The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1868-12-11
The True Policy.

The Committee appointed by the National
ManufacturersAssocia last spring to issue
an address to the people of the United States
have done so. 1t embodies a plea for econ
omy in public affairs, and plan for secur-
ing the same, under eight distinct heads as
follows:
1st, Pass the Civil Service Bill of Hon.
II. A. Jencks.
I'd, Complete and pass the new Tax Bill
reducing taxation wherever possible.
3D., Reduce expenses in all departments,
and decrease the proportion of costly officers
in the army and navy.
4th, Put all Indian affairs in charge Of
the War Department to save cost aud stop
fraud.
9Th. Let lands acquired by treaty from the
Indians be sold at public land offices, and not
in large tracts to spectators.
9th. Grant no subsidies in money or bonds
to railroads.
9TH, Stop large and useless appropriations
for custom houses and hospitals.
Slh, Adopt such measures as in your wis
dom you deem best in turn the balance of
trade in our favor, that our coin may be
left at home as a means of resuming specie
payments.
These propositions, says tie Pittsburg
Commercial embrace a policy, which, if
adopted should prove effective in securing to
the country measure Of prosperity it has
never yet known. Men ere saying continu-
ally, that we must come to specie payment
before we can do much. This is stating the
question wrong end foremost. The above
propositions carried out would insure specie
payment and solve what is spoken of as the
'great financial problem" Men who know
what they are talking about, never bid a
sick person walk before administering the
restoratives that will impart the requisite
strength; and these are generally natures
assistants, simpler and nearer at hand than
is generally supposed All that the country
needs is judicial natural stimnlauts. In con-
sidering of the taxes, the FIRST chance in its
own markets, whereby capital and labor will
be profitably employed, and tax paying made
comparatively easy, should be the first pre-
scription. 1t is difficult to conceive how men
outside of lunatic asylums, can soberly main
tain that capital and labor will be able to
pay the heavy taxes, when they are idle, and
idle they must be if we get England or any
foreign country to manufacture for US, no
matter how cheaply it is done. There never
need be the slightest fear that the buyer will
have unreasonable prices put to him. Moth
ing is better settled than that the first re-
suit of the monopoly of our own markets
will be followed by active home competition,
reducing prices to the lowest living stand
ard. The proof is in every days experience.
Here is the key to whatever problem there
is involved in our affairs Pennsylvania
pays to the general government millions of
dollars in taxes. 1t is the capital and labor
employed by her manufacturers that pay it;
and they pay only In proportion as they are
employed. Most of the articles they make
probably could be purchased abroad, but as
not Il cent of either the wages or profits that
would be paid to foreigners would go to help
to pay our taxes, and since the taxes must
be paid, we repeat that it is difficult to con-
ceiye how any man out of the lunatc asylum
can favor the policy of buying abroad.