The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-02-17
TIL Il PILOT
Twenty Millions from Wisconsin

Twenty Millions from Wisconsin !,
The books Of the commissioners of in
ternal revenue show that there have been
collected in Wisconsin, during the fiscal
year ending December 81, 1869, an agere>
gate Of ten millions of dollars in taxes for
federal purposes. The total value Of all
| property in the state, both real and per>
sonal is $427 ,627 1856. 1t will, therefore,
! be seen that We have paid to tbs general
government in direct taxes two and one
third per cent. of the assessed value of the
entire property Of the state. Probably as
much more va, taken from US by means Of
/ indrec, taxes on articles Of cousum ption-
necessaries for the table, articles Of apparel,
tools for the farm and every other article
used or consumed by the people. 1t i. safe
therefore, to say that Wisconsin has paid
! to the general government in 1869 an az
grsgate OF twenty millions Of dollars And
for what purpose have we been 10 heavily
J taxed?
Firs, Of all We have been taxed to pay
the interest on the public debt and the Lex
ltmate expenses of maintaining the gov
ernmcnt. We do not complain at being
compelled to pay our share Of these expen-
ses, provided they are kept within legiti
mate bonds.
But the strictly legitimate expenses of
the government are but an uncomfortable
7 item in the entire volume Of our expenses
We have been compelled to pay over a
million dollar, to defray the expenses, of
members of congress who have occupied
| their SUNNI er and fall vacation by trips TO
the Pacific coast, TO the south, and to all
quarters Of the country on sham Lu iness.
The cost OF the visit Of single committee
to Louisiana for the assumed purpose of
investigating into the validity Of the last
congressional election, amounted to about
s35, 900. Again, We have paid the e1pen.
ses OF sloop of war detailed to convey the
president on his pleasure trip to the wat
erIng places last sumner-another needless
extravaganza. Our navy department, too
has been SO managed as TO increase cur *
/ pcnses about fourteen millions Of dollars
I NIhout occasions for suoh prerara tons our
entire navy has been placed on war i5ot-
ius, ,i.u oiL o.i-. ,!.:"es ~l..-".~L, ..e-> >
! sound IN every Iespect sold for q song OF
rcnudcled So as 10 cost the government as
much as new craft, and the entire machin-
airy of the department rendered doubIy ex
pcnsiye.
Our army is also useless!y large. We
! now maintain over fifty thousand men, be
! sides complement of officers sufficient for
! number of men and one fourth the number
Of officers would be sufficient for every need
! of the government.
/ The reconstruction measures of congress,
originated and carried out for the purpose
of maintaining radical supremacy at the
! polls, has cos, many millions, and yet the
/ people have derived no benefit but positive
/ detliment thercfrom
a horde of greedy eeches iatten on the
government throughout the country. The
multitude of new officers created by the
party in power serve only to fa.ten the ia
vorilcs OF the party. They do nos serve
any useful purpose, but the people are com
| PEELED to pay for them ALL
We might multiply instances innumer-
able TO prove that the expenses Of the gov
ernmsnt are needlessly large Probabl,
nine tenths Of the twenty millions taken
! from the people of Wisconsin annually arc
squandered uselessly. The remaining two
millions arc probably expended honestly
With these facts before them is it any
wonder thar the people complain Of excess
sive taxation?