The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-06
THE MESSAGE AND THE PRESE
DENTS POLTUY

ALTHOUGH we are happily almost re-
lieved finally and forever of the yexed ques-
tion of reconstruction, the great burden of
debt which is the most pertinent legacy of
the rebellion remains; and it is impossible for
either the President or the people to ignore
it and the necessities to which it gives rise.
The paramount necessity of meeting promptly
all the demands made upon the national trea-
sury by the nations creditors is the basis of
the only national policy that can be adopted
by tho Government with safety. The debt of
the nation must be paid, interest and prin-
cipal, dollar for dollar, as it falls due. Re-
pudiation, in any of its forms or phases, is so
utterly repugpant to the American people
that no demagogue can hold his own on such
platform. The existence of this debt will
render imperatively necessary a large revenue
for years to come, and the manner of raising
this revenue is to be the point on which the
paramount national issues of the next quar-
tor of a century must hinge. Every question
becomes subservient to the one grand ques-
tion of revenue sufficiently large to main
tain intact the financial credit of the coun-
try. The most rigid economy on the part of
every branch of the public service is i'm
peratively demanded by the exigencies of the
national situation, and on this point the
President takes decided ground. Another
position which he assumes is the necessity
for "a reduction of interest account" by
which, we take it, he refers to such con-
solidation of our forms of indebtedness as
will reduce the annual interest on the debt to
the lowest figure consistent with national
honesty and national safety. Revenue
reform" says. the President, 'if it means
this, has my hearty support" But the
President, in common with the people of the
country, is in doubt as to what is meant by
the demagogues who are clamoriDg for "reve-
nue. reform, and he protests earnestly and
forcibly against any attempt to cripple the
resources, industries, and credit of the coun-
try by the pernicious doctrine of free trade,
or the attempt to impose all the burdens of
the war upon the people by direct taxation,
for the benefit of foreign manufacturers.
In the closing paragraph of the message,
the President enunciates clearly what he re-
CARDS as the true policy of the country. 1t is
satisfactory, as far as it goes, but there is
cause for regret that he does not dwell with
more force and detail upon the absorbing
question of administrative reform. He de-
mands reform in the whole civil service
of the country" but gives us no justification n
of the neglect on his part to attempt seriously
its Inauguration; he advocates a reduction
of taxation, $50 arranged as to afford relief
to the greatest NUMBER" but, unhsppily, has
not word to say against the obnoxious and
inquisitorial income tax, the continuance Of
which he again endorses by his silence on the
subject. On these two points the country
will justly express dissatisfaction, aud de
mand, before many days, decided action b!
Congress, even at the expense of rupture
more or less serious, with the Executive.
1t cannot be denied that the eourse of thu
administration has not received the full en-
dorsement of the party which placed it il