The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-28
MR.. DELANO'S REPORT.


OK our first page this afternoon we print
full abstract of what is perhaps the most i'm
portant public document which the country
will be called upon to read during the en-
suing month. So much of our national reve-
nue. is derived at present from internal
sources, and the system of internal taxation
is such an anomaly in this country, that the
operations of the Bureau from the head of
which Mr.. Delano recently retired are of
paramount importance. Mr.. Delanos last
official act as Commissioner of Internal Reve-
nue. was the writing of, this report, and it
consequently contains his parting recon-
mendations on the subject of our internal
revenue.
The recommendations made by the retiring
Commissioner should receive the earnest
attention of Congress and the country. He
is opposed to any change whatever in the tax
on spirits, believing that such changes will be
of no benefit to the country. On the next
question of Importance, the taxation of
tobacco, Mr.. Delano takes opposite ground,
and favors change that will
make the burdens heaped upon
tobacco uniform. Among other points
upon which he dwells are the necessity for
radical changes in our bonded warehouse sys-
tenn, and complete revision of the tax-bill
which was hurried through Congress at the
close of the last session, and which, as he
clearly elbows, is full of inconsistencies and
mistakes. We commend the entire docu-
ment to the careful attention of our readers.
THE REPORTED FRENOH VICTORY.
CABLE DISPATCHES announce that gleat ba'-
tie is pending in France, and that the French
forces have been victorious iu the prelimi-
nary skirmishes. This news comes from
Tours, and as we have no coufrmation of it
from German Sources it should be received
with caution. The reported battle may turn
out to be an unimportant struggle between
a comparatively small body of Germans, sent
out to feel the enemy, or it may be that Won
Moltke is at last making determined effort
to gobble up Paladnes army. The
pressure of public sentiment from Germany
is strongly prompting the invading armies
to speedily make an imposing demonstration
of some kind, and as Paris cannot now be
prudently assaulted, the next best thing is to
bag another French army. However glorious
the capture of the French capital may be, it
seems a lame and impotent conclusion to
follow up the victories at Weissenburg,
Gravelotte, and Sedan with a wearying siege
which involves the confession that hunger
must be called in as German ally;
and if, by any chance, Trochu
escapes tho tolls of the besiegers, and
Paladines overmatches the forces sent
against him, there is a possibility that the
Germans plny yet be as anxious to get out
of Franco as they were to get into it. Signs
of German discomfort and Of diversity of SEN
timent among the German leaders are at last
manifested. The interviewers report that
Bismarck complains bitterly of Won Moltke s
determination to trust to famine for the re-
duction of Paris and of the course Of Ger
man politics, which is creating mere half
hearted confederation instead of a firmly
united Fatherland. If the arm of the vctors
can be weakened by these strifes at moment
when the French, rising from the depths of
despair, are creating effective armies from
raw recruits, the tide of battle may yet turn,
and the ownership of Alsace and Lorraine
still be involved in doubt
"A despatch received just as We go to
press with our early edition discredits the
reported French victory, and states that the
French forces were repulsed at several points