The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-30

The political conventions and the Presiden-
tial question will soon demand all the atten-
ton Of members. There is not time, perhaps.
to thoroughly improve our revenue system
aud place 1t upon a sound basis this spring.
Next December, after the reelection of the
President, or next March, Congress can give
more attention 10 this matter Assuming that
General Grant viii continue In power another
term, be will. as was said, be in a position to
take the initiative ia revenue reform. While
he may be careful to maintain the integrity
and unity Of the party electng him, aud his
own position as the representative Of that
party, as he has been during the last three
years, he will be more independent. Regard
Ing bin as Western man, and as having
grown up and received his early political edu-
cation in the heart Of the great agricultural
West, he is not likely, when untrammelled,
to favor sectional or local interests or a
ruinous protective policy at the cost of the
mass Of the people. AS there is little chance
of the democratic party electing President
next November, and, If it were possible, as
that party will have only minority in the next
Congress-, the best prospect, probably, for
revenue reform and removal Of burdensome
Grant. He may be able to carry bis party
with him, or to combine party Of different
elements for attaining this great object,
whereas President in opposition TO Congress
and with less power might do nothing-might,
in fact, prove an obstruction to needful reform.
In the meantime the public mind and our
legislators should be prepared for a sweeping
change. The idea Of war income, or revenue
of such magnitude as the government still
receives and that seven years after the war
ended, is preposterous. From three hundred
and fifty millions to four hundred millions q
year in time of peace and under our simple
republican form of government Is far too large
sum to draw frcm the industry OF the people.
Congress and the executive departments Of gov
eminent have chung to this idea of a war revenue
and have disliked to come down to a reasonable
peace Income. Money Is power, and no party
likes to give 1t up The enormous surplus
income of the Treasury is an inducement to all
sorts of corrupt and extravagant jobs, by
which the politicians profit. The collection
and disbursement Of it give employment to
host of needy partsans. The protectionists
find an argument in Y for upholding
high tariff duties. It Is the most fruit
full source of extravaganza and corruption.
The income of the government ought
not to exceed two hundred and fifty millions
year, and that would be ample for all expen-
ditures, and good round sum to be applied
to the liquidation Of the debt. A less amount,
indeed, would be sufficient for an economical
administration. A hundred millions Of taxa
ton might be removed safely, and then the
Treasury would be we'll supplied.
1t Is said the articles on which duties were
imposed last year were about three thousand.
They ought not to be as many hundreds. The
cost and difficulty of collection, and the frauds
that must arise from such complicated sys-
TEN, can be better imagined than exposed.
But it is not only the evil of raising O large
and unnecessary revenue and the great cost Of
collecting 1t from these multifarious duties
LII.
While the government receives two hundred
millions and upwards from customs du-
ties the people actually pay more than
double that amount. Take cotton manufac-
lures, for example. The duty Is about
forty per cent. From thirty millions or
thereabout in value imported the government
received less that eleven millions. But this
raised the cost Of domestic cotton manufac-
lures to the consumer forty per cent, and as
the consumption Of these domestic manufac-
lures amounts to about hundred and seventy
millions, the American people pay tax of
fifty-six millions, which goes into the pockets
of our manufacturers, over and above the
ten to eleven millions which the government
collects. 1t is the same, proportionately,
with woollen manufactures, iron, silks,
leather and other things. The duties might
be decreased considerably, and then there
would be larger protective margin, both
from those that would still be imposed and
from the cost incidental to foreign importa-
tions. The country needs thorough revision
of the tariff, lower duties, simpler system
Of raising revenue from few articles of
luxury chiefly, and an income that will re-
move the temptation to corruption and lead
to an economical administration of the govern
ment. With these reforms new life will be
given to industry and commerce and the re-
p ublc will bound forward in prosperity.
The Cause Of tue People.
The United States Senate, by the en-
phatic vote of twenty-eight in the
affirmative to eleven in the negative, has
daclarad In faunr OF iho ahnl; e Al