The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1904-10-05

The Democratic policy has often been
announced to be "a TARIFF FOR
REVENUE ONLY" And what this high
sounding policy always in practice has
produced is DIMINISHING REVENUE
AND INCREASING DEFICIT.
The great business depression which
overlook the country during the last
Democratic administration was due not
merely to the anti-protection features OF
Democratic tariff tinkering, but to the
very serious falling off in government
revenues which it occasioned.
When there ia condition of uncer-
tainty 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
dutiable goods are always sure to fall Oft
even with the decreased tariff, for the
reason that the people consume less for
eign Injuries in hard times than in good.
With the foreigners flooding the Ameri-
can markets with articles that can just
as we'll be produced by American labor,
our own people naturally have less finan-
cial means with which to buy foreign
faces, silks, teas, wines, perfumes, dia-
monds, works OF art, etc.
As revenueproducing measure the
Wilson tariff law was stupendous fail
ure. Its authors showed colossal bust
ness incompetence in their failure to
make 1t supply anywhere near the
smount 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
no less a sum than SS7,0O0OOO, and
this, including it's 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 1t had disastrous effects on
the nations credit, because In causing
the revenues TO drop heavily below the
expenditures Il forced the government to
draw for 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
Increased, and the government revenues
for the first six months OF the year turn
ed out to be about $40,000,000 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
ahead with their free trade tariff bill
without paying the slightest attention Il
whether or not the bill could produc,
enough revenue for running the govern
ment.
Davis Looks Out for His Own Revenue
The House OF Representatives not only
struck off the import taxes on coal, iror
ore. and wool, which were exclusively
protective duties, and therefore logica
subjects for revision, from the Demo
cratic standpoint. but il refused to con
time the sugar duties, which were
revenue tax Of the most productive char
acter. The Senate, through the influ
ence Of ii. G. Davis. now the Demo
cratic vice presidential candidate. who's
vast fortune was represented chiefly II
coal lands, replaced the duty OF 40 cent
per ton on coal, which was an utterl!
insignificant source OF national revenue
but IL restored only such part of IN
sugar duties as could play directly int
the hands of the sugar trust. COnsid
cred merely as law contrived to pro
duce sufficient revenue. the Senate bill
was undoubtedly superior 10 the Hous
bill. The Senate sugar tariff, 1t is true
produced eventually hardly one-half a
much revenue as had been yielded by tn
sugar tariff OF 1888, but there was never
theless collected from this source, in tn
first full year under the amended Wilsol
act, the sum OF S29,S00O00, none o
which revenue would have been obtaine
by the government under the House bill
free-sugar provisions. But the publ
refused for very obvious reasons to Civ
the trainers OF the Senate amendment
any credit for this achievement. On tn
eve &C the passage OF the Wilson bi
"a the upper house II was discovered tina
several Democratic Senators. who's
votes controlled action on the sugar du
ties. were specializing in Wall street |
sugar trust stock. The angry publ
clamor over these disclosures was follow
ed by an open letter from Presiden
Cleveland to his supporters in the HOUSE
declaring the senatorial changes 10 b
Outrageous determinations and viols
lions OF principle"-an assertion which
On view OF the platform OF the majority
was certainly not unwarranted. FroI
the floor OF the Senate, the Democrat
leaders retorted publicly with niue
show OF indignation. When. fnall!
after n long and stubborn struggle, th
Senate tariff bill prevailed and passe
both houses, President Cleveland refuse
20 put his name 70 It. and left the bi
GO become a law without his signature,
From Had 20 Worse.
The result OF this hsphazard reckonin
on the revenue was law which nevt
produced a surplus. Even with its suga
import tax the yield OF the Senate bill
90 the succeeding year, fell short OF III
estimate OF It's authors by M less n SUI
than SSI,OOO,OOO. For this exceeding
ll-hmeI ulscalculation, the Democrat
Fifiy-third Co.. sress is properly held n
spcnsibie for the necessity OF subsequeI
bead ISSUES. II Is true chat both house
had added 10 the bill a tax OF two p'
eent on incomes over $4,000, and in
vague. inlehlite way had reckoned thi
the PRO iuct OF this tax would make e0d
whatever deficiencies might arise fro
other schedules. The income tax did N
stand tEe test Of examination by q