The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-16
Greuing Telegraph
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER is, 1870.
REYENUE Reform.

The free-trsders have begun to use the
term 'revenue reform" as a partisan watch
word, and with them It means nothing more
nor less than taking off the duties on imports
and placing them upon home productions
It certainly needs no very elaborate display
of facts and figures to prove that the only
true revenue reform will be just the opposite
of this, and that what the country needs is to
have the internal taxes reduced to mini
mum, and abolished altogether wherever 1t
can be done.
The receipts of the Treasury during the
first quarter of the present fiscal year were
$115, 101, ,230'75. The expenditures during
the same period were $86, 562, ,920 '83, which
leaves q surplus of $28, ,53S, 30992. The
balance in the Treasury on the 30th of Sep
tember, 1870, was $133, 1O3, 1881. These
figures are amply sufficient to prove that
there is good ground for the kind of revenue
reform that the friends of the industrial
interests of the country demand. The ques-
ton for the administration now is, Shall the
President indicate policy of revenue re-
form, or wait for the candidate of the Chi
oago Tribune to inaugurate it? The ques-
tion for the people is, Shall revenue reform
begin at home or abroad ?
OF the receipts quoted above, $57, 729,-
473'57 were received from customs, while in
ternal revenue produced $40, 147, 1877 90.
The internal taxes, il will be understood,
have been reduced, to take effect from Octo-
ber L, 1870, and part from May 1, 1871, and
also that the reduction of tariff rates ensues
from and after December 81, 1870. As the
- Ill
be sufficiently large, even after all these re-
duotions 60 into effect, to enable it to pay
off annually large proportion of the princi-
pal of the public debt and yet to carry large
balances, will the people of the country be
satisfied to pay income tax rather than Gus
toms duties, or to pay the tariff on food and
raw material instead of continuing fair
competitive imposts on articles of foreign
manufacture which are in direct antagonism
with our own productions
Congress at its last session refused to abo-
lish the income tax, and the elections that
have just been held demonstrate that the
people have condemned its action. Dissatis-
faction with the illiberal construction of the
excise laws on the part of the officials, and
the continuance of certain unpopular internal
taxes, were among the most potent Influences
against which the Republican party had to
contend at the last election, and they came
very near causing the election of Demo-
cratic majority in Congress. Democratic
rule would be neither safe nor pleasant in the
present condition of the country, and it there
fore behooves the administration to declare
openly and fairly for the kind of revenue
reform we have indicated. Let all
internal taxes except those upon distilled
spirits, fermented liquors, tobacco. cigars,
and stamps be abolished and take off the re-
mainder of the impost upon tea and coffee,
and revenue reform will be accomplished
that will not only satisfy the people, but that
will encourage and stimulate every depart
ment of industry and enterprise. That this
reform is demanded by the people the recent
elections plainly indicate, and if the President
takes his stand firmly and squarely as its al
vooate he will certainly be sustained by the
people. The President made serious mis-
take in recommending the continuance of
and we believe that he has now discovered
the fact for himself. At the commencement
of his administration he said that ''the ex-
pressed will of the people" should guide his
policy; and there has certainly been q plain
enough expression of opinion upon this sub
jeot to excuse him from the necessity of any
doubt or hesitation with regard to the desire of
the people that the internal taxes shall be done
away with altogether, SO far az is practicable.