The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-29
EXPENDITURES OF TIE WAR DEPARTMENT DURING
-Four years. ....................

as shown officially, and IS stated in the
address of the Republican Congressional
Committee, amount to S57,655 ,675.40
This is more than $40 900, 900 in excess of
the highest expenditures Of the War De-
partment for any one year during the
prosecution of the Mexican war. It is
nearly 100000 in excess of the entire
expenditures of Folks Administration for
all purposes-army, navy, civil list, Indi-
ans, pensions, Post Office Department,
etc, during any one year of the Mexican
war. Grants Administration is certainly
a marvel of economy! But am willing
to leave these figures to be studied and
mastered by an intelligent and candid
people.
1t is certainly no matter of wonder that,
with all these evidences of wssteful ex-
penditures before him, the Chairman of
the Committee on Appropriations should,
from his place in the House, have spoken
OF it more In sorrow than in anger. l
read again from the speech of Mr.. Dawes,
of the 18th of January last:
Mr.. Dswes-I have right to complain of the
other end Of the avenue. that with all its profes
sions OF economy and reduction of unnecessary
TO ce in the depaItm with all the heralding by
telegraph or otherwise of its purpose oireduciCn,
there is not one OF these departments that does
lO- cStlmd'e To-Day. IN the DOON nave before me.
for an Increase of expenditure over the apprOpria
tons OF last year save only one, and that Is the
poor. unpopular Attorney General. hope it is
not because OF this remarkable trait il his charac
ter ttat It is contemplated the other end Of this
Capitol to relieve him from further public service,
and TO drive him into private life"
After showing I'D and commenting on
the utter Generalization and prof1ieacy of
Congress and the Administration, as seen
in the reckless waste and corrupt squan-
deripg of the public domains, Mr. Mar
shall paid his respects to the platform,
adopted by the late Republican State
Convention of illinois, which he justly
pronounced shameless and humiliating
evasion of all the vital questions that in
terest the great body of the Western peo-
pie. He then took up the question OF the
reduction of taxes" and spoke rs fol-
lowsl:
We hear great deal Of self glorifca-
ton from our Republican friends for the
reduction of taxes by the act of July last.
| wish we had time to analyZe that set,
and discuss it item by item. | hope to do
so at an early day, that the people may
understand the resi- character of the law.
| can only say now that the mass
OF the people will wait a long time
before they realize the promised relief l
am Sorry to say, but am compelled to
say, that whether it is in the imposition
or reduction OF taxes, the party in power
never fails to discriminate in favor OF the
wealthy and against the poor msn. You
AL remember that when the tax was some
time back imposed on manufacturers,
Congress at the same time raised the
tsrif so that the manufacturers could add
The tax which they paid to the price OF
their goods, and collect it OF the cCnsu M
ers tbereof-the laborers, farmers and
mechanics of the country. This was
deemed to be good arrangement for the
manufacturers, and they at the time pro-
fessed themselves satisfied with it, The
revenue derived from this tax amounted
TO about $50 0o0,0o0, which the manufac-
turers regularly collected, with as much
more as they could add thereon, from the
consumers of their productions. The
manufacturers, however, soon rallied,
went in body to Congress, and sue
ceeded in having this tax imposed
upon them for the benefit of government,
repealed. But the tax which was at the
same time imposed upon the laborers, the
mechanics and farmers for the benefit OF
the manufacturers, Congress then refused
and has ever since refused, to repeal And
you are paying this tax now, every day
OF your lives, on every POUND of salt
every hat, and boot, and shoe, and coat,
and every plOw and hoe, on all wearing
apparel for your wives or children that
you buy or use. The taxes were repealed
and the revenue reduced $80,0C0,000
without the mass of the people receiving
any relief thereby.
And so it will be found with the act oil
July last. With the exception of The
slight reduction of the tax On
coffee, tea and sugar, that will
scarcely be felt or realized, the Law
scarcely holds out even a promise Of
any material relief 20 the great body O
the people. But there was another class
of our suffering fellow mortals for whom
the compassionate bowels or Radical
CONGRESS were wonderfully Exercised. The
bankers were an unfortunate class who
had not been making on an average ex
ceeding so per cent. On their capital. Con
gress therefore interposed and took eff the
Especial taxes" INCLUDING those on bank
ers), amounting to $10,674 600. The greai
railroad corporations of the country, anG
the like, were also in great distress, arc
Congress therefore interpOsed and TOOK
oil the tax ON gross receipts, amounting
to Sc, 7S4 900 Vanderbilt, Jim Fisk sn(
company will doubtless be duly grateful
for the timely relief a. T. Stewart, Viii
ll1m 3 Astur, and other large capitalist!
bad Also fallen into great distress and SO
the income tax was reduced over $50
000000
These taxes had all been assessed fol
the benefit Of the Government, and wher
collected were paid into the Treasury
But the taxes which are levied upon ths
people for the benefit of the msnutactur
ers, and which go into their tills the ta1
on salt, on cotton and wooden goods, or
hats, boots and shoeC On wearing appare
OF all kinds on farming Implements OF
nearly every thing, in fact, that enters into
the daily use of the labOrer, the farmer
and the mechanic still remain 90 high al
ever, and Congress utterly refused TO re
peal or reduce them The manufacture
ers, however, were again in distress, anC
consequently lurge number of articles
that entered into their manufactures wer,
placed on the free list, and thus a reduc
ton OF few more millions of the taxes
was effected for their benefit. And while
this was being done, the tax on steel rail:
were raised several dollars per ton, fol
the benefit of ring of which distin
guished member of Congress was The
head centre"
And this, my friends, is the wonderfu
reduction of taxes about which We hay.
heard so much. 1t is of q piece with al
their legislation on these subjects. 1t re
licVes the wealthy, and leaves labor still
| oppressed with its burdens. They are
certainly welcome to all the glory they
viii get for such legislation, when it il
properly understood.
| CONCLUSION.
My friends, the Democratic party ia ira
ditionally the party of the people Oul
home is not with the princes OF the earth
or those who seek lordly grants anC
special favors by legislation. Our home
IS with the great, honest, toiling masses
OF the people. We are sometimes called
by way of derision, the unwashet
Democracy" because the begrimtd ant
sweating son of toll turns instnctively tt
Z r. q ffkrx A