Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-12-15

338, 278.S7 for public works heretofore be.
gun under Congressional permission, and
of which only 80 much is asked as Con
gress may choose to give. The appropria-
ton for the same work for the present
fiscal year was $11, 1854, 51S.03.
CURRENCY, GOLD AND TAXES.
The average value of gold as compared
with national currency for the whole Of
the year 1859 was 1874, and for eleven
has been about lis. The approach to
cannot be denied that Instability of the
value of our currency is prejudicial to our
prosperity, and tends to keep up prices to
the detriment of trade. The evils of de-
prcciated and fiuctuating currency are SO
great that, now, when the premium On
gold has fallen so much, it would seem
that the time had arrived when by wise
and prudent legislation Congress should
look to policy which would place our
currency at par with gold at no distant
day. The tax collected from the people
has been reduced more than S80,OJ0.00O
per annum. BY steadiness in our present
course, there is no reason why in few
short years the national tax -gatherer NAV
not disappear from the door of the citizen
almost entirely.
With the revenue stamp dispensed nv
postmasters in every community, a tag
upon liquors of ali sorts aud tobacco in all
its forms. and by wise adjustment of the
tariff, which will put duty only upon
those articles which we could dispense
with, known as Injuries, and on tboss
which we use more Of than we produce
revenue enough may be raised after few
years OF peace and consequent reduction
of Indebtedness, to fulfill all our ob!iga-
tons; and further reduction~of expenses
in addition to reduction of interest
account may be relied on to make this
practicable
REVENUE REFORM. RH
Revenue reform, if it means this, has
my hearty support. If it implies colec-
ton of all the revenue for the support of
the Government, for the payment of prin-
cipal and interest Of the public debt, pen
sions, etc, by directly taxing the people,
then am against revenue reform, and con-
fidently believe the people are with me. If
it means failure To provide the necessary
means to defray the expenses of the Gov
eminent, and thereby reputation of the
public debt and pensions, then | am still
more opposed to such kind Of revenue re-
FORM
Revenue reform has not been defined by
any of its 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 rev.
enue reform cannot be made in day, but
must be the work of national legislation
and of time. AS soon as the revenue can
be dispensed with all duty should be re-
moved from coffee, tea, and other articles
of universal use not produced by ourselves.
The necessities of the country compel US
to collect revenue from our imports. An
army of assessors and collectors is not a
pleasant sight to the citizens, but that or a
tariff for revenue is necessary. Such a
tariff, so far as it acts in encouragement to
home products, affords employment to Ia
Dor at living wages in contrast to the pau
per'labor of the old world, and also in the
development of home resources Under
the act of Congress of the 18th day of July,
1870, the army has gradually been reduced,
so that on the first day Of January, 1871,
the number of commissioned officers and
men in all will not exceed the number con
templated by that law.
DEPAETMENI
The Department building is an old
structure, not fire-proof, and entirely in
adequate in dimensions to our present
wants. Many thousands of dollars are
now paid annually for rent of private
buildings to accommodate the various
Bureaus of the Department. recon-
mend an appropriation for a new War
Department building, suited to the present
opd rroUipo W. pfc nf thu nation
ARMY AND NAVY.
The report of the Secretary of War
shows very satisfactory reduction in the
expenses of the army for the last fiscal
year For details you are referred to lis
accompanying report. The expenses OF
the navy forth whole of last year, T. e.,
from December l, 1859, the date of the
last report, are less than $19,000,0G0, or
about $780, 600 less than they were the
previous year.
The expenses since the commencement
Of this fiscal year, t.e., since July l. show
for the five months a decrease of over
$2,400,000 from those of the correspond
ing months Of last year.
The estimates for the current year were
$28, 205, 76S.O5, Those for the next year
are $20,6S3,317, with 1856, 100 additional
for the necessary permanent improve
ments. These estimates are made closely
for the maintenance of the naval estab-
lishment as it now is, without much in the
nature of the permanent improvement.
The appropriations made for the last and
current years were evidently intended by
Congress and are sufficient only to keep the
navy on its present footing, by the repair
ing and renting OF our old ships. This
policy must of course gradually but surely
destroy the navy; and it is in itself far
from economical, as each year that it is
pursued the necessity for mere repairs in
ships and navy yards becomes more i'm
perative and more costly, and our current
expenses are annually increased for the
mere repair of ships, many of which must
soon become unsafe and useless.
l hope during the present session Of
Congress to be able to submit to it plan
by which naval vessels can be built and re-
pairs made with great saving upon the
present cost. 1t can hardly be wise states
manship of Government which repre-
sents country with over five thousand
miles Of coast line on both oceans, exclu-
sive of Alaska, and containing forty mil
lions of progressive people, with relations
Of every nature with almost every foreign
country, to rest with such inadeouate