Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-01-23
LETTER FROM A WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENT.
WAsaINoToN. Jan. ll, l944

WARRINGTON, Jan. IL, 1914.
Dear Sir,-Since the hOlydavs, the
members of the House all seem anxious
to get to work in good earnest. The
committees are beginning TO make their
reports on important matters, and in
short time, we may expect long, anima.
tedIanda ainteresting debates. The appro.
priation bill reported by the committee
of ways and means, will fall far short of
the estimates reported by the Secretary
Of the Treasury as necessary to carry on
the different departments of the govern
ment, and is 80 from The inadequacy of
the different sources OF revenue to meet
the supposed wants Of the Government
The present administration, will doubtless
complain of the committee, and | hope
ofthe Ho"s e, for Withholding the means
it asks to carry out the purposes it has in
view ;but il cannot be done, without bore
rowing mo re money, and adding coRse-
9uently to the burdens Of the people, who
are already too much oppressed.
The time has come when Congress
cannot longer indulge the administrative
Eranch of theGOVernment in extravagant
expenditures Of the public funds; for its
federation would le I'D 10 the increase Of
a debt already too great, or to additional
taxation either directly or indirectly
Congress holds the purse strings, and has
the right to give or withhold the money,
and undertake to say that the allowance
it may make, cut down as it:wll be, be.
low the demands Of the administrative
departments some three or four millions,
will not be met by the present sources
Of revenue, unless it can also modify ve-
ry considerably the present tariff; many
very many articles, under It are excluded
by reason of the enormous duties it i'm.
poses, and which would, under "a r and
3 just tariff, produce a vast increase of the
n revenue. That you may have sume idea
= OF the eXtraVagance Of the estimates,
will state the amount required for the
: navy; il is within a fraction of nine
r millions ofdollars; an increase of neal
four millions since l639-'4O This in.
q crease is the result in part of the crea,
ton of the home squadron, which seem,
to be the child the present admins
9 tratiOn. In the estimate for this depart
j. ment alone, there will be a reduction O
I near four millions by tho committee
The army and fOrtilcation department
will also have to be curiailed in the esi
mate for it; and indeed the pruning knife
n Of reform will have to ba applied 10 eacI
9 and every department, in order 10 enable
r the Government TO mOVe on unembaF
rassed, and protect the people from oP
prsssive taxation. Tho Developments
i of the last twelve months, in relation t.
r the assumption OF high tariff being mos
favorable TO the production Of revenue
have, hope, satisfied all honest men tha
such is not the fact, and hope that sucl
will be the conviction Of a majority OI
, both branches Of the national legislature
:. and that they will so modify it as to sat
4 isfy ar parties, and accomplish the main
and important object Of a sufficient reve
nue. with the sales Of the lands, to sup.
ply the necessary expenditures Of Gov
] ernment. II is worse than useless, il
seems to me, to pass laws protective o
the interests Of one class Of the cOmmu.
nifty, when experience proves that such
laws Oppress another class. Such poll
cy not only cuts off the revenue upon
s which the government depends, mainly
/. for its supply, and saddles the people
q with tax sufficient 10 make up the de
fiOiency, but it also saddles them with an
increased pIice oCthe article protected
3 by destroying all foreign competition, ,Ant
@ further, TO make The matter plain, sup
, pose that the present \ariff law should OK
: ist for the next four or six years. anC
l. thati I fails TO furnish, by seven million.
10 Of dollars, the amount absolutely deman
d ded by the necessities of the Cover n
4 msnt, will it not have to borrow none,
to meet its wants, or levy a direct tax up
:" on the peoplei But suppose it borrow,
IS this amount for six successive years; how
}. will the debt thus created be paid at last
and your revenue still deficient per YEA,
that amount Why, we will have still Il
increase the debt, like Great Britain, un
: I'll il can't be paid, or we must 90 to di
> rect taxation. Which would the people
f rather do, have tariff so adjusted rs tC
{ produce the revenue required, and afford
: ess profit TO the manufacturing class, Of
I ! protect that class at such rate as will