The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-19
How Congress has Reduced Taxation

dred dollars year and less than five
thousand dollars, and ten per cent on
all over five thousand dollars. The
present Congress cut this down to a
Uniform rate of five per cent, and in
creased the exemption from six hun
dred to one thousand dollars, thus par
ticularly relieving the poorer classes
whose incomes are less than one thou
sand dollars each per year. This re-
duction of taxation is estimated to
amount to the sum of Twenty-Five
Millions Dollars annually.
The present Congress also repealed
the three cents a pound tax on cotton,
thus releaTing the great agricultural
interest of the South, and aiding to re-
vive the industry of that section, as
well as relieving the great agricultural
product which the whole country uses
in lieu of gold as the main article of
exchange with Europe for imported
goods. The amount of reduction of
taxes on this item is estimated at
Twenty-Five Millions of Dollars an
nually.
The present Congress has reduced the
tax on crude petroleum, and the tax on
refined petroleum, to an estimated
amount of five and half millions of
dollars annually, thus relieving anoth-
er great national source of wealth and
prosperity.
The present Congress has also re-
duced the tax on tobacco eight cents
per pound releasing the people from the
burden on this great American staple
to the estimated amount OF five mil
lions of dollars annually.
The present Congress has also cut
down the tax on whisky one dollar and
forty cents per gallon, making a total
reduction of one hundred millions of
dollars annually. But, as this tax was
not fully collected, owing to the swind-
ling "rings," in collusion with Andrew
Johnson's "Bread- and Butter" and
Democratic officials, the National
Treasury is likely to gain rather than
lose by the change, while the prices of
liquors will be greatly diminished for
the benefit of consumers.
The present Congress has also re-
peaIed the tax on all kinds of manufac-
lures, thus relieving largely all the
great manufacturing interests of the
country, and thus directly encouraging
the national industry, while reducing
the prices of manufactures purchased
by the people. The relief afforded by
this measure is estimated at seventy
millions OF dollars annually.
Thus the present Congress has re-
duced the taxation levied upon the
people to the full amount OF two hun
dred and thirty and half millions OF
dollars year.
This has been done SO wisely and
prudently that the revenues of the
Treasury have not been crippled, and
the interest on the public debt, the cur
rent expenses of the Government, and
the payment of portion of the princi-
pal of the public debtare still provided
| for, and will be accomplished without
any financial embarrassment.
Ofcourse this could not be done with
| ont a large reduction of the expenses.
The present Congress has also greatly
| reduced the expenses of the Govern
ment. The clerical force in the differ
ent departments has been greatly re-
| duced the Army and Navy have been
| cut down remorselesSly the Freed
| mems Bureau has been reduced to
| mere skeleton, and its entire discontin-
uance ordered to take place on the lst
of January next; the expense of asses
| sing and collecting the public revenues
| has been largely reduced for the future;
the appropriation bills for the coming
year have been so seriously trimmed of
| Expenditures not really necessary that
| their authors could hardly recognize
them in the form in which they finally
| passed; and various economical meas
ures have been adopted SO as greatly to
| 10 National
Government. Beside this the ex-
pense of governing the Southern
| States under military provisional gov
ernments has been abolished by the sue
| cessful reconstruction and restoration
| to the Union of seven of them, leaving
only three sill unrestored. And the
temper and platform OF the Republican
party is such,-and the disposition Of
| Congress mainly agrees with it,-that
i much more thorough and general
economy must be and will be practtced
| in the future. There Is everywhere,
among Republicans, a disposition to
insist upon the most searching public
| economy, and TO hold Representatives
| and Senators to the strtctest accounta-
| bilIty for every dollar whose expendi-
ture is unnecessarily sanctioned by
them.
Let these undisputable facts be noted
and remembered by the people, and
offset against the DemocI attic wordy
clamor concerning taxation. Let the
tax payers-while resolving that more
strict economy shall be practiced in the
| future, and while determined that Con-
gressmen shall understand and shall
be made to feel the indignation of the
people against any and every e1trava-
gance with the public moneys-be just,
and give to Congress the credit actually
| its due, and remember its good acts,
and encourage with due praise Its
| efforts towards economy.
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