The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-12-31

Tho Revenue Laws.
Congress has thus fnr given no indi-
cation OF its probable notion on the
subject of n reduction of the enormous
burdens of taxation under which we
labor. This fact, together with the
light manner in which the matter was
treated III the executive documents
seems to have stirred up the press OF
the country to an unusual extent. We
might fill our columns with citations, il
Illustrative of this, but II few conspicu-
GUS examples will suffice. Here is an
unusually strong expression from the
Washington National Hlteiiigcmccr:
Tho voice of the country is uuQues-
tionably in favor of large reduction
of taxes. The revenue can be kept up
to proper standard by Il new and i'm
proved system OF impOsls and excuses,
which will greatly reduce the cost of
| all the neCesS0rieS and comforts of life.
Manufacturers, farmers, importers, Ia
| borers-Hll classes of the people are
| crying out for a diminution of the bur-
den of Federal taxes. Persons of mod
crate means, or those having fixed in
comes, who have suffered so much from
| heavy taxation, and the consequent
! high prices of all articles of consump-
ton, are especially interested in this re-
| form. 1t was not to be supposed bV
the public that the same system of tax
| alton which was necessary during the
struggle for national life, and which
was therefore cheerfully submitted to,
should be continued after the object
had been secured. To hurry the pay
ment OF the national debt, at the haZ-
ard of general discomfort and wide
/ spread destruction of public interests,
/ is no part of the policy of tho mass OF
the people who sustained the govern
ment during the late perilOus crisis. A
| grateful posterity will pay the debt"
The IHtcLRgoHcer so largely repre-
sentS the sentiments of the national
| Administration that there can be little
! doubt, from this quotation, that the Pres
| ident and his advisers have begun to
| perceive how serious blunder they
made in not dwelling more strongly
! upon the pressing need for reduction.
| The conviction comes rather late, vet it
| is pleasant TO find that here, mt least, is
one subject of Congressional lcgisla-
tion not likely to be vetoed. What the
| Republican party of the country thinks
Is well expressed by the Cincinnati
| Gazette in the following extract:
"The fact is the excise on internal
production is made to pay much too
great II proportion of the revenue. The
customs on imports so large as ours.
should be made to pay the largest
share. \ currency which is more val
unblc to buy gold and foreign exchange
than it is to pay for labor and subsist-
cnce, has made it so much cheaper to
buy in Europe than to produce at
home, that an increase in the tariff is
made of no effect, and the actual pro-
lection from duties is less now than un-
der the old tariff before the unsettling
of the currency.
"But keeping il strictly on the ground
or revenue, would any statesman saw
that the country whose necessities COM
pei it to put Il burden of over three hum
dred millions on the domestic produce
tiOns, is i'll n condition to reduce duties
on imports of seven hundred millions
a year Currency from which we col
lect but one hundred and seventy-nine
millions.
"It is true we cannot expect to con-
tinue this collection of internal revenue
and certainly not with contracting
currency. Mr.. McCulloch says that
certain branches of industry are now
languishiug under the burdens which
have been imposed upon them. To
continue this drain will dry up the
source. But the import trade is not
languishing under its burdens. The
amount of it shows that, and that it can
bear greater taxes. 1t is generally con-
ceded that these extEnvagant imports
are an evil. Therefore, il higher
tariff should reduce them it would pro-
mote the general welfare, while it in
creased tho revenue"
The Pittsburgh Gazette speaks out
more strongly in the same way, and is
greatly dissatisfied with Congress for
adjourning over the holidays without
taking any action on the subject. 1t
observes:
"Do the members of Congress realize
the degree of difficulty under which
many of the productive industries are
laboring? 1t seems to us that their ad-
journment over the holidays, as in or
dinary cases, signifies the contrary
Three hundred millions of dollars "A
year are collected out of these indus
tries. In many cases the excise duties
not only exhaust all profits, but eat
largely into capital. This condition of
affairs cannot last. Either producers
must have relief, or production must
stop. With the stOppage of production
must come national bankruptcy.
almost every pursuit is pressing to
be relieved of the burden of the excise
duties. Some of them are not embur-
rassed, and hence ought not to be exon
Grated. If all the pursuits that are in
trouble should have the excise dues alb
rOgated i'll respect to them, the Treasury
would soon show an Ominous hollow
ness. What is needful is the relinQuish-
ment of the excise, aS far as prncti-
cable, on oppressed industries, attended
by q reasonable increase of impost, so
as to give them the home market. This
djustment cannot be accomplished one
moment too soon, il so be when it is
done it be we'll dope."
Two DRACHMs camphOr, half drachm
of pure saltpetre, half drachm of mu-
riate of ammonia, and two ounces OF
proof spirits, in gla IS tube or narrow
phinl, will make pretty sure weather
, | TMi1n N lrv NynnthnT tI,n