The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-10-18
wish to call your attention to the sums

drawn from the people which are never re-
ported or accounted for. Take, tor instance, |
the. tax upon salcohol, and | mi ght Instance |
many other items of Illicit traffic, where the |
consumer pays, but the treasury does not
receive the duties levied The amount OF
alcohol used in this country is about one
hundred millions of gallons; the duties
should be about two hundred millions OF
dollars each year. The amount paid into
the treasury is less than fifty millions. Who
gets the Que hundred and fifty millions? a
sum nearly three times as great as the
yearly cost Of the Government before the
party of : great moral ideas - came into
power. This sum is paid by the consumer,
IN the arts or for the qualification OF his
tastes. Every man knows this emo nous
amount is divided in some way-sonle,imcs
fairly and sometimes corruptly- betwccn
the officer of the Law and the yiolater of the
/ law.
This tax began with fraud in Congress,
in the darkest days Of the rebellion. When
the National credit was at It's lowest ebb,
foul speculation was contri, ed by buying
up the alcohol IN our country, then putting
tax OF two dollars per gallon on all that
should be thereafter made, but no tax upon
the amount thus held by these conspiritors.
Millions were thus swept from the treasury
! Into loyal pockets" Those who made
his law knew from the experience of all
nations that this tax could not collected,
but 1t answered their purpose, and when
| the occasion had gone by, perchance from
Shame or from partlzln purpose, 1t still
| stands upon the statute book and under
Its provisions hosts Of officials are made and
| corrupted. All over our land men are
! bribed to become criminals by rewards a
hundred fold greater than are offered By
! honest labor. One hundred and fifty mil
lions each year; four-told more than is Civ
en- our schools, or churches, for education,
or religion Is spent to cherish crime and
corruption. And every man who shares in
this plunder, whether officers Of the law or
offenders against the law have a vital in-
teret IN keeping those in power who thus
leglslate against all experience, if not
against honesty. When yor add the frauds
IN other depai tmentS, and in regard to 9th
or articles We see how the ranks of the
grand army of Eagues and Office holders is
recruited. Not by those who fell wounded
upoa the battlefield, but by those who have
fallen from virtue. Not by those who have
won glory In the contest of arms, but by
those who get great gains by assaults upon
the treasury. The people of Europe when
We ask them to buy our bonds, look at these
things ami see that that they foster waste.
corruption and decay.
Another measure is needed to restore our
credit and honor. Give us back our com.
merce. n lew years since We were a great
niaratlme poWer-our ships whitenea every
sea. W here are they now? Official reports
show that the carrying trade once source
% wealth and power, has been nearly lost
The silps whIch bear our products abroad
or bring the migrant TO cur shore sail I'M
der foreign ilags Oar coinmlrce was
swept from the sea, not by Southern cor
salTs, but by Northern Congressman. Brit
ain will pay for the few vessels burood by
privateors fitted out In her ports not from
a sense OF justice, but from feeling of
gratitude toward an administration that
has done 50 much to build up her power
and greatness. She has rcapcd all the
fruits Of our civil war She is now inlcel
mistress OF the sea. We no longer vex her
with our rivalry. We once stood in the
way OF her ambition; We built better AMI
cheaper vessels. Oar skill upon the sea
was uurlyalled; our untaxed artzans were
driving her out OF her best markets. Her
looms could not move unless we gave her
cotton. All IS now changed. Our ship
yards are IDLE. American imports and
and'r British or foreign flags. Oar manu-
tacturers call upon Congress to help them
1--we against foreign competition upon our
own SOIL We pile up tariffs to fence ont
cheap products and then load down labor
/ with taxation until the burdens of our Gov
eminent oyertop the protection we give bv
duties upon foreign imports, and so lead
! Ell pail weighs upon our industry.
Beyond all this we have given Britain
that for which she has hitherto planned
ana schemcd III valn-cOttOn producing col
onles. Her India possessions which were
OF doubtful value. arc now made by k pub
| ican STUPIDITY, the source of enormous
wealth, ami the successful rivals OF Ameri
can industry, La five years before the re-
bellon the annual value Of the cotton sent
from India was about SIT, OJO, 900. La the
five following, the annual average was
about Sll4,OO0, 600 In 1866 it rose 10
nearly the sun Of $3.50 900 900. More eff
tectua!ly to foster this branch of British in
dustry. Congress gives il bonus la the
markets OF the word by putting an export
duty on American cotton. While her pro-
ductlon grows great ours falls Oft. Never
In all her history has she had such allies as
the Republican party. Her people can
| well afford to give marked honurs TO those
vino have brought our country 10 the verge
OF rum.
The great and Growing measure to less
en- the taxation OF the North, to shorten
the hours OF labor for our mechanic, to raise
the credit of our securities, to Insure the
peace and safety Of our land, is to give Us
| back our Union.
We can no longer bear the cost of arm
les; OF spendthntJ agents, of corrupt Off
Gals, Of food and clothing to vagrant idlers,
OF meddilng with the concerns Of far off
States aud neglecting our own affairs 1t
Is at this point that the antagonisns of par
ty show themselves IN principles as well us
policy. Tax as we may about the rise and
fall OF parties, there are sentiments IN the
minds OF our people which will always
make one party tayoring Capitalization and
meddilng. 1t may III the future, as In the
past change Its name aud pretext, as the
result OF Its policy makes 1t odlous 1t has
filled our land with blOodshed and strife lie
has loaded us down with debt and taxation.
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