Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-08

ton of all the revenue for the support Of the
Government, for the payment OF principal and
interest of the public debt, pensions, etc.. BY
directly taxing the people, then am against t
revenue reform, and confidently believe the
people are with me.
If it means failure to provide the necessary
means to defray all expens es Of the Govt rn-
ment, and thereby Reputation OF the publc
debt and pensions, then am still more opposed
to such kind of revenue reform.
Revenue reform has not been defined by any
of its advocates to my knowledge, but seems
to be accepted as something which to supply
every mans wants without any cash or effort
on his part.
A true revenue reform connot be made in a
day, but must be the work of national legisla-
ton ard time. AS soon as the revenue can be
dispensed with, all duties SHOULD be removed
from sugar, coffee, tea and other articles OF
universal use not produced by ourselves. The
necessities of the country compel us to collect
revenue from our imports. An army OF asses
sors and collectors is not pleasant sight 10
the citizen; but that of tariff for revenue 1s
necessary. Such tariff, so far as 1T acts as an
announcement to home products, affords EN-
ployment to labor st living wages in contrast
to the cheap labor of the old world, and also
the development of home resources.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Under the act of Congress of the 10Th of July,
1870, the army has gradually been reduced go
that on the let of January, 1871, the number OF
commiss oned officers and men will not exceed
the number contemplated by that law.
The War Department building is an old struc-
tHre, not fireproof, and entirely inadequate in
dlminsions to our present wante. Many thou
sands of dollars are now paid annually for rents
of private buildings to accommodate the yari-
Gus bureaus of the department. l recommend
an appropriation for new war Department
building, suited to the present and growing
wants of the nation.
The report of the Secretary OF War shows a
very satisfactory reduction in the expenses Of
the army for the last fiscal year. For details
THE NAVY.
The expenses OF the navy for the whole OF the
last year, from December 1st, 1869, the date Of
the last report are less than O0J, or about
| 81 900 900 less than they were the previous
| year. The expenses since the commencement
of this fiscal, that is since July let, show for the
| five months decrease of over 81, 600 IRON
those of the corresponding months OF last year
The estimate for the current year was So
| GIL 81, those for next year is 800 6S3 3D. witt
| $685. 100 additional for necessary permanent i'm
provenents. These estimates are made closely
| for the mere maintenance of the naval establish
ment, as it now is without much in nature o.
permanent improvement. The appropriations
made by Congress for the last and current years
were evidently intended by Congress as sufi
| cient only to keep the navy on its present foot
| ing, by repairing and rcfitting of our old ships
| This policy must of course gradually but surely
destroy the navy, and it is in itself far from
economical, as each year that it is pursued the
| necessity for more repairs in ships and navy
| yards became more imperative and more costly
| and our current expenses are Annually increas
| ed for the mere repair of ships, many of which
| must soon become unsafe and useless.
hope during the present session OF Congress
| to be able to submit to 1t plan by which nava
-."Sc,s can be built with great saving upon the
~, ean hardly be wise statesman
| try with over fyefhousand miles of coast line OF
both Oceans, excepting, that of Alaska, anC
containing 400 0,oOO OF progressive people
| with relations OF every nature with each anC
every foreign country to rest with snch made
quate means of enforcing any foreign polio,
| either of protection or redress-separated b.
the Ocean from the nations eff the Eastern con
tinent, our navy is our only means of direc
protection to our citizens abroad or for thu
enforcement ofour foreign policy.