The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-20

tory in some Of the projects submitted to our
legislative bodies for fleeing the people.
We read the other day of a project placed
before Congress for subsidizing mining COM
panies to the extent of millions of dollars.
What we need is finance minister who
shall have the management of our finance
system as a whole both before the legislative
bodies and in the department To put 1t as
shortly as possible, we have no budget and
no Minister of Finance who draws it up and
has to answer for it. In all countries gov
erned by parliamentary system, the revenue
and expenditure of each year are stated by
the responsible minister to the representative
body. Thus the taxation and the disburse-
ments of the country as a whole are pre-
sented to the representatives and the public
a coherent, Ineligible thing, which has,
like building, its responsible architect 1t
is obvious that by this method it is possible
to have real financial policy and
TO control it by public debate and opinion.
But our plan of propounding tax
bills through committees of the House is one
which never can by any possibility introduce
logic, conference, prudence and justice into
the financial system of the country. This is
point about which it is of no use to foster
illusions. Such committees will never pro-
duce bills which represent anything but the
conflicts and compromises of private feelings
and interests. The question of the public
advantage and of the reason of the thing will
be always as nearly as possible suppressed.
If we are ever to get economy and nationality
properly represented in our fiscal affairs we
must do it through the medium of minister
responsible to the legislative body, sitting in
it, talking to it face to face, and exposed to
receiving direct blows right between the eyes
from skilful opposition hands.
We must cry on and cry aloud until we get
the modicum of justice possible in the reduc-
ton of the taxes 1t is a short simple, and
easy thing to reduce the Federal taxation by
a hundred million dollars or so, and the
people will be satisfied with nothing less.
There must be an end put 20 this conspicu-
GUS folly of treasury boarding, which takes
out of their Woodworking hands the money
they so sorely need, and boxes it up idly to
eat its own head off in interest in mouldy
treasury vaults. Have we really no use for
money in this land of high interest, scanty
capital, and boundless territory, that has to
be roaded, bridged, and towned, that we
suffer the very men elected by ourselves to
wiring it from us and lay it by, like an in
fatuated old woman who knows no better
than to put her surplus cash into stocking
or a teapot?
We think these inquiries pertinent at this
time, because Congress has as yet given no
intimation of moving in behalf of reduction
of the taxes. .Our Washington reports tell us
that the Finance Committee of the Senate in
seeking suggestions from the Revenue De-
partment, was met with the assurance that
nothing in the way of new legislation is
needed. Yet the country is demanding q
change In the Governments financial policy.
Who will be the Moses to lead the people to
their deliverance