Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-09
The Work before Congress.

Il The holidays are'bast members OF COn
/ gress have rstprned from their bones ant
the country looks to them for prompt ono
active discharge Of their duties. Thus far il
the session theg have accomplished very little
but they have prepared a great deal ant
measures which are worthy of support shouiC
he matnred, aRd executed at OHee.=z hn ordlRa'
| ry times our legislatures might be permitted
to loiter over their work, to hold slttIngs OF
only three hours day, and spend the greatAl
part of those three hours in making Speeches
for political effect But we are Enes In ths
midst OF s.upendous civil wal, which reqnire:
the putting forth of every energy Of The Cor
ernment, and the people win not bsas with
patience any signs of want Of earnestness OF
delay. ..--
The main thing which Congress has to do
is to raise the means for the prosecution OF the
war IL can be done etfeetaally in oaly TIVE
ways-frst, by cnttiug down the various ex.
penditures of the Government, and second, by
taxing the people for raising q revenue to pay
the interest on loans and meeting oGtlays.-
The Secretary of the Navy, we are glad to
see, has already begun q reduction in the ex-
peuses oflabor at the Navy Yards, and there
is no reason why the same policy should not
be adopted throughout his department and
the other department. The salaries Of many
Of our officers are, considering the state Of the
times, enormous Millions of dollars could
be saved by curtailiBg them. and millions more
by rigid economy in disbursements But it
is upon taxation, after all, that we shall be
compelled to rely. An issue Of Treasury
notes to meet current expenses, may be per-
mitted in great emergency. bat it sho0ld be
stopped as soon as Otner resources are opened.
If We desire universal bankruptcy, there could
be no shorter road to it than an unlimited ut
terence of mere paper promises.
1t is an egregious error to suppose that our
people are unwilling to submit to taxa ton
The London Times and other journals which
do not know them, or which desire to magn
and embarrass our cause, may indulge in such
representations, but we on the spot know bet
ter We know that the people Of this coun-
try are thoroughly 10 earnest in the seaport Of
the war They are willing to make any sac
rifce to carry it to a successful end They
have given their lives TO it, without stint, and
they will give, what is worth less than life,
their property, il cannot be said they engaged
in it without counting the cost, but they were
we're prepared to meet the cost Loans have
already been made to prOdigous amount from
among ourselves, aud when these shall fail
contributions in the shape OF taxes will oe
cheerfully offered.
Besides, if we desire to have the war Wig
orously prosecuted and brought to speedy
end, the whole people must be made 10 feel
its burdens directly. Contractors, agents,
suffers, and officers may perhaps desire its
prolongstion for the sake of the profit it
brings but those who pay the expenses, and
know that they pay it, will desire to render
il as sharp and short as it can be made.
Let Congress bring it home to their bosoms,
aud they will see that the executive branch.
es do their share of the duty We cannot
afford to wait Our credit must not be suf-
fered to Ianguish. We cannot tell how soon
other wars may be ou our hands, .and Ito meet
them bravely this detestabIe war must be put
ont OF the way N Y Ewniag Post,