Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-09-04

reaching across the Atlantic and the
Pacific, way off to the icy regions of
Alaska, and the torrid regions of Pan
anna, where our citizens own the transit
across the Isthmus. Our flag floats on
every sea; our interests extend TO every
cline; our name and power are re-
spected where, by reason of our free
institutions, we are not loved. Our
Government is built up, maintained,
defended and conducted by ourselves
each equal in political right and civil
liberty. We have an interest in our
National Government, a stake in 1t, a
pride in it. Its glory is our life; its
its institutions our inheritance. We
can afford, thank God, that it be con
dueted with the dignity of great na-
ton, aud can freely give from our means
enough to support its official life. In
the management of a Government,
economy is 4 virtue=meannasa- -is-a-
vice. Rrue craftsmanship gives enough
FOR national honor aud national safety
nothing for waste or extravaganza.
If we consider the increase Of cur pop
ulation, the extension of our territory,
the depreciation Of our currency, and
the Increased cost Of living, l affirm
that our expenses now are less than
under Mr.. Buchanan's ad ministration,
while our strength, position and stand
ing as nation have advanced infinitely
above what the Wisest among our states
men of twenty years ago hoped for.
Economy in public expenditure de-
pends partly upon the character of the
representative, but chiefly upon where
he lives, not at all upon his politics.
Public money is expended mainly in
cities, where the revenue is collected
and supplies purchased, or in the new
States and Territories. Their Repre-
sentatives you may generally count for
the largest appropriations. Represent
atiYes from the interior, where no pub
lie money is expended, are usually
careful In appropriations, but Court
House or a Custom House, or a river
or harbor improvement in which their
people are interested, is apt to change
their votes, and politics don't have
much to do with it.
When proper financial measures shall
be adopted revenue of 100000, 600
will not only meet all current expend-
itures and pay the interest of the pub
lie debt, and pensions and bounties,
but will rapidly pay off the principal
of the debt, leaving as the Inheritance
of the next generation, country mag
nifcent in its proportions, free in all
its institutions, and without a stain of
dishonor on its public faith. The
question then remains, how can this
sum, or a sufficient sum, be collected
from the people in the fairest way, in
just proportions, and with the least ex-
pense and burden. This leads me to a
very brief statement of our system of
taxation, and that statement, though |
brief, | trust will be satisfactory.
THE TAX LAWS.
Every session Of Congress since the
war, it has been within its power to |
throw off taxes, and in doing it the |
chief inquiry was what taxes bore most |
heavily upon the people, and they were
We have thus thrown off
internal revenue taxes which yielded
us annually $167, ,269, 600, besides great
ly simplifying the mode of collection
We have repealed all taxes on food,
on clothing, and on all the necessaries
of life also all taxes on all agricultu-
raj productions, including cotton and
stock. upon everything produced by
the farmer also all taxes on all man
Ufactures necessary for life, comfort or
business, indeed on all manufactures
except spirits and tobacco. We carried
the general desire to repeal taxes SO
far that many feared that we had not
left enough Tor revenue. Let us see
whaS remains.
The daties or taxes levied on i'm |
ported goods have not been reduced
for obvious reasons. This is the most
productive, the most certain, and the !
easiest collected form Of taxes. Most
articles imported are articles of luxury
consumed mainly by the rich. The
exceptions are tea, coffee and sugar
but their consumption is fairly distri- |
buted, according to the means of the |
consumer, so that the tax is not se-
Verely felt. The heavy duties on for |
eIgn goods operate as a protection to |
our common industry, and have tended |
to the general prosperity of our coun-
try. Our established factories, fur |
naces, mines and workshops, are so |
well established as to compete with |
ported goods yield us annually $780, |
600, 600 In gold, or enough to pay the |
interest of the public debt, and all the |
pensions to our soldiers, their widows |
and orphans; and enough, if annually |
principal of the debt in thirty years. |
To this purpose the custom duties are |
now pledged by law, and hope for
policy shat will continue to levy from |
customs alone, sum amply sufficient |
to accomplish these purposes. That
will settle IN the right way the ques-
ton of proteetion to American in
dustry. .ta
OF internal taxes it will only be
necessary to levy enough to pay ordi-
nary expenses, and the fact that every
dollar appropriated must be met by
internal taxes, will check all tenden- |
cies to extravaganza. The taxes on |
spirits and tobacco ought to have
yielded a sum ample to pay all the or
dinary expenses Of the Government ; |
but it was found to be utterly impossi- |
BILE to collect these taxes at the old |
rates. These two items yielded one
year about $55, 900, ,00e, but the frauds |
organized by the whisky ring were so
open, palpable and scandalous that we
were compelled, in order 20 destroy
their power 6f corruption, to reduce |
the taxes on these articles. | yielded |
to this reduction with extreme reluet-
ance, and only after l was satisfied
that lower rate would yield larger
revenue. The estimated yieln on these
two articles under the new law is $780,
100000.
| think this estimate high until,
under Grants administration, we will
be able to root out all the corrupt Of
fcials who have fastened themselves
on this branch of the public service.
These taxes and the duties on imports
will then oe enough to meet the ex-
penses of the Government
DEMOCRATIC MISREPRESENTATION
But at present it was deemed best
to retain a number of internal taxes,
none of which operate injuriously up
on labor or reach the mass of the ae-
quired property or upon the Wealthier
people. My friend, Mr.. Thurman, has
= very different idea. He made this
statment in recent speech We
have in this country the most inexor-
able system of taxation in the world.
It follows a man into ever nook and
corner of his business. IL his wife
has made a pound of butter it is put