Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-15
what Government. Costs.

The people of North Carolina are SO
entirely engrossed with their own troubles
and hardships that they pay but little at
the heavy hand of the Government Is laid
upon them. Oar own taxes are so bur
densome, and the corruptions Of our own
officials are SO enormous that we forget
those of the National Administration. But
as the time approaches for the Presiden
tial contest these questions begin to be
agitated.
Questions which have divided the conn-
try for fifteen years are about settled.
Surely nothing more can be demanded by
the advocates Of abolition. The prolific
subject of slavery, which has agitated the
country so IoEg has been settled, not only
in the freedom OF the slaves, but in their
being clothed with all the privileges and
rights of citizenship. Tie demands of the
most fanGtical upon this subject have
passed from the political arena and been
incorporated IN the fundamental law.
Demagogues still attempt to keep alive
the agitation, but common eenso will pre-
vail, and the negro is fast losing his promi-
nent position in American politics.
The financial policy Of the country in
all its bearings, especially il its relations
to the taxes levied upon the people, will
be the eugrossiDg subject of discussion,
and form the most prominent feature Of
the ensuing campaign. The following
figures. compiled by the Washington Pa
trtot, will show to some extent what our
Government costs
The receipts of the Government for the
year ending June 80. 1871, were as fol-
lows 49,.
Net receipts from custom - so5e ON Ane *
Net receipts from inter9k revenue 1905 153 G3
10 ." ........... g., 566. 1856 53
- t0s 1 AZ. revenue. 1888 323, GA SO
Daduoting the proceeds of land sales,
(the only source of revenue the Govern
ment has, outside Of taxes put on the peo-
ple,) and adding 8 per cent. for cost Of
collecting, and we have. in round mum
bers. $500, 900, 900 az the ostonsiblo sum
extracted from the people of the United
States for the support of the Government
during the past fiscal year. This il over
$40 per capita for every man, woman and
child IN the country, CT $50 apiece for
each head of family Of five pefsonfs, who
thus pays an average OF four weeks wages
to the support Of the Government, or, IN
other words, contributes one twelfth OF
his entire means to that object, upon a
basis of So per day rs representing the
average wages throughout the country, OF
those who work.
But these figures really represent but q
very small fraction Of the sum actually ex-
totted from the people by direct and indi- |
rect taxes. The State, municipal and
10 cal taxes Of the country reach an aver
age Of about 2 per cent, counting every
thing This, assuming the property OF
the country to amount to the figures at
which it was estimated in Mr.. ID. A. Wells |
last report. would be equivalent to an an
nual burthen of about SIS, 100000 or
nearly 81 per capita, or $50 for each head
of family of five persons Again, the
indirect taxation inflicted upon the people |
by the tariff is found to be latter a careful
comparison of results) not less than 200
per cent. on the articles SO taxed as, for
instance, the taritfon leather, &C., produces
Government So. 500, 900, and costs the
people $18, 600, 600 the tariff on iron and
its uses produces about SIS, 100000 and
costs 500, O0O,O Hence, deducting
the articles that pay purely revenue duty, |
we find that the people are still taxed not
less than $500, 900, 900 per annum to sup
port the protective system" Thus we
have
O. s. direct ostensible tax.......... $500 900 900
q. s, indirect protective tax........ 300 OJ0,0CO
State and local tax lI0,OuO,0OO
Totsltax Observation-Disclosures 940, 600, 600
or over $3.50, as the per capita tax Of the
people of the United States. This costs
each head OF family over $107 per annum
or an average of nine ueebS' cages That
is to say, the people of the United States
are compelled to contribute one.sixth
part of their gross earnings, in order
to obtain such Government as they
have. It is questionable mat
ter whether the goods, such as shey
are, are worth the price it is on jndispu-
table fact that not less than one half Of
this cost of Government representsp plum
der and ewindling, the expenses incurred
by the people through their neglec5 TO Sc
cure honest and economical forms of al
and the services Of the best
men in Office.
The figures of Treasury receipts are
official, bat they by no means reveal the
whole truth Like all other reports from
that Department, they have been manipu-
lated for effect. For example. it is noto-
|
timated at fifteen or twenty millions OF
dollars, were sold to the French Govern
ment during the Franco-German war, of
which not a dollar is reported. No re-
turns have been made Of the sales By the