The Van Buren press., 1870-12-13


years, the national tax gatherer may not
disappear from the door OF the citizen
almost entirely With the revenue stamps
dispensed by postmasters in every COM
munity. tax upon liquors Of oil sorts,
and tobacco In all its forms, and by wise
adjustment of the tariff, which viii put 3
duty only upon those articles which No
could dispense with known - luxuriss,
and on those which We use more Of than
we have produced, revenue enough may
be raised, after few years of peace and
consequent reduction Of Indebtedness, TO
fulfill all our obligations. A further re-
duction Of expenses In addition to r.
duction Of interest account. may barelied
on 10 make this practicable.
HIS POSITION ON REVENUE REroRA.
Revenue reform, II Ii means this. Las
my earnest support. 1t it implies col
lection OF all the revenue for the support
Of the government, for the payment Of
the principal and interest OF the public
debt, pensions, etc, by directly taxing
the people, then am against revenue re-
form and confidently believe the people
are with me. II it means failure to pro-
vide the necessary means to defray all
the expenses Of the government and there
by reputation Of the public debt and
pensions, then am still more opposed
to such kind OF revenue reform. Revenue
reform has not been defined b; any ofits
advocates to my knowledge, but seems
to be accepted as something which Is TO
supply every mans wants without any
cost or effort on his part. A true reve.
nue. reform cannot be made in a day, but
must be the work Of national legislation
and of time. As soon as tho revenue can
be dispensed with, all duty should be re-
moved from coffee, tea and other articles
Of universal use not produced by our
selves The necessities Of the country
compel us to collect revenue from our
imports. An army OF assessors and col
lectors is not pleasant sight TO the citi
zens, but that on tariff for revenue 10
necessary. Such tariff, SO far as 1t acts
in encouragement Of home products. AZ
fords employment to labor at living
wages, in contrast to the paupsr labor Of
the old world, and assists In the develop
ment of home resources.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The management OF Indian affairs has
received special attention BY the admin
istration from its Inauguration to tho
present day. The experiment of making
it system Of missionary agencies, given
to the denomination OF Friends, has been
foun to work most advantagcously All
agencies and superintendencies not so
disposed of were given to officers Of the
army. The act Of Congress reducing
the army renders army officers ineligible
] fs,r civil nnsitinns lndian anonaiaa- -ha-
the agencies to such religious denomina-
tons as had heretofore established mis-
sionaries among the Indians. aud per.
haps to some other denominations, who
would undertake the work on the same
terms as missionary work The socie-
ties selected are allowed to name their
own agents, subject to the approval OF
the executive, and are expected to watch
over them and aid them as missionaries
to christianizc and civiize the Indian and
to train him in the arts of peace. The
government watches over the official acts
Of these agents and requires of them as
strict an accountability us If they we're ap-
pointed in any other manner. ! entertain
the confident hope that the policy now
pursued will, in few years, bring all In
dians upon reservations, where they will
live in houses; have school houses and
churches will be pursuing peaceful and
self. sustaining avocations, and where
they may be visited by the law abiding
white man with the same impunty that
he now visits the civilized white settle.
ment.
! call your attention to the report Of
the commissioner Of fIndian affairs for full
information on this3 3subject.
EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE.
The subjects of education and agricul.
ture are OF great interest to the success
of our republican institutions, happiness
and grandeur as nation. In the inter.
ests Of one q bureau has been established
in the Interior department-the bureau
Of education, and in the interests of the
other separate department, that Of az.
riculture. believe great general good
is to flow from the operations Of both
these bureaus il properly fostered. ]
cannot commend to your careful consid.
erallOu 100 HiSHiy Tue Ieports VI SuU
commissioners Of education and Of agri.
culture, nor urge too strongly such lib
eral legislation as to secure their eficieu.
cy.
4 POLICY OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
In conclusion, would sum up the
policy os the administration to be thor.
ough enforcement OF every law; q faith.
full collection of tax provided for; econo.
my in the di bursement Of the same; .
prompt payment of the debt Of the No.
ton; reduction Of taxes as rapidly ~
the requirements of the country will ad-
nit; reduction Of taxation and tariff to
be so arranged as to afford the greatest
relief to the greatest number; honest and
fair dealings with all other people to the
end that war, with all its blighting con-
sequences, may be avoided, but without
surrcndering any right or obligation due
to the United States; a reform in the
treatment of the Indians and in the whole
! civil service Of the country and finally,
in securing pure. untrammced ballot,
where every man entitled to cast vote
may do so just once at each election
without fear Of molestation or proscrip-
tion on account of his political faith, ma