The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-01-14
LEGISLATION.

The National Congress, after shor
holiday recess, has again assembled
Prior to adjournment but little business
of importance was transacted. A con.
siderable amount of time is always nec-
essarily consumed in getting into good
working order. On reassembling, how
ever, there was no need of DELAY, and
Congress was enabled to 60 immediate
~ 10 work.
The work OF Reconstruction will prob
ably be the first important matter to de-
mand the attention of Congress. The
case Of Virginia will be first attended
to. II is feared that greater difficulty
than was At first apprehended will be
experienced by the members elect in
gaining admission. Ii has been discov-
cred that all of the requisite conditions
have not been complied with. The
members have taken no test-oath, not
even that prescribed by the 18th amend
ncnt. senator Sumner proposes to
make them take the iron-clad oath be-
fore receiving them, but this would be
unnecessarily severe, as thus far Virgin
ia has acted in better faith than most of
the Gebel States.
We hope that first of all Congress
will abolish the Franking privilege.
For years heretofore the expenditures
Of our postal system have exceeded the
receipts, rendered SO by reason of this
unrighteous measure, which every year
allows tuns of mail matter to float over
the land without postage. Had it not
been for this privilege the receipt for the
last year in the Post Office Department
would have largely exceeded the ex-
penditures. The people cry aloud for
its summary repeal. Let Congress heed
the cry.
Our tax laws need looking after. The
income tax, if il did not expire this year
by Limitation, ought to be removed from
our statute books. A war measure, it
subserves no longer the object for which
It was created. 1t has always been most
annoying to the people by prying into
their private affairs. 1t is moreover I'M
fair. A man living in New York City
whose income is $4,000, pays just as large
tax as the man living in Emporia
whose income is the same, while the
latter is i'm far better circumstances than
the former, and can afford to pay double
the amount of tax, and this Is because
one can live far cheaper here than in
New York City. But this tax more than
any other, and in fact more than all 9TH
ers combined, furnishes occasion for
attI nd Inv
nine-tenths OF the wealthy (whose king
is certainly not conscience) invariably
report false and insufficient incomes.
In all its features it is n grievous and in
tolerable thing, and we hope it will not
he reimpOsed.
Before the Solons of our own State
there is not n very large amount of i'm
portant matter demanding legislation,
and short session is anticipated. Our
taxes need reducing, and perhaps there
is nothing else more needful to be look
ell after. We can get along with fewer
appropriations and smaller State ex-
penses. Let contraction be kept steadi-
~ in view. We ought to get out of
debt a. State, and we can do it in a
short time If we are not cursed with I'M
wise legislation with regard to our fl
nances. Let our taxes be considerably
reduced and our expenses considerably
more reduced, and the day of our free
dom from debt will not be far remote.
Iowa. we believe, is the only State which
has no state debt. Let Kansas be the
first To follow her example.
There will probably be a movement
made for the repeal of the law provid-
-, for the election of Congressman.
Our State is now entitled to three
representatives instead of one in the
National Congress, and no better OF
more expeditions method for obtaining
this representation to which we are en-
titled has yet been suggested than that
of revoking the law whereby we elect
one Congressman, and calling an extra
session of the Legislature after the CEN
sus has been taken and Congress acted
thereon, to redistrict and provide for the
election Of the proper number of repre-
scntatives. We await the action of ouI
Legislators with the confidence that what
lies before them to do will be done with
that foreth ought, wisdom and dispatch
which shall gain for them the hearty
appreciation of the people of Kansas