190 



CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



In the course of his address, on taking the 

 Speaker's chair, Mr. Carlisle said : 



" Gentlemen, there has scarcely ever been a 

 time in our history when the continued pros- 

 perity of the country depended so largely upon 

 legislation in Congress as now, for the reason 

 that the dangers which at this time threaten 

 the commercial and industrial interests of the 

 people are the direct results of laws which 

 Congress alone can modify or repeal. Neither 

 the Executive Department of the General Gov- 

 ernment nor the local authorities of the sev- 

 eral States can deal effectively with the situa- 

 tion which now confronts us. "Whatever is 

 done must be done here ; and if nothing is 

 done the responsibility must rest here. 



'' It must be evident to every one who has 

 taken even a partial view of public affairs that 

 the time has now come when a revision of our 

 revenue laws and a reduction of taxation are 

 absolutely necessary in order to prevent a large 

 and dangerous accumulation of money in the 

 Treasury. Whether this ought or ought not 

 to have been done heretofore is a question 

 which it would be useless now to discuss. It 

 is sufficient for us to know that the financial 

 condition of the Government and the private 

 business of the people alike demand the prompt 

 consideration of these subjects and a speedy en- 

 actment of some substantial measure of relief. 



" Unfortunately, gentlemen, we are menaced 

 by dangers from opposite directions. While a 

 policy of non-action must inevitably, sooner 

 or later, result in serious injury to the coun- 

 try, \ve can not be unmindful of the fact that 

 hasty and inconsiderate legislation upon sub- 

 jects more or less affecting great financial and 

 industrial interests might produce, tempora- 

 rily at least, disturbances and embarrassments 

 which a wise and prudent course would en- 

 tirely avoid. Investments made and labor em- 

 ployed in the numerous and valuable industries 

 which have grown up under our present sys- 

 tem of taxation ought not to be rudely dis- 

 turbed by sudden and radical changes in the 

 policy to which they have adjusted themselves, 

 but the just demands of an overtaxed people 

 and the obvious requirements of the financial 

 situation can not be entirely ignored without 

 seriously imperiling much greater and more 

 widely extended interests than any that could 

 possibly be injuriously affected by a moderate 

 and reasonable reduction of duties. 



" No part of our people are more immedi- 

 ately and vitally interested in the continuance 

 of financial prosperity than those who labor 

 for wages: for upon them and their families 

 must always fall the first and most disastrous 

 consequences of a monetary crisis ; and they, 

 too, are always the last to realize the benefit 

 resulting from a return to prosperous times. 

 Their wages are the first to fall when a crisis 

 comes, and the last to rise when it passes away. 

 Our effort should be to afford the necessary 

 relief to all without injury to the interests of 

 any ; and it seems to me that course of legisla- 



tion should be pursued which will guarantee 

 the laboring-people of the country against the 

 paralyzing effects of a general and prolonged 

 financial depression, and at the same time not 

 interfere with their steady employment, or de- 

 prive them of any part of the just rewards of 

 their toil. If this can be done and I believe 

 it can, if our deliberations are conducted with 

 the wisdom and patriotism which the gravity of 

 the situation demands this Congress will have 

 cause to congratulate itself upon an achieve- 

 ment which promises peace and prosperity to 

 the country for many years to come." 



The following officers of the House were 

 chosen : Chaplain, Rev. W. H. Milburn ; Chief 

 Clerk, Thomas O. Towles ; Sergeant-at-Arms, 

 John P. Leedom ; Postmaster, Lycurgus Dai- 

 ton ; Doorkeeper, A. B. Hurt. 



The President's Message. Dec. 6, 1887, the 

 President's Message was sent in. It was as 

 follows: 



To the Congress of the United States : 



You are confronted at the threshold of your legisla- 

 tive duties with a condition of the national finances 

 which imperatively demands immediate and careful 

 consideration. The amount of money annually ex- 

 acted through the operation of present laws from the 

 industries and necessities of the people largely ex- 

 ceeds the sum necessary to meet the expenses of the 

 Government. 



When we consider that the theory of our institu- 

 tions guarantees to every citizen the full enjoyment 

 of all the fruits of his industry and enterprise, with 

 only such deduction as may be his share toward the 

 careful and economical maintenance of the Govern- 

 ment which protects him, it is plain that the exaction 

 of more than this is indefensible extortion and a cul- 

 pable betrayal of American fairness and justice. This 

 wrong, inflicted upon those who bear the burden of 

 national taxation, like other wrongs, multiplies a brood 

 of evil consequences. The public Treasury, which 

 should only exist as a conduit conveying the people's 



ic people's , ., 



energies, suspending our country's development, pre- 

 venting investment in productive enterprise, threat- 

 ening financial disturbance, and inviting schemes of 

 public plunder. 



This condition of our Treasury is not altogether 

 new; and it has more than once of late been sub- 

 mitted to the people's representatives in the Congress, 

 who alone can apply a remedy. And yet the situation 

 still continues, with aggravated incidents, more than 

 ever presaging financial convulsion and widespread 

 disaster. It will not do to neglect this^ situation be- 

 cause its dangers are not now palpably imminent and 

 apparent. They exist none the less certainly, and 

 await the unforeseen and unexpected occasion when 

 suddenly they will be precipitated upon us. 



On the 30th day of June, 1885, the excess^f reve- 

 nues over public expenditures after complying with 

 the annual requirement of the sinking-fund act was 

 $17,859,735.84. During the year ended June 30. 1886, 

 such excess amounted to $49,405,545.20, and during 

 the year ended June 30, 1887, it reached the sum of 

 $55,567,849 54. The annual contributions to the 

 sinking fund during the three years above specified, 

 amounting in the aggregate to $138,058,320.94 and 

 deducted "from the surplus as stated, were made by 

 calling in for that purpose outstanding three-per-cent. 

 bonds of the Government. During the six months 

 prior to June 30, 1887, the surplus revenue had grown 

 so large by repeated accumulation and it was feared 

 the withdrawal of this great sum of money needed by 



