Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-11-27
Home view ct the cost otthe war.

on this war against the rebels is S3.oo per
man fer each day, or $1,000 per year to
each man, which includes al the war ex-
penses for naval and land service. Let Us
for a moment consider The cost by home
estimates in order to be understood by
plain men: Grant county furnishes say
1000 men; these at $500 per day q each
man cost the government total of $4,000
per day or aay ten hundred thousand dol
lars per year for the thousand Grant coun-
ty men; here y just million dollars to
be paid by the government for the men Of
a single county, county too that has fur
nished no more than its share of lien.
This IS the estimate for but single year.
The question next for consideration is, how
is the government to raise SO much money:
The answer is, borrow it at and 3-10ths
per cent. Then, who pays the intesest?
The answer, government. But where is
the government to get SO much interest
money? The answer is, the interest must
be raised mainly BY tax on the people.
Well, now for the tax: million dollars at
Z and 3-10ths per cent. comes to near $75,-
900 per annum, or about three times the
total tax of Grant county for State, county,
town, school and all other taxes.
The war may close in a year, but the
chances are at least equal that it may eN-
tend to two years Of longer. We therefore
announce as a certainty that government
must levy heavy annual tax; and as
government has no material means ofrais-
ing revenue but by taxation, therefore,
most Of said $4,000 interest must be
raised by taxation off the people and prop
erty Of Grant County. This Is supposing
that no revenue can be collected off the
Southern States, nothing from confscated
rebel property and nothing from any source
but the Northern States. We think how
ever, that the South will be made TO bleed
dearly for the rebellion, and that Southern
people ana property viii be made to pay
full equiealent--by confscating cotton and
sugar estates, by taxing southern institu-
tons "anl the leyying Of taxes upon
Southern exports. Still, the tax on Nor
them people must be heavy for years and
years, or until by some means unknown
the Original war debts can be paid of.
How then shall a people, situated as we
are in Grant, set our houses in order for
what is to come in the matter Of taxation
Taxation must lower the price and value
Of unimproved property to a mere song;
nobody can afford to own acres of land
that yield no revenue; tens or hundreds
Of thousands Of acres viii be forfeited to
the county or State-thus heaping the
burthens upon those who pay their taxes
promptly. States and counties cannot re-
Dudiate, for Uncle Sans u. S. Marshals
viii be collectors, We answer in our hum
DE way that our houses can be set in ord |
er for the days Of approaching taxation
only by retrenchnent in everything; large,
badly cultivated farms must be reduced to
small, well cultivated ones; all must live
from the proceeds Of last years labor and
crops, instead Of the labor and crops Of
next year-otherwlse, debt making must
close down at once; nobody can afford TO
pay tax on land and interest on money
owed for the same land. New York mer-
chants, foreseeiag all these things, have al
ready stopped crediting country merchants;
country merchants must follow suit or 90
to the wall. Not country merchant can
stand crediting hencefolth; the result will
be that farmers cannot credit; land will no
longer be taken as security for money
loaned, % that money loaning must stop
except on cash convertible securities. then
At government rates Of interest.