North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-01-12
Take of the Taxes.

rake on the Taxes.
We are reducing the national debt more
rapidly than is necessary or wise. The
burdens of taxation for the. current ex-
penditures are heavy; the burdens Of tax
alton tor this purpose, and thai. of paying
one hundred millions of debt annually,
are too much..for the nation to bear and
prosper. They repress the national
growth, and very materially rctard its
progress. An army can march without
difficulty when each soldier carries mus
ket, knapsack, haversack, extra blanket,
cooking vessels,.a roast pig, confscated
turkey, and portable. barracks; but when
in addition to this the soldiers are made
caissons out Of, and baggage wagons. they
break down. 1t is the light troops which
make the long marches and win the most
victories. We shall the sooner get to the
end of our debt, paradoxical as it may
seem, BY NOT burdening ourselves too
heavily with taxation at the present time,
or at any time for that matter.
These burdens may be lightened very
greately in two ways: First by taking
off certain tariffs upon imported goods
which bring but little revenue to the gov
eminent, yet cost the people large sums Of
money. Take the article Of salt. for in
stance. It yields a revenue of only about
one and quarter millions. But to sus-
tain the Syracuse monopoly the whole
people are compelled to pay enhanced
prices for this prime necessity in every
household and in many Of the important
industries Of the country. Goals anoth-
er article on which the duty cannot be too
soon repealed. More poor people suffer
from want of fuel than from want of food.
The duty on this necessity is simply a
measure in the direction of freezing peo-
pie to deatf.. The revenue derived from
it is considerable. Moreover, it is raw
material in almost every manufacture. 1t
is that which drives every engine in the
land. There are hundreds, yea, thou
sands, of other articles from which the du'
ty should be removed. They afford little
revenue, but they suffice to cause enhanc.
ed prices and..to needlessly vex and tram
mel trade. We refer here to drugs, chem
icals, "Brazil bugs" sourkrout, apple
sauce, benzinc, and hundreds of other ar
ticles on which there are duties for no
other purpose on earth, it should seem,
than to worry the very life out ofbusiness
and trade. Whether "Pfotcction" be
right, or whether free trade be right, the
duties on the prime necessities Of life, and
on thousand things which bring little
revenue and great trouble, with enhanced
prices for consumers, cannot be too soon
taken of. Every human being capable of
reasoning at all, and not interested in some
protected" swindle, will agree to this.
There are many ways, too, in which
The burdens Of taxation resulting from the |
internal revenue system might be greatly
ightened, with notable benefit to the gem
,ral body polite. The rate of the income
Ak might well be reduced, and in many |
'ther particulars internal taxation could
,e altogether taken of, to the great ad-
'antage of the national industry. The
annual taxation from customs and internal |
evenuc might well be reduced ono hun
lred millions under present rates. We
night then, by further retrcnchmcnt
n the current expenses Of the govern.
nent and by efficient collections, be able
0 pay fifty millions of the debt a year. |
IND that this is enough for this genera
ion, which poured out life and blood to
ave the country, no one need argue. But
that consideration were not enough this
urely should be: That national prosperi-
J and progress can only be rapid and
permanent on the removal Of many of the
urdens which now Cypress the people.
let US have lighter taxes as the first step
n the way to resumption and a normal
condition of trade.
i