The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-27
What Reduction OF Taxes Realty
Mean.

Mean.
From ne HeIO York Times.
The people have hitherto borne enor-
nous burdens almost without COM
plant, but they see plainly that the
time has come when these burdens
might be llghtened without injury e
the national credit or honor. The ap-
peal to the Government Is now almost
universally expressed In these words
'Retrench your expenditure and reduce
your taxes. Take the weight OF us,
and let Us breathe freely = O.
Coucurrently with this demand comes
one which Ia totally opposed 10 1t, In
letter and In spirit. 1t Is based upon
the often exploded, but still fayorite
theory, that the General Government Is
sort OF mine, from which any one
may draw as much money as be needs
without exhaustinR the golden store,
II q State wants anything done, lei
Government do II. II canal Is Ia
be made. Government must make Il.
The yaster the project, and the more
expense Il Involves, the clearer It Is the
duty Of the Government TO undertake
II. II the principle thus suggested
Were.once submitted 10, there Woald be
no chance either Of paying the debt or
Of reducing the taxes during the re-
mainder OF the present century, AZ
the recent Convention in Louisville, a
scheme for improving the navigation OF
the Mississippi River was discussed,
A report thus referred 10 It: The fol-
lowing comparatively insignificant
sums are all that are required The
amount!was only i've mlllIons. There
are other claims for subsidies now be-
fore the Government amounting, In
round numbers, toS400, 900, 900. Every
one OF these applications could, Of
courae, BIO proved to be Just and neces.
sary' by those who sent It In, But
what condition would our finances be
thrown into II they received the favor
able reply which Is confidently antici-
pated Z aEy s-.- ar : "
The interests OF the people at large
cannot be sacrificed for the sake Of In
Ierests which are merely local. The
latter may be worthy OF encourage.
ment In themselves, but we are al n
period OF our history when economy Is
the first duty OF an Administration
Nothing would compensate Us for a
proligate expenditure at such junc~
ture. The very persons who make
these claims for help admit that re-
tFenchment 10 Indispensable, while al
the same time they would insenslbly
betray the Government into m almoSt
meas1reless expenditure. No rulers
can give q people everything they want,
What we ask Of ours at present 10, re.
lief to our pockets, combined with
efficiency in the discharge OF those
practical duties which Government
cannot neglect without inviting dIsas-
ter. This requirement Is lncompatl BILE
with clHims such as were made at
Louisville. We have seen that the
President is intent upon aatIaiyine the
expectations Of the people In Epterence
TO taxation. This fact alone foreshad.
owB the answer which must inevitably
be given 10 requests for special appro-
priatlons. Il Is no time for throwing
money among the different States and
letting projectors scramble for II, II we
would have the taxes reduced, we must
strengthen the hands OF the Govern
ment In oil Its efforts to lessen Its ex.
penseS, 1t would not help Us much 10
save with the right hand and sQuander
With the left. Though these conaIdera.
tons may not satisfy the disappointed
applicants, they will at least convince
the great body Of the people that the
President and his advisers have no al
Tentative but 10 refuse all demands for
special advances and subsidies, no mat.
yer nom what quarter they may pro-