The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-16
Saint Paul, Friday, June l6, 1865.
The Public Debt..N atfonal ECONOMY

The New York Journal Of Commerce
urges the Importance ofkeeping constantly
before the people the idea that the public
debt must be paid by the generation now
living, and welcomes the earnestness with
which plans for its extinguishment are
everywhere pressed upon the public atten-
lion. but thinks the difficulty of doing it
by popular subscription lies in the length
of time it would take to carry it out-that
our people have too little patience until
the whole amount could be raised. 1t
thinks, however, that the discussion is
hopeful, and if the nation is really deter
mined to remove this Incubus upon its
prosperity, there will not be wanting a
practicable way. Perhaps if the subscrip-
ton were at first directed toward that
amount of the debt, say little over one
thousand million, which is now redeemable
at the option of the treasury, the way to
reach the remainder would be free from
extraordinary difficulties. But the parti-
cular feature of the article in question, to
which We desire to direct the attention of
the public, is the wasteful extravaganza in
almost every department of the govern
ment, by which the debt is piled higher
and higher every day, and which, if con-
tinued, will utterly discourage the people,
and render the payment of the principal,
if not the interest, impossible:
One of the reasons for holding up the debt
as the subject of prominent attention Is the
enforcement of rigid accountability upon
those who are controlling the government
expenses. The waste of money, and the con-
sequent unnecessary expansion OF debt, has
been absolutely enormous and it Is still going
on at fearful rate. Perhaps the worst feature
of all is seen in the fact that those who are
publicly planning for the future of the Trea-
sury are disposed to encourage q continuance
Of this reckless eXtravagance. Three hundred
to three hundred and fifty millions are taken as
the estimate of our annual current expenses.
There is little use In attempting to pay of the
national debt, if after the interest is stopped,
such an annual tax as the half of this sum is
still to be left as burden upon the people. We
know that there is q new horde of Oficeholders
national tax gatherer, with his odious inquisi-
torial powers is one of the reasons for an early
payment of the national obligations. But even
while this army of officials Is retained, care
full economy would cut down this annual esti-
mates at one hundred millions.
A little plain speaking here will harm no law
full interest. We formerly urged as one reason
for the position we took on this question. that
the hopeless pressure of an enormous burden
of taxation would not be borne by the people
OF the United States. We repeat this warning
now, In view of the recklessncss which appears
to prevail about the future expenses of main
tanning the National Government. There ia no
occasion, even in the brilliant future which we
trust is before this nation, for that glittering
magniicance of governmental attire which ap.
pear to have such facination for many minds.
Every million thus needlessly wasted dimin.
ishes instead adding to the national strength.
That strength lies only in the attachment of the
masses of the people to the institutions they
have chosen to sustain. In the trying reces
stiles of the hour of danger they have borne
their burdens nobly, and in any proper way
they will now come forward and complete the
sacrifice they have so freely made, by contrib.
uting to liauidate the enormous sums which
have been advanced upon the national credit.
But they will not tamely bear through years
of peace the fattening of hungry officials upon
the spoil wrung from the hard hands that have
too little for home comforts: and all thought
of that experiment may as well be abandoned
Let us pay the debt to tighten the burdens OF
labor and not for the sake of a fresh chance al
the poor mans scanty store.