The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-18


petent men, secure in their tenure of
Office well paid, and selected because Of their
fitness and ability" Such a Board, he
remarks, ''known to have the matter OF reve-
nue. in charge, would take it mainly out Of
party politics. The people could not afford to
have 1t trifled with. The Board Of Commits
sioners would prepare changes and give fair
warning, thus giving each branch of industry
time to prepare, and preventing disaster"
SO long as the Fictitious prosperity occasioned
by the war continued there was little proba-
bility of successful agitation on the subject.
Everybody felt rich and nobody was disposed
TO complain because Government exaoted a
heavy percentage of profits. Things wear a
different aspect now. The taxation is more
than the country can long endure, and a re-
vision of taxes and reduction of their
amount will soon be recognized as a necessity.
One of the principal difficulties with which
the friends of fiscal reform have to contend, is
the general want Of information on the sub
ject. Until recently, the American people
were so little troubled by the tax collector,
that they seldom thought of the system which
was at the bottom of his visits. Hence the
appositeness of Mr.. Atkinsons brochure, which
is well calculated to stimulate investigation.
1t shows, too, that substantial relief may be
obtained with comparative ease, If Congress
will but shake off the grip of the monopolists.
Accepting the published estimates of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury as the basis of his Oalcu-
lations, Mr.. Atkinson maintains that reforms
are feasible by which the national taxation
may be reduced from $l1.46, gold, per head,
to $3.50 per head, without diminishing the
ability of the Government to provide for the
diminution of the debt.
He proposes, in the first instance, to tax
articles not of prime necessity, such as tea,
coffee, sugar, liquors, spices, and silks; next,
the interests which are the furthest removed
from labor, such as licenses, incomes, stamps,
banks, and the like" and yet again, "suoh
commodities as represent the larger amount
of human labor, skill, and invention, and the
lesser amount Of the gratuity of nature" In
this way, as in England, the bulk of the reve-
nue. of the Government might be obtained
without impairing the productive power of the
country, and the remainder from sources in
volving limited expenses of collection and
yet more limited opportunities for fraud.
We mention Mr.. Atkinson's suggestions in
cidentally as dpropOs of our general argument,
without supposing that they will suffice to
accomplish the reform they are intended to
promote. That will only come when the
people shall make themselves heard, which
will probably not be until business becomes
yet more depressed, and industry yet more
dissatisfied. All things, however, point in
that direction. The want of confidence which
paralyzes markets, the suffering caused by
nlgn prices, ana Lne 'CndOLlc COuulJlOn Oh IN
dustry, outside of the rural communities, are
circumstances which cannot long remain in
operative. When it shall be understood that
these circumstances are aggravated by the
present method of taxation-that the collec-
ton of revenue needlessly obstructs the pro-
ductive employment of the people-the cry for
reform will be needed at Washington. .p
The Ritualistic Movement in England.
From the ". Y. Protestant Churchnsan.
The interest in the Ritualistic developments
in the Church of England continues unabated.
Letters from abroad inform us that it consti-
tutes the topic of conversation and discussion
upon the highways of travel, in drawing
rooms, literary circles, and that it is absorbing
the minds of leading men in Parliament and
COnvocation.
1t does not excite our surprise. To a super.
fcial observer this new movement may appear
! as did the charge against Paul to Gallo (when
he was accused of "persuading men to wor-
ship God contrary to the law''), to be ga ques.
ton of words and Names" But to those who
like Eli would tremble for the Ark of God,
who are jealous like Paul of judging innova-
tors, it is a question of vital moment to the
purity, to the peace and to the influence oi
the English Church upon Protestant Christen.
dom. No one can affect to regard Ritualism
as matter of little Importance in these times,
without exciting suspicion either of his
| candor or of his devotion to the principles and
practices of the Protestant faith. 1t is plain
that these new forms of clerical vestments, o.
conducting the service, both as to bodily pos
! ture and movement, and as to intoning and
| chanting the prayers, as to administering the
communion 10y elevating the bread before the
eyes of the communicate and drawing the
sign of the cross in the air with the hand, as
to turning the back upon the congregation
and bowing to the communion table, and as
indicated in practices which are well known
to exist, and as well known to be unauthorized
by anything either in the spirit or the letter
of the rubrics, are all designed to introduce
and advance the theories and dogmas of what
is substantially Tractariansm or Romanism.
We may trace the origin of these practices
to the desire to impress upon the public mind
the theory that ministers of the English
Church are sacrificing priests, and that the
body and blood of Christ are really present in
the elements of the Eucharist. Hence SC
much reverence and so many ''aots of devo
tion" are paid to the place where the commu
MON is celebrated. Hence the word ''altar'
is always upon the lips of the Ritualist in
stead of the simple and more liturgical word
"table." Hence it is considered so important
that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be
frequently administered, and, in one word
this great error, which seeks TO rob Christ o.
the glory of finished atonement, is at the
foundation of all this parade of form, and
ceremony, and practice, which is compromis
ing the evangelical character of the Protestant
standards of faith and worship of the venera
BILE Church of our fathers. Now it is plaiI
that the Ritualists are not satisfied with the
principles of the Reformation. The very
teaching which they seek to inculcate was
deemed by the Marian martyrs so contrary Il
| God1 NJ 4hax aofh 10