The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-01-06
Renefcence Made Easy.
From the New York Evening Post:


The most magnificent act of benefcence
which it was ever in the power of any
body of men to perform, is that to which
Congress is almost driven by the over
flowing treasury of the country on one
side, and its tax-oppressed people on the
other; that of remitting all superfuous
and burdensome taxation Mr.. Wells has
shown that the repeal of duties which
now yield fifty millions of dollars will
actually relieve the people, by the reduc-
ton IN cost Of the necessaries of life, to
the extent of one hundred and fifty
millions of dollars per anum. This
amount represents the food of a million
of people; or the difference between Bit
ing poverty and comparative comfort to
one-tenth of our whole population. The
act Of repeal would do more to diminish
future pauperiem and crime, and to elevate
the standard of material comfort, and, Ill
timately that of intellectual and moral
life, throughout the country, than all the
gifts of private charity the world ever saw.
This would be done by it, even if all
the taxation RENTED were clear loss of
revenue. But nothing is more certain than
that the new impulse given by such relief
to the industry and trade of the country
would add greatly to the productiveness
of the taxes retained. The example of
Englnd has demonstrated nothing SO clear
ly as the wonderful elasticity of revenue
under successive reductions of duties. She
now receives from ten articles more mon
ey than she was able to collect genera
ton ago from two thousand. There is no
financial prediction more certain than this:
that the present tax laws Of this country
if continued without change, would yicld
less revenue in the next ten years togeth-
er, than law which should add nine
tenths of the articles now taxed to the free
list and reduce the duties on many
more.
No one disputes Mr.. Wells's estimate,
that the surplus revenue for the current
fiscal year, under the present law, will be
at least $124,000,000 1t is likely to be
much more. But-a great part of this sum
is wrung from the past saVingsof ouren now
depressed industry and trade. It is not
reasonable that at least twothirdssof it
be left, as General jackson used to say,
"to fructifyin the pockets of the people?"
Let taxes now yielding eighty millions of
dollars be repealed, and the effect will be
felt at once in stimulating the productive
ness of other taxes, 50 that the surplus for
the next year can hardly fall short of
sixty millions, and will rapidly increase
with each succeeding year.
The Tribune of Wednesday morning says:
Whenever we can spare forty millions per
annum ofour present revenue, we presume
that not less than two-thirds Of all the articles
now subjected to taxation whether internal
or by tariff may be added to the free list at
once. This would greatly reduce the cost and
trouble of assessing and collecting taxes and
render inevitable reduction of the force now
employed in the service" 1.E
This is nquestionably true; and the
right time for relieving, especially the
raw materials of industry, and the food,
clothing and tools of the people from eve
ry burden, is now.