Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-03-25
Repeating Taxes and not Paying
Debts

DcUlSs
There seems to be furore at Washing ton
in favor of repeating taxes,-removing the
burdens from the people, Congressman
cuphoniously call it,-but where will it lead
financially? 1t is good thing to be free
from taxes but how are we to pay our debts
Are there more greenbacks coming? Are
the government printing presses to be set in
operation, and millions upon millions more
of irredeemable promises to pay issued from
the Treasury department?
We are glad to see that the bill exempting
certain manufactures-almost all manufac-
lures in fact-frOm taxation has called out
some plain, alth ugh unpalatable, truths in
both branches Of Congress. Senator Morrill,
of this State said in the Senate
- desire that Senators shall examine this
question for themselves. | do not ask them
to take my estimate; but say this, and
am willing to have it put upon record, that
the deficit instead of being sixteen millions
will he more than forty millions dollars Is
not that enough? If we shall pass the bill
reported. the deficit will be more than
forty million dollars for the year to come, in
my judgment.
Senator Fe~senden of Maine said
know 1t is very nice time Just at this
particular period to take off taxes. We
have Presidential election coming on. and
1t IL important that the best showing should
be made that can be made; but tell YOU it
Is poor showing that results in Il deficiency
BY this bill strike off sixty-fve million
dollars Is there any hope of making that
up? And what do we labor under besides Z?
The idea OF prosperity, perfect regularity in
business, while we are going we are at
present, with currency uncertain and
tiuctuatinS it already is. is to my mind
preposterous | have thought, and | mean
10 say by and by, and to give some reasons
for this opinion if | get a good opportunity,
tic first thing for to do is to pay attention
To restoring the currency and not to trihe
with 1T Now, sir what has been the result :?
We are going on striking off taxes to verv
large amOunt-and am very glad to strike
them off when they can be, just leaving
enough to pay the expenditures of the Gov
crnment, from year to year; but we di-
minish in that particular, and we make our
calculations IN these times, bad they are,
upon d deficiency in the revenue for the next
year OF fifteen or sixteen millions. In nv
Judgment forty millions of dollars, the sum
at which my honorable friend from Vermont
(Mr- MorriIl put it, will fall below what
the deficiency Will be next year, and must
necessarily fall below it in the present state
shall have to 20 into the market to borrow
money, and to 20 there under very beauti-
full state of circumstances, too, with large
portion of the mem hers of Congress talking
about reputation, and urging population
IN point OF fact urging at any rate that the
currency shall be left in its present unsettled
condition, and that nothing shall be done in
order to bring us back to a sound system
again. Why, sir, look forward to that
rara r.f l.
solute alarm. While | amperfectly willing.
and DESTROYS, to 20 as far as we can safely,
in taking off internal taxes and relieving
business, vet L tell you you VIII only bring
about greater evil in the succeeding years,
if you beg in to 90 upon the principle that
we are to have deficiency necessarily, and
70 provide for it afterward by increasing the
public debt, borrowing money because we
shake credit That is the result of it
Mr.. Washburne, chairman of the House
committee on appropriations, in resisting
motions to increase appropriations, said
Il ask you, my friends, how you expect
to stand up under these things, reducing
your taxes and increasing your appropria-
tons. Your revenues will not be enough to
meet your expenses The country will be
bankrupted, dishonored, disgraced. You
cannot pay your debts And when the APP
preparation Committee comes here and tries
to keep down the expenses they are met and
assailed on every side, so that a stranger
looking down from the gallery when these
appropriation bills being considered
would be almost led to believe that the Com
mittee on Appropriations, who are devoting
themselves with all their energies to keep
down expenditures and lessen the taxation
of the peop'e, but band of robbers
trying to break into the Treasury. Instead
of being supported by our friends in our
efforts for economy and retrenchment, we
have but one continued struggle in attempt
ing to keep out of our bills the vast sums
attempted to be incorporated in them
Senator Fessenden cannot be far wrong in
looking forward to our financial future with
''absolute alarm Congress seems to BE-
acting upon the theory that the United
States is abundantly good for all it owes, ant
good deal more, and therefore it ought moi
topay any part of its debts, but should live al
the time in first class style, and spend money
. with the utmost profusion and be economical
In nothing. Appropriations which commit
tees have carefully cut down to a moderat,
figure with some idea of retrenchment, ar
at once restored by the House to their old
even higher figures, while new places an
opportunities are found for new and large
appropriations. Republican and Democrat
Conventions pass resolutions in favor @
retrcnchment and economical administration
of the government, and at the same tim
Republican and Democratic Congressman vi
with each other in their zeal in making tn
expenses and Indebtedness of the country a
large as possible. Where is this all to end
How ne IT is the nation in the hands of sue
statesmen to the gulf of bankruptcy an
Reputation?
We find the following statement in tn
Washington correspondence of the BostOl
Journal:
Senator Conkling aDd other leading Con
gressmen philosOphically believe that tn
only possible mode in which appropriation
that uni sht be dispensed with can be prevented
and cut off, is that condition of the treasur,
which renders it impossible to make thes
appropriations unless we are to have LOAF
bill In their opinion, whenever we come t
the time that the condition of the publ
treasury is such that additional appropria
tions can be paid only by borrowing, the
we shall have yard-stick to measure b.
which everybody will be able to see, and t
which respect will be paid. But just as Ion
as the condition of the treasury is such tina
it can answer not only the appropriation
that have been made up to any point in tn
session. however late it may have been made
but also additional appropriations, reason
too cocent to resist will be found for ad
ditional appropriations which no argnmer
full he fins