Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-11-09
Living Issues.

In recent speech at harrisburg
Mr.. Delano, the Commissioner of In
ternal revenue, exhibited some facts
and figures very damaging to the
Democratic party, and very credit
able and strengthening to the pres.
ent administration. He dealt prin-
cipally with matters pertaining to
the revenues of the country and the
public debt whereupon the \. I
World falls into a rage and abuses
Mr.. Delano for attempting to bolster
up Grants administration by placing
dead issues before the people, and
insists that the Alabama claims and
the Cuba question are the "living
issues" OF the day on which the ad-
ministration is to be judged, and by
its treatment of.which it must stand
or fall
Of all questions, that of the Ala
bama claims is one which the Amer
lean people can afford to let sleep.
1t is not long since that, in converse
ton with Massachusetts ship own
or, who had lost heavily ty the dep
relations of the Alabama, we asked
him what basis of settlement he was
in favor of. He replied, No settle
ment at all-at least for the present.
Let the claim hang as a rod over
England's head. SO long as it is I'M
settled, she is under bonds to keep
the peace with the world, for the
moment she went to war we would
make up our losses ten tipes over by
privateering and she could not open
her mouth. In due time she will be
glad enough to pay principal and in
terest, and that without any diplo-
matte bother about it," This we
fancy is much the feeling of the
whole people. And yet the World
calls this diving, pressing issue, F"
and would have the administration
lend all its energies to the adjust
ment of these claims rather than to
dead questions of revenue and f.
nance
But, recurring to Mr.. Delano's
speech, we remark that the particu-
lar passages about which the World
is so exercised, are those in which he
draws contrast between the en-
forcement of the revenue laws under
this administration and Mr. John
sons. Some of his statements are
full OF instruction. Take those
about whisky, for example. The to
tai amount of this article manutac-
tured in the country is estimated to
be 100000, 900 gallons a year. Du-
ring the year ending June 30, 1868,
the government got the tax on only
6,709, $40 gallons. There was, in ad-
dition, exported from the bonded
warehouses 227, 101 gallons, making
the total amount accounted for,
II, 900, O00-gallons, and leaving go
100000 manufactured not accounted
for to the government During the
year ending June 30, 1869, (four
months of it under Grants admins
tration) the revenue bareau has re-
turns of .62, OO9, 331 gallons, or more
than five times as much as during
the whole year 1868. As to the
eigbty-nine million gallons unac-
counted for in 1868 on which the
government should have received a
tax of So gallon, Mr.. Delano argu-
ed, and the inference is plain, that
the government was robbed of $780,
900, 900 which justly belonged to 1t.
These enormous steahngs were used
to enrich the whisky ring, to currupt
elections, to support Johnson's poll
CIV and to debauch the public morals
generally.
A comparison of other sources of
revenue shows a similar improve
ment. During the six months, from
January l to June 30, 1869, the gov
eminent collected S22, 100000 more
than it did during the same months
of 1868. The governments gained IN
taxes during the first half OF the
year 1869 over the first half OF the