The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-24
sP1R1T or TEE RRuss.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-CempiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
RUMORS OF A CHANGE IN THE CABI-
NET AND RETIREMENT OF MR..
BOUTWELL,.


A rumor comes again Washington that
Secretary Boutwell, will soon retire from the
Treasury Department. His successor, it is
said, will be Senator Morton, of Indiana. The
reason assigned for MIR. Boutwell's retirement
is that the President regards the financial
policy of the Secretary as unpopular aud
damaging TO the administration. Whether the
old saying, that where there is much smoke
there must be some fire, be applicable or not to
the rumors about Mr.. Boutwell, going out of
the Treasury, there can be no doubt that the
reason assigned for his retirement is a good
one He has been q weakness and drag to
the administration all along; he has done
nothing to make it popular, and had it not
been for the superabundant resources of the
country and the enormous revenue, which
have kept the Treasury on a high tide of pros
perity, and enabled the Government to pay
off large amount of debt, public opinion
would have set strongly against him long
since. The people have borne heavy taxation
with patience, and have lost sight in q mea-
sure of Mr.. Boutwells incapacity because
they felt some qualification at seeing the debt
greatly reduced. But the credit of hoving a
vast income is not due to the Secretary; that
comes from the enormous wealth, resources,
and industry of the country.
But there are two sides to this question of
raising vast surplus revenue and paying off
the debt SO rapidly; and Mr.. Boutwell, has
been on the wrong side, as far as any action
he has taken in the matter goes. What the
country most needed after the bulk of the
floating war debt was paid or adjusted was a
reduction of taxation-a rem oval of its bur-
dens-and limited income only for econom-
cal current expenditures and a nall sinking
fund. That would have stimulated industry
and enterprise, improved the condition of the
people and increased trade and commerce.
The money unnecessarily extracted from the
pockets of the people to keep the Treasury
gorged would, if left with them, have created
more wealth, have placed the country In a
better condition to pay the debt hereafter,
and have checked extravaganza and corrup-
ton. The Secretary did not or would not
see this. He had but one idea, and that was
to keep the Treasury full-to keep on hand
all the time from hundred to hundred and
fifty millions of dollars, and to pay off the
debt at the rate of hundred millions year,
in order that he might make political
capital. Then, at the bottom of this
extravagant and burdensome financial
policy, there has always been another
one which springs from Mr. Boutwell's New
,m,'cnland ~ protective education and notions.
He has been conscious that the larger the
revenue exacted from the peopie the more
protection would necessarily be afforded to
the New England manufacturers In taxing
revenue the home manufacturers are pro-
tected, and the higher price they get in con-
sequence from the consumers is as much q
bonus as if the money were paid directly out
of the Treasury or transferred directly from
the pockets of the people to the msnufac-
turers.' Here, then, was a double motive for
the Secretary to oppose the reduction of tax
alton and to keep up an enormous surplus
revenue-to promote his own political aspira-
tions and to serve his New England friends.
Mr. Boutwell, has overreached himself and
damaged both the administration and his
party We should not be surprised, there
fore, if General Grant is waking up to this
fact and should desire change in his Cabi-
net. The divisions in the Republican party
on various grounds are embarrassing the ad-
ministration, but none are likely to prove
more disastrous to it than the difference that
exists between the Eastern and Western Re-
publicans on revenue and tariff issues. The
revenue reformers, who are for the most
part fragment of the Republican
party, are numerous in the West, and
have no interest in common with the
New England protectionists. AS an
agricultural people those of the West natu
rally incline more to free-trade. Many o.
them, it is true, are from the Eastern States
but while their radical and old home affilia
tions may remain to some extent, they ar,
governed chiefly, as all other people, by theil
material interest. AS O consequence the
breach that is already apparent between the
old Republicans of the East and the Wes
must widen as time advances on revenue ant
tariff issues. 1t is certain, too, that the
mighty West will soon overrule the New
England protective policy which has con
troled the Government for some time past
Then the interests of the South and West
both being agricultural, will be combined be
fore long against the protectionist section.
The sooner General Grant emancipates him
self, then, from the control of New England
politicians, modifes his policy to suit the Wes
and leans more upon that section for support
the better it will be for him. The people are
weary with the burden of taxation They
bore it patiently and nobly as long as the lif,
of the nation was in question or its credit re
quired to be sustained. But the war and wa
issues being settled and the credit of tn
Government firmly established, they demand
large reduction of taxes, much less revenue
and economy. They cannot see the justice o
keeping up taxation for the protection an
benefit of a small section or limited class
Besides it is we'll known that plethoric Trea
sury is always temptation to extravaganc
and leads to corruption. If it be true tina
Senator Morton is spoken of as successor t
Mr.. Boutwell, in the Treasury Department
there may be change in the financial polio
of the administration, and one more likely {
suit the Western people, he being from th
West and more imbued with the views of tina
section. The administration and Republica
party cannot run the Government maehin
longer upon New England principles and fo
New England without imminent danger G
disruption and defeat
There is another good reason why Nj
fha