The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-09-03

bring with them stagnation of business,
small crops, idle hands, no cotton, no rice,
no sugar, no home market for Western
breadstufis and pork, and no exports for
Eastern ships to carry, they are more ex-
pensive still; and when they superadd
high taxes, high tariffs, exemption of capi-
tai from all burdens, an increase in the
hours of labor, an increase of the prices of
necessaries, and a decrease of the wages
of labor, the expense gets to be intolerablc.
The amount of money collected by taxa
ton in three years of peace, from July,
1865, to July, 1868. reached l,594,-
$4,000. ! have it from official sources
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue
reports for 1866 S561, ,572 900, for 1868
S47l, 100000, and APpletons Encycio-
pedia reports for 1867 1851, ,3O2, 900
total 81, ,594, ia, 900 In each case the
gold collected at the Custom house is es-
timated at 40. OF tkis amount the rev.
enue from the tariff reached S724, ,584,-
900. The expenditure Of the Government
has been scarcely less than this enormous
sum for if you will look at the public debt
On the 3Ist August, 1865, yon will find
that it amounted to S2,757, ,69O,571, and
if you look at the last monthly report,
made August /, 1868, you will find it is
stated to be g, ,633, 3,588, showing de-
crease of 1921, l07, ,215. The Commis-
sioner Of Internal Revenue tells us that the
value of all the real and personal property
in the United States in IS6O-the lands,
farms, houses, town lots, money, stocks,
bonds, railroads, steamboats,, shiTs-all
amounted TO only Sl4, ,282, ,726,038. If
the products of three Years of peace have
made up for the ravages cf four years of
war, then the taxation for three years has
amounted TO very much more. than one
tenth of all the property in the country,
while the taxation of Great Britain has
amounted to one>thirtieth part. II the
taxation for these years were assessed
apcn each individual equally, il would
amount in the United States to S34 25,
while in France the taxation for the sanfe
time would amount to S22, and in Austria
to less than SIG. The public &c of the
United States. if assessed upon "a n indi~
vidual, would amount to S74 %, the
public debt of France to S53, and of
Prussia TO Sl2. ] said to you that | never
made statement that | could not verify,
and | hold in my hand this repore from
this Republican Commissioner Of Internal
Revenue, Mr.. Wells j is open to the
inspection of any gentleman. On tho 27:h
page of that book, which your member of
Congress can furnish you, for it is pub
lie document, you will find verified every
word have said. Our Republican friends
are very much astonished at this exhibi-
ton. Laughter. Did you ever know a
spendthrift when he was brought face 10
face with the condition of his affairs. that
was not very much astonished indeed
They will turn upon us with some state
ments made by this same commissioner
In his .etter to Mr. Allison, he says that
during the three years of which [ have
been speaking, the amount paid on account
of the public debt is $3.50, 900 900, and
that ought to save SIS, ,000,O 900 annually
in gold by way Of interest. Now, if you
look into that report carefully, you will
find the actual reduction of the public
debt is but $I34 900, 900, and that the
balance is made up Of an estimated surplus
in the Treasury which is not there, if at
all, for the purpose of paying the public
debt, bat for the purpose of being used for
the ordinary expenses of the Government;
and if you look at this S134, 900, 900, you
will find that of this amount 81 900, 900
have been reduced by virtue of the con-
traction OF the currency and calling in the
greenbacks, which pay no interest at all !;
and if you will put side by side with these
facts that in three years the increase of the
debt which pay interest in gold, has
amounted to S6O2, 100000, you will see
how much your burdens have been light
ened Then this same Commissioner tells
! us that the estimated surplus in the Trea-
sury, on the lst day of July, 1868, is
S34, 100000 Where are they They
| have not been paid on the public debt !;
that have shown you. They are not in
the Treasury that / have shown you. |
have. unfortunately, for our Republican
brethren, list of the deficiency bills that
were passed during the last two or three
weeks of the last Congress, and the list
that have, imperfect as it is, shows that
they have appropriated out OF this S34,-
100000 the sum of S27, ,000,000 in that
way. hold in my hand this list. l hate
! to trouble you so much with the details ci
| figures, but as this is fair specimen of the
way in which our Republican. .felIow~citi
zens, when they get invested with power
in Washington, seek to cover up their do
ings, you will excuse me if l call your
attention to it for one moment. The way
in which these gentlemen manage is this
They appropriate very much less each
year than they know will be expended,
and, toward the end of the session of the
year for which the appropriations have
been made, they get up what they cal
deficiency bills" to cover the excess.
Then they go on in the same session and
appropriate for the next year very much
less amount, and when that year come:
round they pass deficiency bills again
but when they come to tell you what the
expenses year by year are, they say,
"That is all we have appropriated. >
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