Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-05-05
Retrenchment.

AsCOlOACilh4OAbs
The country has right TO expect tina
the government will, now that the war il
substantially over, address itself at once
and with all possible earnestness, to the
work of reducing its enormous expenses
which for the past few months have
reached, as is generally believed, the sun
of 100000 a day. To meet this ex
penditure t e people have welcomed
heavy taxation--and have loaned theil
money to the government with a liberal
/ ity unparalleled in the financial history
of any other nation. They did it TO put
in the power of the government the
means to overthrow a rebellion and lc
save the life OF the nation Had il been
necessary TO continue this burden -four
years longer we believe tie people would
have cheerfully borne it in order TO Sc
cure the great end Thanks t the
blessing Of kind Providence upon the
efforts of our brave soldiers and sailors
the contest is over, and the nation viii
soon be at peace again. With the return
of prarr business uf oil l;.,da will .,-;.v.
The whole Southern country will be
opened to Northern enterprise and skill
and capital, and the money that is now
being put into gov ernmrnt bonds will b.
needed to revive aud develope business
in tie regrn1rated towns and cities at
the South which have been d-spoird by
rebel misrule and left without currenc,
or capital, and in many cases with The
spirit of the people so broken that they
are in a poor condition to resume bust
ness. Al a return for the unequaled
generosity OF the people in sustaining .he
government in lis financial affairs, il
should at the earliest possible moment
relieve them from the drain which has
been made upon them, and allow them to
use their funds in the development OF
the business of the country. That thi,
is the intention of the government we
have good evidences in the orders which
were issued several days ago, stopping
recruiting and ordering an immediate re-
duciion OF the expenses OF the War De-
partment. The same orders should be-
at once rigidily enforced in The Navy
Department, and indeed in every depart
ment where it is possible to reduce ex>
2enses. We believe this will be done,
and that its good effect will soon be felt
in all the business centres of the nation.
Since the above was written we have
seen an article in the New York Times
urging upon the government the duty OF
rrtrenchment, in the course of which il
makes the following excellent practical
suggestions:
at is believed that within week one
hundred and fifty thousand men could be
mustered out of the military service, with
out the least detriment to the public in
terest. No doubt, from fifty to one hun
dred steamers and sailing vessels could
be at once Withdrawn from the naval
service and sold for the purpose Of com
merce, and thousands of soldiers be dis
missed. Great numbers of orders and
contracts can be recalled, for, in al
probability, the Government has supplies
and ammunition ahead for at least six
months. The whole drafting and volun
teer machinery might at once be given
up. Since the issuance of the order from
the War Department, referred to above,
The general expenses Of the government.
especially as regards military admins
tration, have been very greatly curtsilrd.
but still We believe that within week
Government could with perfect safety
reduce its expenses by one million day.
What an immense relief would this al
once be to the great population Of con-
sinners, who have no interest in con
tracts, but who feel the war heavily in
taxes and deprecated currency and high
prices of labor. ~ Bosos Journal