1898. Nevertheless the Democratic lead
-ers failed to heed the warning, but went
without paying the slightest attention to
whether or not the bill could produce
enough revenue for running the govern
ment.
Davis Looks Out for His Own Revenue.
The House of Representatives not only
struck OF the import taxes on coal. iron
ore. and wool, which were exclusively
protective duties. and therefore logical
subjects for revision, from the Demo
u
lfinue the sugar duties, which We're n
revenue tax of the most productive char
aeter. The Senate, through the iniiu
enee OF ii. G. Davis. now the Demo-
cratic vice presidential candidate. whose
vast fortune was represented chiefly in
coal lands. replaced the duty of 40 cents
per ton on coal. which was nn utterly
Insignificant source of national revenue,
but it restored only such part OF the
sugar duties as could play directly into
the hands OF the sugar trust. Consid.
cred merely US a law contrived to pro-
duce sufficient revenue. the Senate bill
was undoubtedly superior to the House
bill The Senate sugar tariff, 1t is true.
proddeed eventually hardly one-half as
much revenue as had been yielded by the
sugar tariff of 1888 but there was never
fheless collected from this source. in the
FIRST full year under the amended Wilson
act. the sum of $29,SoOO00. none OF
which revenue would have been obtained
tby the government under the House bilI's
free-sugar provisions. But the public
refused for very obvious reasons to give
the trainers of the Senate amendments
any credit for this achievement. On the
eve of the passage OF the Wilson bill
IN the upper house it was discovered that
several Democratic Senator's. whose
votes controlled action on the sugar du-
ties. were specializing in Wall street in
sugar trust stock The angry public
ciamor over these disclosures was follow
ed by ant open letter from President
4 Cleveland to his supporters In the House.
declaring the senatorial changes to be
outrageous Determinations and viola
lions OF principie"-an assertion which
n IN view of the platform OF the majority.
was certainly not unwarranted. From
n the floor of the Senate, the Democratic
Ieaders retorted publicly with much
ASliow OF indignation. When. finally.
a. long and stubborn struggle, the
mite tariff bill prevailed and passed
81 houses. President Cleveland refused
pur his name to it, and left the bill
" become law without his signature.
From Bad TO Worse.
The result OF this haphazard reckoning
Ion 4he revenue was law which never
nr5dneod a surplus Even with its sugar
import tax the yield OF the Senate bill.
Il the succeeding year, fell short of the
Estimate OF its authors by no less a sum
han $50. 100000. For this exceedingly
fi-fincd characterization, the Democratic
fffty-third Congress Is properly held re-
ponsihle for the necessity OF subsequent
lond issues. It Is true that both houses
Ia added to the bill q tax OF two per
ont on incomes over $4,000. aud In
ague, indefinite way had reckoned that
lsss,fi1rr.f of this Nvnuid ,-rund