The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-29

inc the laws and faithfully complyi11 with all
our contracted obligations. There is future
before us of untold prosperity and of untold
glory. want to show you some other facts
that / have in this connection for the purpose
of iustifying the statements have already
made. Here is letter in my hands that
shows the receipts of The revenue for the last
six months of the fiscal year ending 1868, and
1868 in comparison. Now you will remember
that 1868 was the year when two dollars gal
Ion was put upon whisky: the year 1869 was
when fifty cents was the tax on whisky You
will remember that six months of the year
1869 embraced two months of Mr.. Johnson's
administration, and you will remember that
six mouths of the year 1883 embiac six
months of Johnson's administration.
Now, gentleman, you must also remember
that in 1869 we had abolished and did rot
collect the tax on manufactures while in the
year 1868 the law imposing tax on manufac-
lures was enforced, so that the stateme It that
1 have made up is the statement of he re-
ceipts upon the same sources of taxation
understand me- the same objects of tax
alton. In 1860, compared with thea same
objects OF taxation in 1861 the result is that
during the year 1869, or during the last six
months of that year, we collected in excess
over and above what was collected in 1868, on
the same sources of taxation, twenty-oue mill
ions and five hundred thousand dollars. The
sources from which this increase was made
are various, and if it will not weary yuar pa
thence, will give you some prominent items
on which a loss and on which gain also was
sustained.
For example, we gain on the six months of
1869, compared with the last six months of
1865:
On spirits SIS 600
On tobacco. 402S,OO0
On fermented liquors. Observation-Disclosures. 10000
On gross receipts ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 41,000
On sales. 165,0OV
On income. 1,e6a,ooo
On panks. ...'.'.'.... ''............"..." uZ:ooV
And don't believe we have got all the in
come tax this year, even in Pennsylvania, if
all hear is true. Laughter
We lose on special taxes S2O5,O0O, on legacles
$177 900, and on SUGGESTIONS Sill, 200. We
gain on passports $4,000, ON tax upon gas
$135,0O0, on stamps $850000-nearly million
of dollars on the single article of revenue
stamps. mean by revenue stamps not the
stcmps on letters nor spirits, but the stamps
on legal instruments; and we lose on the sal
aries of officers $242, 600; that is because we
don't have SO many officers that are drawing
salaries, and that is one of the things that
General Grant intends to do that while he
collects the tax he intends also to reduce the
expenses of the Government Now here is a
| fact for you to look over and think about; and
| that is, that in the six months ending 1869, as
compared with the last six months of 1868,
there was gain OF twenty-One millions and
| half of revenue for the extinguishment of the
| national debt. You can see now where the
| whisky tax went to during the year 1868 when
we only got tax of seven millions of gallons
| There is one other fact that I desire to call
your attention to in this connection, which I
cannot state in figures: The receipts from inter-
nal revenue sources during the first quarter
| last year were in round numbers thirty nine
| millions; they were less than thirtynine mil
| lions, they twere thrty-eight and a fraction. I
| left Washington ON the 18th day of this month,
| and the receipts for the months of July and
| August, and SO much of September as had
| then expired, were nearly forty-four millions;
| they were forty-three millions and some eight
hundred thousand. And gentlemen, I under
take here to say tonight, and you may watch
the next statement, that the receipts for the
first three months of the present fiscal year
| will be forty nine millions of dollars, or ten
millions in excess of the same three months OF
last year. [Applause.]
| Do not tell me that this debt cannot be paid
I tell you it can be paid with the present reve-
| nue. laws if they are executed, and tell you,
| gentlemen, that we are going to execute them
[Applause.] And just let it be understood
that it is the purpose Of this Administration
when the money is collected it shall be paid
iata the Treasury, and when it is in the Treas
ury III snail De set apart for the payment OF
saPe noM Il Thp td is the Adm
taxes and abide by the law, we will guarantee
to them all that General Grant guaranteed
to Lee and his army at Appomattox-they
shall be protected. All that we ask is that
|
Jacksonian resolve with us that all the laws
snail be executed. It is only by the execution
of the law that this debt can be paid, at least
without burdening this people. Now let me
say to you that my examination of this subject
and have given it some attention, induces me
to believe that the present revenue laws of this
nation without any apprehension at all viii
yield, after they are fairly executed, every veal
to this Government hundred and eighty mill
ions of dollars instead of one hundred and for
| f.-tn ar ona hmm rala md
ions, and do not see why we may not approx
innate to that sum now. 1 did not expect dur
ing each OF the three remaining quarters, with
| the increased rate such as it has been, the frs
| quarter would be ten millions. If we were Il
make that in round numbers it brings us t.
