The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-08-29

> aAleI alLGE = WINE iie pOf VII
ligence viii understand, an II
: understood will enforce the primer.
: that lie at the base; that taxation j
: an evil and q burden to be mitigateC
o as FAR as possible BY economy in pab
: lie expenditures, and by simplicity
! and direetness and equality in its as
! sessment; that as it is one o. tn,
2 necessary expenses, it is an addition
/, in the exact amount Of its levy, to
y the cost Of living, and 50 the cost oi
production, and consequently, when.
ever practicable to prevent, should
: not enter into the cost OF articles Ol
: most general consumption; that
: the national interest Is most pros
q porous when productive interest is
e most profitable, and that as the most
5 costly element in production is the
J. human being, the labOrer is best paid,
q end his labor the most productive and
2 profitable, when he gets the greatest
= eOmfOrt at the leastexpense, and that,
Q consequently, the greatest national
: economy Is In cheap necessarles OF
, living; for then, although money
wages may be low, the actual pay Is
, highest.
Bot u Is in the actual application
admitted, that dlfnealty and contro-
versy are most likely 10 arise. nd FOR
myself, throwing aWaY an preDOs-
sessions and theories In refersnes n
the freedom OF trade, I shoald be Der-
feetly satisfied with an adiustmeDtof a
revenue system based upon these prin-
eiples alone Tli q. ID fara
/ /. Discard every tax that does not
I
Of collection.
2 And every tax that demOnstrs-
bly, covers 8 private lob. usl
As the question, in any event Is
remitted to Congress, l must, hOwev-
eF, take occasion b war; the Demo-
eratic candidates for that body. who
are relying for success upon the votes
Of the revenue reformers, that they
must commences the study OF the
question from tile gEOunG. They who
suppose that the repeal fthe duty On
tea and coffee was in the direction of
that reform have yet 10 learn It's al
phabet.
For my part I feel The mora recon-
ciled, as q revenue refOfmer, to the
persistent enemy or the reform b at
80 AA~@N@- - e-Al-
GREELEY AND SPECIE PAYMENTS.
FAnOther promInent question that
ought not to pass unnOticed Is that OF
the currency and return to specie
Payments. So -r- -.rs--F, -s,.
1t is all the more important because
in reference to it Mr.. Greeley Is de-
elared 70 have q distinct and wei de-
fined policy, and on which his claims
as a statesman may be presumed to
rest. And differing In this respect
from his relation TO the tariff question
being in accord with his supporters
upon it, It's settlement Is not to be lefC
to Congress, but viii be the subject of
direct executive recommendation and
influence.
His position, as / understand it, Is
In favor Of an immediate resumption
Of specie payments by the govern
ment. This, OF course, means the
payment In gold Of ali overdue Obllga-
/ tiOns, including the Treasury legal
tender notes, on presentation by the
holder. IL involves B like resnmp-
tiOn on the part Of the national banks
of their circulating notes, and like
wise the payment in gold, il demand
ed, OF all private debts.
To facilitate this result would be In
the line Of Democratic policy by q re-
| peal OF the legal tender act, which
| Democratic lawyers and statesmen, |
believe, agree IN holding 10 be uncOn-
stitutiOhal. And it would be like re-
turning to a first love, when 1t was
cardinal doctrine OF the Democratic
/ faith to oppose paper money, although
convertible on demand into specie, as
the sum Of all. evils, overlooking the
little episode OF the last few political
campaigns, when that doctrine was
laid aside for the time being for the
more popular, though no less states
manlike, project OF an unlimited sup
ply OF governments paper, TO be used
/ for the conversion Of the entire bond
ed debt OF the country into currency,
OF which neither principal nor inter-
est were ever to be paid. all.l So.
Mr.. Greeley's plan for resuming 1t
has one merlt--tbat Of simplicity. It
/ is-tO resume . This Is to be effected,
I presume, the day OF his inGuguFa-
7 ton, by hanging upon the door Of the
I Treasury, pastebOard placard, print
ed In large letters, "Speeie payments
: resumed.n And when the supply Of
gold on hand is paid out, suppose all
/ Jhet will remain TO be done will be to
/ turn the plaeard wrong side out, un-
less Mr.. Greeley will continue the
supply OF the precious coin out Of his
own pocket. And this Is statesman
ship!
I, too, believe in speedy return to
I specie payments; as speedy as the na-
Z ture OF the case will; as speedy a. Is
consistent with safety and prudence;
I as speedy as can be without produc-
ing national and individual bankrupt
1 cy and disasters, evils greater than we
now are compelled to endure,
An irredeemable paper currency Is
an fBeaeulable evil; an irredeemable
/ government paper issue is worst
form. A large part OF the demOrali-
ZatiOn OF society, 10 Affairs Of govern
ment and in affairs OF business, in
lowering the standard Of morals and
cOrrupting tile manners OF the people
is to be traced, in my Judgment, to the
inflatiOns and fluctuations consequent
upon our system Of government cur
reney. neaf-.'6
But why Is It that We do not and
cannot, return to the standard Of the
wOrId-gold andsilveF2
Plainly because We haYe more notes
+ tn nav than we have money % pay
them with. There must be more
gold, or fewer obligations. We must
increase our cash or reduce our liebil-
tiles. No magic Of words, no mean
tation Of astrolOgers, can change the
result. 10 is merely the expression OF
I the real relation between certain
things. The relation itself mEst be
changed or the result will remain.
As the government Is not producer Of
| wealth, bns, on the contrary, a con-
suuer, Il must get its gold from its
1 tpOnstituenls- ls-the people by taxation.
lIf it we're 10 do this by a single levy,
IL would be = Earesd loan, amounting
to eondseatiOn aud sheer madness.
Il II can only be done, practically, by
degrees. We must either wait until
the growth Of the country becomes
sueh as 10 srestsa demand for con-
j slant use Of the whole amount Of the
I present volume Of earrency for the
Convenient transaction OK its daily
business, and thus, by eaneeling the
redundancy, appreciate is value 70
the gold standard, which will bring
about a res Inption BY the laws of
trade. 90 whldfaW Chs surplus % de-
msnd notes by eORtraetlOn Of the
currency, and by eOnveFtiDg Them IN
to bond-, fund the debt. In either
way time j. an essential element In
the successful solution OF the problem
me Transaction y similar IN sveTy re-
: sDect 10 the course Whieh slsagaeiOus
4 lmerehaBt EOald adoPt IN passing
: from the stage o. suspension y pay
: ment. He must convert his assets u
, they are abundant; II not, obtain an
: extension whicfwiIi enable him out
OF future earnings to meet bis post
oODed liabilities. 3uGsIr q irg.t
.Thsaati0n Is 10 the situation OF q
Traveller who has been compelled by
: tbe danger Of the common highway,
beset lJy robbers, 20 escape for tenn
5 pororarp safety tO the neighbOring
mountain. He finds himself at ita
: too and npon the Preeipiee. 1hedan.
! GER % the e0mmOn read has passed
, and he must regain il. Shall ne
: throw himself from the ellB into the
! deep valley, OF return By elfeuitous
: and winding Descent? 9baii lt iml,
: tate tile cataract, that Hastes Us Iooa
: and tears the sarth ln ~ NioIenl
plunge, or tie gentis r1l and rlYulel
= that 0ieks its quiet way in channels
= D - u - I'M n NUX9 q feFflIfZ.