New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-04
Reducing the PubltC Debt and
Taxation.

The Administration of President GRANT and
a Republican Congress have persistently and
with malice aforethought put to shame all the
charges of corruption and prodgality preferred
against them, by steadily reducing the taxes of
the people, diminishing the public debt, reduc-
ing the expenses of the Government and by a
most rigid economy in all its departments.
So far from the fact that the people are taxed
10000, 900 less yearly than they were under
ANDY JOHNSON, that more than s2l0, 000, 900
of the public debt has been paid during
GRANTS Administration, the interest reduced
100000 annually, and the revenues of the
Government faithfully collected and appro-
priated, having any effect in modifying the
wrath of our opponents, it only seems to
make them ten-fold more bitter against the
Administration and the Republican party. In
deed, no greater injury could have been done
the rebel Democracy than giving the country
such overwhelming proof, month by month, of
the talsehood of all their charges Of dishonesty
and corruption. A reduction Of the taxes, and
so steady and rapid decrease Of the public
debt, is the very last thing they desire. To be
sure, 1t is by no aleans necessary TO the pur-
poses OF our unscrupulous opponents whether
they have any foundation for their charges or
not. Probably they would prefer some shadow
OF truth TO u,tify them, because they could
then be used to better advantage against us.
But this trihng consideration has never yet.
and never will, deter them from uttcrng their
glazing and stupendous falsehoods Indeed,
the failure of Republican President and q
Republican Congress to give them any pretext
for their charges of corruption and extrava-
gance, seems only to increase their bitterness
They look upon such delinquency as a'grievous
wrong to their party.
The last session Of Congress added largely to
this sort of grievance, and greatly stimulated
their already "red-hot' indignation by repeal
ing all taxes except those on fermented liquors,
spirits, tobacco, and incomes over two thousand
dollars-the latter a tax which reaches only
sixty thousand rich men in all the United
States. There will be after the first of Nav.
therefore, no taxes collected except from these
three sources-lquor, tobacco, and incomes
1t would have suited the interests of the rebel
Democracy much better if the Republicans had
retained the tax on the ten thousand articles
that were taxed under ANDY JOHNSON. Indeed,
they declared in their national platform of 1863
that the taxes should DO Uniform equal, and
universal! What glorious capital this would
have been for them
But Republican honesty good faith, and
patriotism has disappointed them, and now
they have nothing but bold, downright, unmiti-
gated falsehood to build upon. No other ad-
ministration since our Government existed and
no other colntry in all history, exhibits so
grand financial record as ours. 1t has been
paying off the Copperhead national debt at the
rate Of 100000, 900 year, and reducing the
taxes at the same rate. And the faster they
have diminished the debt and reduced the bur
dens of the people, the louder the rebel Democ-
racy howl, and the more Malignant and extrava-
CANT their charges against the Republican
E:arty May they never tire in the use of such
weapons