The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-08-09
THE STATE DEBT.

In Pennsylvania weighs upon capital and
labor like a heavy incubus; until some of the
! lbes, capital and labor of the Commonwealth
is driven from her borders. There never will
be cure for this evil until ten or twenty NIL
lions of the State debt shall be paid of by
few years heavy State tax, and then every
nerve OF business will feel fresh, new life,
and an invigoraliug strength for new energy
and enierprize.
The sale of the public works would only
destroy the hen that each year lays the gold
en- egg 10 pay tie expenses of prcaigate
government, and the interest of an oppres-
sive State debt. That source of revenue from
which we keep down the interest Of trfy one
millions should never be sold for ten millions
If the good, old hen was once cold we would
realize about as much as The man OF the old
fable who killed his; and there would be
wonderful cackling among the Taxpayers for
golden eggs.
The greedy and thoughtless sale of a per-
manent source of public revenue would be
only one of the temporary religs of quackery,
and not permanent cure by safe statesman
ship. II would be like the temporary relief
of stimulanl 10 the sick man. II might
seem 10 strengthen and revive BY momen-
tary impulse 10 the dssolving frame, but the
tlelusive fever would only the faster consume
the little lie yet left. 1t is unpleasant TO
probe deep, sore wound, but that must be
done in desperate cases If the patient shall
recover. Paints and patches may give the
counterfeit semblance Of health, but these
are poor, temporary expedents, if disease
gnaws al the vitals.
Demagogues will deceive the people as 10
the dangerous ailment OF The body polite,
but lei every man who sells, buys, boats or
burns ton of coal count the weight OF the
foHy.o millions OF State debt upon his
share of the public industry. State tax for
a few years, only equal 10 the road, poor or
school tax Of some districts, might by pru-
dent economy reduce the State debt len and
perhaps fifteen millions of dollars. Then
tolls and taxes would grow ighier--business
would increase--lhe revenue of the public
works would swel-and sinking fund might
be sci apart 10 reduce the deb, still one mill
lion dollars each year. For even if taxes
were then the game as now, when the debt
would once be reduced seventeen millions
the money which had formerly paid the in
terest on that sum-amounting TO one million
year--conld be sci apart as sinking fund.
Thus and thus only can the work OF lighten-
ing the publid Aurden be done. It would be
but little for each taxpayer few yeara, and
the benefits would come back with ten-fold
interest 10 every man.
We would not advise that the whole debt
should be at once paid, for the work Of prof
legacy and extrayasance would be sure TO
begin again with fresh fury. But at least ten
millions should be paId, and sinking fund
then established TO liquIdale one million
more each year.
We said something = eFudent economy
Alas for the infrmlty Of human nature !
There lies all the trouble. This work can.
not begin until some sort Of General Jackson
comes TO be Governor, and then cannot be
finished until there is some constitutional
safeguard to hold this surplus tax and sink
ins fund inviolabe and sacred for the dis
charge Of the State debt Only Ean of
iron nerve will be fiifor the task--oae wEom
no fear can awe--and no favor can bend
from the straight line of duty. He must be
willing % do an unpleasant thing Tor the
sake OF being right. He must be no time
server, but must be willing to bide bis Tins,
and, II need be-, to reiire from the public
forum. But in the end be would have his
high reward in the gratitude Of State re-
deemed from the thraldom Of a debt that
erinds lie wealth and it's yeomanry 10 the
dust aud his name would long live with the
bsnefaciors Of the human race.
a. The Lutheran congregation Of Sunbu-