Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-10
SOME FIGURES FOR THE PEOPLE
TO I.nOK IIPnN

II
which we have been passing during the
period since the close of the war, the great
body of the people have paid compare
tiytly little attention 10 the fearful in |
crease ia the expenditures If the govern
lnent over those IN The peace times which |
preceded the war. The Secretary OF the
Treasury makes the following estimates
for the present fiscal year: Expenditures,
1915, 900, 600; receipts, 1898, 600, 900; sur
plus, SIS, 600, 900. The receipts from tax
es amount TO the enormous annual sum OF |
three hundred and ninety-three milllonsl
Seventy eight millions of dollars more
than is needed to meet the expenditures
of the government, interest on public
debt, etc. Let us look at this moment,
and in doing 80 we avail ourselves of the
figures of contemporary. During the
ten years ending June 80, 1859, the greatest
annual expenditures of the government, ex-
elusive of payments on account OF debt,
| were 81, 901, $50. The least were S4a, I
002, 1853. The average for the ten years
were about $55, 900, 900. From 1889 to
/ 1910 the average annual expenditures
about 1927, 900, 900, and from ls29to 1889
they were about $4,000. In 1880 the
expenditures of the government were
| $1S, 92O,5S4. In 1870 they are 1915
4 OO0, 600, an increase of taOent5tt tao hun
dred and fifty per cent in forty years.
| Prior to 1856 tie expenditures never
reached $50, 900, 600. In 1858 they were
| 81, 901, 100, and in 1869 they dropped
back to SOC, BAG, 226; and in 1860 to $50,
| S4S, 475; in 1861 they rose again to about
| 500, 900, 900. Assuming then, that the
legitimate average annual expenditures of
this period were about $66, 666, $50, and
adding to this fifty per cent. for increase
Of population very unnecessary
allowance making 800, 100000, and
adding again fifty per cent for in
crease of prices-a more than liberal al
lowance-we have the sum of $50, OF o.
| 900 as liberal and extraordinary esti-
mate for the necessary expenditures OF the
government. To this we might add $50,
| 900, 600 to go to the sinking fund. The
amount of bonds already purchased is
S1I1, OOO 900. This with an annual ad-
ditional of $50, 900, 900 at compound IN
terest, would pay off the interest bearing
debt in twenty-five years. 1t is plain,
therefore, that $3.50, 900, 900 per annum
is an expenditure sufficiently large to
, cover everything that tolerably extrava-
CANT administration could desire. To
this we add 1920, 900, 600 for interest on
debt, and we have grand total of $500,
900, 900. The receipts this year are esti-
| mated at 1898, 900, 900. In other words,
the people are taxed annual $93, 600, 900
more than is in any way necessary. And
| for wLat2 The Baltimore Gazette terse-
ly answers: ''To support the Radical
party. To give plumber to Radical politi-
, clans. To give patronage to Radical
| office-holders. To enable Radical lead
. | ers to control elections, to retain power
| and to enrich themselves and fave
| rites at the expense OF an OPP
pressed community. Yet with the know
, ledge of these facts, Congress besitates
about repeating the petty tax on sales,
which yields S., 900, 900, and the tax on
gross receipts, yielding $4,000, 900, both
of them onerous taxes on industry. Il
proposes still to enforce the tax on lega
. cies and SUGGESTIONS, yielding less thar
5000, 900, which falls chiefly on widow:
, and children, and TO maintain the tax or
passports, which is as ridiculous as it i!
little. With the oppressive, unjust, in
: iquitous and inquisitive income tax, their
will probable be little change made. l
falls upon about 2SO, 900 people out of {
population of 10000, 900, but it yield
$4,000, 900, and of course will be re
:. tanned for some time TO come, the theor!
of Radicalism being to prey upon tn
rich in order to obtain the means to bride
corrupt and demoralize the poor. Tn
taxes alluded TO, and the license tax
could easily be removed This woul
make difference of $40, 1000, and at leas
!, twenty-five per cent could be easily abate
= from the present tariff. This could b
done without any inconvenience, an
~ without being too hard among the Rsdi
cal rascals who have no other means O
support than the credulity and submissiy
ie natience of the people.