The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-03-03
Question Of Finances.

When the slavery question is decided BY
the adoption Of the constitutional amend.
meut by the requisite number Of States, it
will cease 70 be q political issue. Parties
will then be forced to turn their attention to
other matters. The pernicious doctrine Of
State Sovereignty has already been exploded,
and with the exception Of results growing
out Of disturbances to the civil government
in tho recusant States-and those will DO
moro local than general-we apprehend that
the management Of our finances will DO Tor
some years to come, the great question ut
issue. As before slavery became 50 imperious
and prominent in our politics the tariff di
vided parties, 50 when that element Is laid
we shall again return to il. Not because
,hatsubjcct can DO tho only one OF division, but
because II will demand the most serious at.
,ention of our best minds, to provide for
great and threatening evil, which next to
war. mcnaccs the growth and prosperity Of
our body polite. In disease which, unless
thwarted, is sure death to IN individual,
physicians prescribe desperate and danger
ous remedies well knowing that their patient
can but die. After the greater danger is
swallowed up in the less and moro easily man
aged, this last is provided for, until, BY grad
ual steps, and il the vitality be large, the pa.
tient Is well again.
To savo the government whole and unde-
vided. debt and the lives Of men were pre-
scribed. The latter cannot DO recalled and
can only be atoned for by providing that a
better, purcr and stronger country shall re-
main to call those men her heroes. But the
debt remains, and how to overcome II is tho
problem.
We recently seized upon the "paper ques'
ton" as an opportunity to breach the sub.
jec. Of tariff and protection. The Rockland
Gazette, one Of our ablest eastern contempt
raries, endorsed the views therein expressed,
adding well timed opinions Of its own; and
VIC observe that gradually the press Of the
country are dcvoting themselves to our ques-
ton Of finances. All will agree that the
debt must DO provided for by taxation, but
the division comes upon tho manner. The
Wing method was far preferable to the Dem
ocratic method, but both were decidedly adj
verse to the interests Of the country, and
both have been rcpudia,ed by the necessities
Of the people.
The House voted the paper duty down to
three per cent; the Senate adhered to fifteen
per cent. which is rs much a prohibition as
the former twenty per cent. and affords no 70
lief whatever. Taking this disposal Of that
question rs an exponent Of tariff views, we
perceive tina, large majority OF Republican
Senators arc committed to the old Wing doc.
triuc Of high prohibitory import duty.
We believe that whichever party goes before
the people with that issue. will fail. Henry
Clay, the father Of prohibition, saw its fall
lacy and rcpudiatcd it before he died, and the
theory has failed by the practical workings
Of the government. 1t is too late to revive
the system.
Up to the timo Of the Morril tariff the
scale Of duties was a compromise between the
understandable free trade policy Of the
Democratic party, and tho oppressive tariff
ideas of the Wings. But to provide for the
public debt, a tariff sufficient to pay the in
tcrcst in gold Of that portion of the debt
bearing interest in gold, must DO adopted,
but beyond that the necessity ceases, and our
tariff should be reasonably modified as tina.
portion Of the debt is liquid,tcd. II We re
member rightly 1--WE have no figures before us)
the imports last year yielded ST2,0O0.OO0 in
gold which is largely in excess Of the amount
required to pay the interest on the debt.
When peace is restored and the southern ports
of entry are opened. it is safe to say thu. the
duties will not amount to less than $3.50 900,
600. Now what we wish to impress. is, that
the $2O0, 900 900 extra tariff will DO burden
some, and will not be required to pay the in
forest on our debt, nor for tho protection Of
our home industry. and that wise policy
will demand modification Of the tariff.
IL will bs required because, IL the Repub.
lican party does not wish to SEQ itself out
stripped in tho race for popular favor, il
must adopt something like these views. No
young man and no young party, however
distinguished II may BE-, or meri,orious past
actions may have been, can. in this democrat.
ic and progressive ago, rest upon its laurels
for those laurols will wither by inaction.
Again; the payment Of our taxes will be
hard to bear, and tho burden Of taxation
must be lightencd as much rs possible-must
DO thrown from the individual to tho capital
he possesses, and the money Of tho country
be made to pay tho debt, and not tho ncccssi-
ties Of the people.
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