The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-15

proportion of the press, and the bulk of the
people, ask for the immediate reduction of
the burdens which are paralyzng trade,
restricting enterprise, and rendering every
body poorer. The taxes are kept up at
war rate merely to indulge delusion. It
is argued that if we do not pay off
the whole of our debt now, we shall
never do it. The supposition has no more
value than can be attached to any other hallu-
cination. Surely we have already paid very
fair proportion towards the expenses Of war
the advantages of which will extend to all
time. Senator Sumner boldly tells those who
are for merciless taxation that the national
debt was incurred for succeeding generations
no less than for ourselves, and that posterity
ought to take its part in paying it off. The
resources of the people are being strained
now to the last point. Suppose we had an
other war upon our hands, where should we
find the money with which to carry it on?
We should be obliged to stop paying off the
debt in any case. But could a people long
suffering from pitiless depletion at the hands
of tax x-gathorers be expected topay enormously
increased taxes for the purposes of the hour?
1t is not only shortsighted to keep up the
present rate of taxation in time of peace; il is
absolutely dangerous.
1t is said that we are bound to prove to the
world that we can and will pay our debt.
Who on earth doubts it now? Who that we
should care to convince supposes that we
have not the power to pay our debt in rea-
sonable timer We are now absolutely
wasting our energies in the attempt to COM
ply with crochet of a few doctrinaires,
all of whom are unfamiliar with economic
science, and have been carried away by fig
ment of their own brains. Who does not
smart every day from excessive taxation in
| one form or other? We were bound to bear
| it once. There was no help for it, But we
1,,I,A - l. 81, Ill
| cheerfully because we made many heavy
sacrifice without murmur, all through the
time of peril. The Government ought not
now to say, "While you are willing to pay,
we Will take care to squeeze as much as pos
sible out of you, but rather take up liberal
| position towards people who have been so
generous to it.
| We shall not discuss the bill introduced by
Senator Summer until other plans already pro-
missed are before u.s. But we are glad to find
that he is prepared to raise his voice in
Congress in favor of policy which has
reason, justice, and safety to recommend it.
The country, he says, lis uneasy under
its heavy burdens. War taxes should not be
| peace taxes; and so long as the present sys-
tenn continues there is constant and painful
memento of war, while business halts in
chains and life bends under the load" He
proceeds to show that we are impoverishine
| ourselves now IN oruer 10 pay our oDuSatlonS
long before they become due, but that on the
other hand, if we reduce the taxes, our re
sources will be immeasrrrably increased, 'tht
country will breathe freer, business will b'
more elastic, life will be easier, and the
national debt will cease to be burden, be
coming fine by degrees, and beautifully less
until it gradually ceases to exist. We com
mend every word of this statement to the ear
nest attention of the Administration. 1t il
childish to meet this rpost reasonable appea
to the Government for relief with the cry
''You are running away from your party" l
is in the true interests OF the Governmen
that we entreat it to open its eyes to the vas
importance of taking off some of the loa'
under which the people of this country ar
now languishing, and from which they ar
crying with one voice to be relieved.