fifty millions aquarter, and that would make
| the receipts of the y9ar two hundred millions
so that you will see that I did not base my cal
culations upon given quarter equal to gaiI
| on the first quarter of this fiscal year, but dt
believe that at the end of the next fiscal yea
the internal revenue of this country will react
one hundred and seventy-f five millions O
dollars, and that Without altering the pres
ent law but simply by executing it. Some
have expressed fears to me about th
result, but have no fears. The people of thi.
nation have always submitted to every emer
gency, and performed every act which the hon
or and glory of the nation demand. Zap
plause. They will do SO to the end; ant
now, gentlemen, what is there to fret about.
| This public debt, provided we 60 on with hon
esty of purpose and integrity of action all tht
year, will be greatly reduced. Let US give yor
some other figures: We extinguished forty
nine millions and half of the public deb
during the fiscal year, ending the 305iiff OF june
last, under the administration of the law as i
has been heretofore; and now, gentlemen, YOU
will see in single moment the conclusion tina
| arrive at. 1 believe the figures that have
furnished you tonight justify the assertion
that the revenues of this government NAV be
increased over past receipts by the present
year twenty-five millions per annum and !
submit it to you, sir, if you have any doubt
that the expenses of the government can be
kept down to a corresponding amouut-if we
eau pay under former Administration fifty
millions year, / ask you if it is any stIetch o.
imagination that under the present administra.
ton Of the laws we can pay a hundred millions
| of dollars of our national debt. Go on then in
integrity and help Gen. Grant execute the
| laws; give him your moral support and your
| physical old SO that you do not turn over the
keystone State to those who will administer
| the laws in another way. Stand up to the
work of the Republican party and finish the
| fight with us. You were informed by the gen
| tleman who preceded me that the war was moi
over; the financial war is not over, but the
victory is ours, and ours certainly, and with
out any doubt [Applause.]
Gentlemen, with the magnitude of your
country, and with the present system of taxa
ton, if you are able to pay one hundred mill
ions of dollarsa year, you are thereby reduc-
ing the amount of the debt, not only by the
| sum THAT is paid, but you are reducing it by
reduction of interest every year. Then what
| of your nation? Your population is increasing
in the natural course Of things with great rap
| idity. Foreign bands are flocking into your
country, filling it with industry, and bringing
wealth with them. The undeveloped resources
| OF the West are being brought to LIGHT in rich
profusion every day, and is it any stretch OF
the Imagination to say, as your chairman has
sad, that by the end of eight years of General
| Grants administration, your national debt
| will not be more than twelve hundred millions
Of dollars. No, it is no stretch of imagination.
| There is then no dread of consequences be-
| fore free people. We are called upon by ey-
| cry constellation of justice to see that the
laws are executed, and that the money
that is collected is applied to the paw
ment OF tie peoples sdebt, and we are call
| ed upon by the memories of the dead who
| have laid down their lives, for the SAX, of the
life OF this nation, to carry on the work which
| they begun, and when we meet them in
Heaven, as hope we may, we may be able to
| say that America is not only free. but that
the American people are honest and have paid
their debt. [Applause.1
My fellow citizens, fear that have spoken
| to you too long already ferries of No, mol: but
could not say less upon an occasion like this,
and to the people of Harrisburg esneciallv
| when they are asked now to turn their hacks
| upon the party with which they have acted
| and to restore to power party that has souobt
| to destroy this government. In the name then
of the dead that are sleeping q sleen from
which there is no awakening, in the name of
justice, in the name of honor, and in behalf of
the glory of great people call upon YOU to
stand by the gallant hero who fought The hat
tie that won this great victory, and who is now
with all his power seeking to administer The
laws with such integrity as shalt sveen out