The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-02-12
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY, IL, 1869.
Mr.. Wells Report.

make ary thorough and exhaustive
review ofcurrcnt governmental re.
ports. our space Goes no admit Of
such an undertaking, if We were
disposed to do 80. We take it 70,
granted, therefore, that the import.
ant report Of Commissioner Wells
rn the state Of the country, which
has been given wide circulation
since our,last issue through the dsi.
" newspapers and by tho means oi
pamphlets, is familiar TO all Of our
readers, and that our bricfcomments
will be understood without entering
into 4 detailed examination Of it.
If our reading has not been a
mistaken one, this report is very
far from being satisfactory either in
itself or in the circumstances which
it presents. There - an indccision
Of tone which indicates that the
writer scarcely knew how to work
Gu. the prosperity which he was so
anxious to present. There are cer-
tain transparent contradictions
which = logical thinker would hardly
have made. It's IN old saying
shat it il 4 pretty hard matter to
aqueczc blood out Of . turnip, and
IL is not much easier to present 4
simple. straightforward state
I,snt Of wofully complicated affairs.
This il the task which Mr.. Wells
took upon himself, and hence his
confusion and want Of logic. Tie
should have been contented to de-
scribe IS concisely and iutclligibly
as possible the condition Of the
government, trace the causes and
suggests the needed improvement
giving his reasons in both instances.
He was not called upon to make out
llsck as whitc or to turn white into
black and, in spite of the inter
minable,, prosy document, he has
done but little to enligh.en US on
the state Of the nation.
Dir. Wells is evidently anxious to
believe that tho sountry has already
returned to the prosperous and pro-
gress;vc condition that attracted
che envy Of all the nations on earth
towards the United States before
cur unfortunate civil war. He is
equally anxious that the people
should believe 50. However lsuda-
bic his intention may be, it is Ger
tain that his report has not left any
such impression. and it is also GER
tain taat there Is no solid founda-
tiion for The acceptance Of any such
theory. Among the sources Of in
creased wealth and prosperity he
mentions the following ''Immi-
grafton . general increase in the
products Of domestic industry; 4
continued increase in the agricul-
tural products Of the United States,
whether measured by quantity or
quality and the heavy reductions
which the State have made in their
Indebtedness But, opposed to
this statement, Mr.. Wells most
favorable view can oaly reduce the
national debt Of nearly or quits
three billions ofdollars some twenty
or thirty millions within the past
year. This showing, under the on
Us Of an unprecedcntly heavy taxa
ton. is not Gratifying BY any means.
II is not sufficient to complain
mildly Of mistakes in the admins.
t.ation Of the revenue system. The
people of the country have patiently
horne the taxation beaped upon
them. They have right to expect
that it shall accomplish more for the
country than it has yet accomplish
ed. rs
The mere fac. that certain
individual States, Of the
BY individual cncrgry and
faithful administration Of their own
sfFairs, have reduced their State
indebtedness or the fact, which is
only natural, that agricultural pro-
ducts should have decreased or
any other local indication Of succeeds
has but little to do with the con-
di,ion Of national affairs and is but
an Indifferent comment on national
progress. These circumstances do
not lessen the general debt or the
general taxation BY one dollar; ;
they do not contribute to the cred
it Of the nation abroad, or to its
dignity in its foreign relations, they
do not explain away the popular
demand Why greater national pro-
eres has not been made. The Com
missioner 10 right when he says that
legislation has had little effect in
promoting national development.
This is because the legislation has
never been Of the spirite or kind to
DO this It has been too partisan
to be beneficial! or effective. It has
sought rather to advance the inter
ests Of party or cliques. or to check
what il has apprehended as danger
GUS. than to proceed squarely.
boldly and intelligently to tho work
Of building up what the war has torn
down and destroyed. It is. howev,
er, tho purpose Of legislation to pro-
vide such measured as will restore
tho whole country IN al Of its re-
sources and special productions t.
the common labor Of attaining
national prosperity and contributing
to the national wealth.
The pernieious inlnencss Of : do
preeiatsd paper currency and Al
excessive taxation 80 properly sp
prseiated. The effects are show'