Am.  Jour.  Pharrn."1 
December,  1SP8.  f 
Editorial. 
625 
EDITORIAL. 
WAR  REVENUE  BILL. 
It  is  more  and  more  evident  that  the  subject  of  taxation  requires  the  un- 
divided attention  of  statesmen  and  lawmakers  possessed  of  unusual  ability  and 
judgment,  and  which  have  been  accumulated  by  reason  of  large  experience  and 
opportunities  for  study.  It  is  more  apparent  that  party  lines  must  cease  on 
measures  of  such  great  economic  importance  as  concern  every  citizen  of  the 
Republic.  The  tariff  may  be  likened  to  a  lock  in  a  canal,  which  must  be 
adjusted  from  time  to  time  to  meet  the  tide  of  necessity  and  nothing  else.  At 
certain  times,  as  when  the  nation  is  at  war,  the  supply  from  the  upper  canal 
must  be  in  proportion  to  meet  the  outflow.  The  lock  must  be  adjusted  so 
that  the  income  will  meet  the  outgo.  If  necessity  for  the  latter  for  any 
reason  ceases  (as  when  peace  is  declared),  and  the  lock  is  not  adjusted  for  the 
conditions  existing,  there  must  be  an  overflow.  The  overflow  is  as  disastrous 
as  the  drought.  The  principle  of  ''no  tax  except  there  be  public  necessity" 
is  as  immutable  a  law  of  this  Republic  as  the  declaration  of  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton ''that  a  complete  power  to  procure  a  regular  and  adequate  source  of 
revenue,  as  far  as  the  resources  of  the  community  will  permit,  may  be  regarded 
as  an  indispensable  ingredient  in  every  constitution." 
We  have  already  referred  to  the  necessity  of  our  Government  providing 
means  for  an  increased  revenue,  and  to  the  precedent  which  was  followed.  Xo 
comment  was  made  at  that  time,  as  we  felt  that  whatever  views  we  might  have 
under  the  existing  conditions,  it  was  the  duty  of  us  all  to  stand  by  our  country 
in  its  hour  of  need.  Since  that  time  conditions  have  changed.  Peace  negotia- 
tions are  in  progress,  the  war  is  virtually  at  an  end,  and  "  the  excessive  expen- 
ditures of  the  past  few  months  must  necessarily  very  speedily  cease."  In  a 
report  by  A.  Cressy  Morrison,  made  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  N.  W.  D.  A., 
at  St.  Louis,  in  which  the  figures  are  based  upon  the  official  report  of  the 
Treasury  Department  we  learn  that:  ;'The  average  normal  expenditure  for 
the  years  1S95,  1S96  and  1897  was  about  $357,000,000  per  year.  This  does  not, 
of  course,  include  the  outlay  of  the  postal  service,  which  is  about  offset  by 
the  receipts  from  that  source.  It  is  fair  to  assume  that  this  average  yearly 
expenditure  will  be  permanently  increased,  to  a  certain  extent,  by  the  results 
of  the  war.  Suppose  we  estimate  this  permanent  yearly  increase  at  |43,ooo,oro 
(which  is  more  than  any  believe  it  will  be»,  you  have  a  gross  yearly  expen- 
diture of  £400  o?o,oco  to  provide  for. 
• !  Now  let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  receipts  from  taxation,  and  ascertain 
what  revenue  is  coming  in  to  meet  this  $400,000,000.  We  can  only  base  our 
argument  and  suggestions  upon  the  receipts  for  the  first  three  months  of  the 
present  fiscal  year,  viz.,  July,  August  and  September,  1S9S.  Taking  these 
months,  the  showing  is  as  follows  : 
FEDERAL  REVENUE. 
1S97. 
Receipts  from  Customs  *i  2, 15  7,330 
(July)  Internal  Revenue  14,302,532 
Miscellaneous   2,569,346 
Receipts  from  Customs  12,329,495 
(August)  Internal  Revenue  11,961.338 
Miscellaneous   1,271.262 
$16,966,801 
19.707.S31 
2,292.750 
6,QS7.7°2 
11, 193,194 
$15,169,680 
26,170,697 
2. 506-  730 
l6,249,6CG 
24,015,934 
S42,r:7 
