The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-06-26
THE JULY SESSION OF CON.
GRESS.

GRESS.
1t is now settled fact that Congress
will meet on the Sd of July, and that a
quorum will be in attendance; and in re-
ply to the question THAT will they do 2
the answer is, FROM al. crarters, pass a de.
claratory act IL icsp,' the military re.
construction law and urn. We incline
to the opinion that 3 ngress should do
something more than this. There are
matters Of inter. to the nation upon
which legislation j, demanded; and among
these subjects requiring the immediate
attention Of Congress is the hnALcial stu
auon. The internal revenue law needs
rtm-.,,44ng. We have been limPlng and
hobbling along as best we could in Ills
work Of collecting the internal taxes, aud
while we have progressed we have made
certain discoveries, and knowledge has
dawned upon us which should avail to lead
us to the adoption OF other and better the
cries an I.ore practical plans Of assessing
and collecting the vast sums Of money
which must come through this channel tc
the Golfers Of the nation.
This question is not one of partisan
character, but it addresses itself to the
people irrespective of party, and ii must
be considered by the members of Congress
in that broad and staleSmanlIke way which
shall relieve il Of all those political bear
Ings which partisans are wont to attach IA
1t, and which they will attach to it unless
the question is met and settled upon a
satisfactory basis. Our internal revenue
lnconsis en-. statute, and needs therefore
,cntial notifications. Many things are
taxed altogether out Of proportion, while
many people who contribute nothing to
the Government should be called upon
for their share. There is, for instance, nc
justice in ex.mpting Government bond
from taxation. Whatever might have
been the excuse while the wa ~Hs going
o., wi = the Government wHnt-d money
and had to resort " - most feasible
scheme in its power to get it, there is now
no necessity for exenpting single dollar
no matter how nor where invested, from
taxation. The capital Of the country, b!
whomsoever held, must be taxed to pa!
the national debt and the current ex
penses OF the Government We know of n
Just principle upon which a single dollar
worth of property can be exempted iron
taxation. The property Of the nation-o
the whole nation-is held to pay the ma
tons debt, and to carry on the Govern
incnt. 1t matters not who may own Thu
property, or il what shape il may nc found
whether in iuds, in stocks, in pcr5CI. q
eficn'r, in income, or what not, it should
he taxed. I 10 proposition to exempt any
hodys business or anybody's property
tron taxation, is u.juat towards the sc who
are taxed.
Congress, then, has clear field before
1t, and let it come down to the bottom line
and base its internal taxation upon all the
wealth and property Of the country. The
people sooner or later will insist upon this
and ii we are to avoid reputation every
man and every dollar in the land must con
tribute to meet the expenditures of thu
Government, whether those expenditure
are for the national debt or the daily de
1nand upon the Treasury. We say, there
fore, let Congress remain in session till i
shall have perfected and given to the Coun
try an internal revenue bill based upon the
ideas we here suggest, IT need not TAKE
long, for such law will not require many
prOvlr!ons. The brcier the better, ant
the nearer you get to first principles thu
les circumlocuton by way of explanation
ho you need, 1t is your unjust and I'm
squal flaws that need to be nysti6ed, AM
rendered obscure. A simple proposition
10 tax all the property of the country ma
be enacted into law of very few sections