The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-07
FINANCE AND TRADE



To the North american is assigned the
task of endeavoring to convince the
people that the debt Of the United
States is not such vast matter when
rightly considered, and that the taxes
are extremely light when all the bless
ings conferred on the nation by the war
are taken into consideration. But the
pcoplc are slow to see the conclusions
a. which orr contemporary arrives in
the following extract from an article
which appeared in its columns, headed
"COpperhead Logic
Our enemies persistently clamor about
the magnitude Of the national debt, as
proof of Republican incapacity TO
govern, and therefore argue that we
ought to sustain copperht ad candidates
for office. But will they pay Off the
debt or repudiate it' If they propose
to pay it off, in what way can they do
so without increasing the already epOr-
nous taxation: YET these same cop
perheads keep up the same clamor about
the taxation as being vast incubus.
How can they reduce both the debt and
the taxes. They already have the whole
national administration in their hands,
including the President and Secretary
of tho Treasury. We can give them no
more power to reduce either debt or
taxes. If.they had majority in both
houses of Congress, they could not re-
duce expenses without embarrassing
their own administration, unless they
were to stop all payment of bouties
and pensions to soldiers. Still they
appeal to the soldiers as being their
especial friends, and represent the Re-
publicans as their enemies.
If these "COpperheads" had majority
in both houses of Congress, they would
soon iuaugurate system by which re-
lief would be HeXtonded to the debt
cursed and taX-ridden people of the
country. The enormous expenses OF the
government are increasing the debt and
making taxation necessarily heavy and
burdensume. The "Copperheads" have
nothing to do with running up the eX-
penseS of the War Department to a fig
ure nnheard of in time of peace. They
did not place ten States of the Union
under military government, and thus
make large aud costly army necessary,
in order to elevate negroes and trample
white freemen under the heel of mill
itary despOtism. The "Copperheads"
did not originate the Freed
mems Bureau for the purpose of
feeding negroes, while white men,
women and children are allowed to die
from exposure and starvation. This
"loyal" institution costs the govern
ment millions yearly, and yet it is con-
tinued to add to the debt and taxation
of the country and people. The Cop
perheads' would stop all such unneces-
sary expenses as has have been imposed
upon the people by the Radical party
for political purposes, and when that
was done the first step wOuld be taken
towards reducing "both the debt and
the taxes"
What can either the President or the
Secretary of the Treasury, or both
these officers, do to increase the reve-
nues of the nation, reduce its debt, or
diminish taxation, while Congress acts
outside of the limits of the Constitution,
and thwarts all plans for tranquilizinl;
the country, stimulating business, and
decreasing expenses Congress will not
allow the South to add her rich stores
to the wealth of the nation. The cot
ton, tobacco. rice and sugar crops of that
section are dwarfed by political action,
thought necessary by Stevens, Sumner,
aud their fellow conspirators to keep the
Radical party i'll power. BY the action
of Congress, five hundred and ninety
millions of dollars were drawn from the
industry of the people last year, in the
shape of taxes and governmental i'm
positions. This could not be prevented
either by the President, the Secretary of
the Treasury, or the "Copperheads."
The members of Congress belonging to
what the North american calls the
"Copperhead" party, voted against all
the Radical plans for increasing debt
and taxation. But they were power
less. The "loyal" plunderers shouted
the party slogan, and millions of the
peoples money were voted away with
out even the Democrats being allowed
to record thir votes against the Utrage.
1t is such acts as these that the Radical
managers and their special defender,
the North .4mcrican, must face. Both
the debt aud The taxes can be decreased
without touching the "bounties and
pensions of soldiers" They can be di-
Ininished by looping off the extraordi-
nary expenses of the government incl
dent to the reconstruction scheme of
the Radicals. by reducing the army, and
turning adrift the herd oil Yankees who
are now feeding upon the Freedmen's
Bureau. This is the manner in which
the debt and taxes of the nation can be
diminished. But the Radical party
must be driven from power before the
reform can be inaugcrated. That party
has declared Irrational debt to be q
natio al blessing" and they will reduce
neither the debt nor the taxes. -Lt