The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-12-06
would.place our currency at par with
gold at no distant day.
TAXES Axr REvESUE REFORM.

TAXES ANP REVENUE REFORM.
The taxes collected have been reduce,
more than eighty million dollars pc
annum, By steadineSs in our presen
course there is no reason why, in a fev
short years, the national tax gathere
may not disappear from the door OF tn,
citizen almost entirely. With herevenu,
stamps dispensed by the postmasters IN
every community; tax upon llquor'
Of all sorts and tobacco in all its forms
and by a wise adjustment Of the tariff
which will put duty only upon those
articles which one could dispense with
known as luxuries, and those which VT
use more of than we produce, revenue
enough may be raised after few year:
of peace and CONSEQUENT reduction
of Indebtedness TO fulfil all our obliga-
tions. A further reduction of the ex
pense in addition to reduction OF the In
interest account may be relied to make
this practicable. Revenue reform, if il
means this, it has my hearty support; il
it implies collection of all the revenue
for the support Of the government, on
the payment of the principal and inter
est Of the public debt, pensions, &c, by
directly taxing the people, then am
against revenue reform and | conf
IDENTIFY believe the people are with me.
If it means failure to provide the
necessary means to defray all the ex'
penses Of the Government, and thereby
the reputation OF the public debt and
pensions, then am still more opposed
to such kind of revenue reform. Rev
enue 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 revenue reform cannot be made
in day, but must be the work Of ma
tional legislation and Of time.
As soon as the revenue can be dis
pensed with, all duty should be re-
moved from coffee, tea and other arti-
cles of universal use not produced by
ourselves. The necessities of the coun-
try compel us to collect revenue from
our imports. An army of assessors
and collectors is not pleasant
sight to the citizen, but that
or tariff for revenue is neces-
sary. Such a tariff, so far as it acts in
encouragement to home products, affords
employment to labor at living wages,
in contrast to the pauper 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 WAR DEPARTMENT.
The army has gradually been re-
duced 80 that on the lst of January,
1871, the number of commissioned
officers and men will not exceed the
number contemplated by law. The
war department building ia an old struc,
ture, not tire-proof and entirely made
quate in dimensions to our present
wants. Many thousands Of dol
lars are now paid annually for
the rent of private buildings to
accommodate the various bureaus OF
the Department. recommend an ap-
preparation for q new War Department
building suited to the present and grow
ing wants Of the nation. The report of
the Secretary OF War shows a very
satisfactory reduction in the expenses
OF the army for the last fiscal year.
For the details you are referred to his
accompanying report. The expen-
ses Of the navy for the
whole of the last year, that
is from December, 1869, the date
of the last report, are less than $29, ,O0O-
900, or about 81 100000 less than they
were the previous year.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The expenses of the Navy Department
in this fiscal year since July lst, show
for the five months a decrease OF over
$2,400,000 from tn ose Of the cor
responding months Of last year
The estimates for the current year
were 81, 800, 56T SO; those for next year
ale $20,6S3,3l7, with $975,0O0 addi-
tional for temporary and permanent i'm
provements. These estimates are made
closely for the maintenance Of the naval
establishment, as it now is without
much in the nature Of permanent i'm
provement. The appropriations were
made for the last and current years and
were evidently intended by Congress,
and are sufficient only TO keep the navy
on its present footing, and the repairing
and refitting of our old ships. This
policy must OF course gradually, but sure
" destroy the navy, and it is in itseli
far from economical, as each
year that it is pursued the ne
cessity for more repairs in ships
and navy yards, &c, become more i'm
perative and more costly, and our cur
rent expenses are actually increased for
the mere repair Of ships, many Of
which must soon he unseaworthy and
useless. | hope duripg the present
session Of Congress to be able to
submit to it a plan by which
naval vessels can be built and re-
paired, made with great saving upon
the present cost. 1t can hardly be
wise craftsmanship in a government
which represents a country with over
four thousand miles OF coast line on
both oceans, exclusive of Alaska, and
containing forty millions Of progressive
people with relations of every nature
with almost every foreign country; to
rest with such Inadequate means Of en-
forcing any foreign policy ofprotection or
redress. Separated by the ocean from
the nations OF the British continent our
navy is our only means Of direct protec-
ton to our citizens abroad, or for the
enforcement Of any foreign policy.
POSTAL MATTERS.
The accompanying report Of the Post
master General shows a most satisfac-
tory working Of that department. With
the adoption Of the recommendations