, 1867-10-11
The Financial Question.

Though the politicians and trAVesties on states.
ueu who are now controlling National Affairs
pay no attention whatever to financial matters,
care nothing for the burdens of taxation under
which the people are staggering along, and work
solely for the purpose Of placing the ballot In
the haads Of the negro, the people are not in
attentive to the pecuniary dangers which threat>
en- the Nation. While attention to practical
matters Is Questionable In ruling circles, where
the height Of Craftsmanship is considered to be
the loftiest endeaVors In behalf Of ruinous abs
stractions and destructive theories IL s pleasant
% notice that now and then, in deliberAtive and
hw-making conyoeations, there is mAn TO call
attention TO the financial needs Of the Nation,
aud TO earnestly urge action calculated to ward
on threatened dangers. The natural wonder in
ordinary times would be, that where so mauy
occupy official station, and especially legislative
position, 90 few should be found willing and ca,
pable Of paying attention to toe vital interests
OF the Nation. But these are not ordinary times;
politics apd morals are in an abnormal condi-
ton 90 the wonder is that any man in legisla-
tive position can be found to attempt to do anyS
thing else than to endeavor to demonstrate how
much mischief be can work out, By riding the
high horse of humanitarianism and charcoal alb
stractions. Yet in the New York Constitutional
Convention q man has been found so practical.
and politically questionable, as to earnestly
call attention to the subject of public indebted
ness, and urge that steps be taken to place the
debt in such a position that it will not finally
crush tie people. 1t appears that the people Of
the State of New York owe, 10 The aggregate,
(nelucing their share of the principal of The Ma
tional Debt,) more than one-third Of the assessed
value Of all the property in the State. As the
statistics regarding the Indebtedness of New
York are undoubtedly correct, and as the value
of property in that State is much larger in pro-
portion to the population than it is in many 9TH
er States, it may be assumed as an indisputable
fact, that the aggregate public debts for which
the people of the Nation are liable, equal in |
amount full half the assessed value of all the |
property in the United States. The entire props |
erty of the people is mortgaged for full one half
its present value And the worst of it is, that |
so long as the present rate of expenditure and |
taxation is kept up, the value of property cannot |
increase. Thirty millions of people, in addition |
to producing sufficient for their own support, |
must earn sufficient to hand over annually for |
Government purposes four hundred millions Of |
dollars. But, owing to the unwise statesman.
ship which now prevails in Congressional Halls,
one-third of the thirty millions of people cannot
pay any of this enormous sum, for they cannot
earn more than living, and hence the burdens
of the other two-thirds are increased unjnstly |
full thirty per cent. The fact stares US in the
face, and cannot be blinked, that unless there is
soon thorough change 10 Governmental policy,
we shall be driven 10 the disgrace of reputation.
We maHt RlAee hoss- -instead Of votes in the hands
of the negroes; give them plows, not bureaus !; 7
harmonic matters at the South so that the peo-
of that section can go to work, earn something
and pey thet share of taxes; cut off just two
thirds of the tax collecting force re-bond the
pnblic debt; make 1t payable seventy-6ve or
one hundred years hence reduce the interest to
FIVE per cent, and so reduce taxes to such
standard that the industry of the Nation will
have fair field to operate in and good chance
to increase the general wealth and prosperity
S. r. Call.