The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-29
Taxation

At a meeting in New York, Mr.. Rog-
ers forcibly remarked that in 1867 the
cost of running the machinery of the
Federal Government was about $780,
O00,000 This was in q time of peace
In 1860, under a Democratic admins
tration, the cost was about SIC, 900, 900,
and our customs paid six-sevenths of
that sum. [Applause.] From June 80.
1861, to June 80, 1865, We paid out Of
the National Treasury $3,340, ,996,211
which exceeds by some Sl1 100000 the
amount paid from the beginning of the
war of independence to the outbreak of
the Southern rebellion. The civil ex-
penses of 1867 were Sl70,000,000 mere
than 1861, time of war. The National
debt amounts to almost $1,000, 600, 600,
and our State, county, city and town
ship debts amount to much more. The
grand total, say S5,000,000 200, exceeds
the English National debt by S4, ,OOO,-
100000. England was two hundred
years accumulating her debt. The Rad
icals were only five over our debt.
Since the war ended it has cost 81 ,6OO,-
600 600 to run the Government.
The expenses of the Army and Navy
Departments for 1866 were S5,000,O0O
more than during the first year of the
war. The expenses of these two de-
partments in 1867 were S44, 900, 900 more
than in 1866 During Folks admins.
tration, which includes the period OF
the Mexican war, the expenses of the
War Department were 800, ,54O,7S5. The
expenses of the same department for the
year ending July /, 1868, the third year
of peace, were S128, 1854, ,494, or over
SIS, 900, 900 more during one year of
peace than they were during four years
of Democratic rule, with the Mexican
war on our hands. The interest on the
Federal debt amounts 10 Sl32,225, 900.
That of the English debt is $3.50, 900 900.
The debt of France is S2,7OU,OUU,UUU,
the interest being $50, 100000. Thus we
pay 50 100000 more interest per year
than England and $50, 900 900 more than
France. In 1867, the taxes imposed
on the four millions of people of the
State of New York amounted to $780,
100000, being about S45 for each man,
woman and child.
This is four times as much per head
as the tax upon the people of Great
Britain, four and a half times as much
as the French tax, and at least twelve
times greater than that of Russia.
What is our credit Our paper money
is, on the average, forty-five per cent.
below par. Collaborating bonds of the
ten forty denomination, which are I'M
questionably payable in gold, sell in
the marts of Europe for twenty-nine
per cent. below par, bearing six per
cent. interest at that. The British
three per cent. interest bonds are only
five per cent. below par. A New Zea-
land bond is selling for nine per cent.
and Canadian bond for four per cent.
above par. Is taxation to pay the Fed
eral and State debts! Unequal taxa
tion was one of the principal causes of
the Revolutionary War. Our platform
demands Democratic platform de-
mands-equal taxation of every speeies
of property according to its real value,
including Government bonds and other
public securities. [Applause.]
Our platform also demands one cur
rency for the Government and the peo-
pie. the laborer and the office-holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the pro-
ducer and the bondholder, and also that
where the obligations of the Govern
ment do not expressly state, or where
the law under which they we're issued
does not provide that they shall oe paid
in coin, they ought in right and justice
to be paid in the lawful money of the
United States. The tive-twenty bonds
are clearly payable in legal tender, and
it is nonsense TO talk of paying them in
gold. They were bought with and
should be paid in greenbacks, and they
should be paid as soon as possible to
save interest. Our opponents say the
bondholders were great patriots in
helping tho Government in time of
need. The soldiers must be more so for
the same reason.
Mr.. Rogers was loudly applauded at
tho conclusion of his address.