National Republican., 1873-12-13
I'll XITION

The Secretary of the Treasury sent let.
ter yesterday TO the chairman Of the Ways
and Means Committee, in which it was dc.
clared that the expenditures of the Govern.
ment are not cqunlcd by Its receipts, and
that increased taxation is absolutely neces.
sary. Mr.. Richardson has merely rcit-
Grated the position taken in his annual re.
port a few days ago. In that document he
estimated the total receipts of the Govern.
mont for the remaining three quarters of
the current fiscal year ut sls7. 100. 600. and
the expenditures at 5000, $50. 900, which
would leave deficiency of nearly fourteen
millions of dollars.
The opposition press and the mere poll
ticians will undoubtedly try to make a good
deal Of capital out of the matter, and in all
probability large number of ignorant and
unthinking people will be influenced by the
demagogical appeals which will be put
forth. 1t will afford magnificent oppor.
tunity to the highly virtuous leaders o. the
Democracy to pra,c about Republican cX.
travagancc and Democratic economy. We
shall be told about the expenses of the coun.
try thirteen years ago when the Dcmoc-
racy went out Of power. and reminded ,ha,
the salvation Of the country, which short
time since they attempted to destroy.
hangs upon their return to the control
Of the Administration. Under the leader.
ship Of the guilclcss Fernando Wood in the
House they will stand in solid line against
tho proposed increase of taxation, if it
should come up and will shed copious
tears at the contemplated oppression of the
mechanic in these hard times, when so
many Thousands are out of employment
when the mill waters are running idle to
the sea. and millionaires and merchants are
going into the courts Of bankruptcy.
Several causes combine to decrease the
receipts Of the Government. First of all
tho Republican majority in Congress has
been reducing the burdens oftaxation during
tho last fivc or six years. bringing them
down from war to peace footing. Last
Congress there was reduction of between
forty and fifty millions of dollars. In all
between one hundred and iifty and two
hundred millions OF dollars of annual taxa
tion have been swept away during the last
four or five years Congress has been
cutting down expenses in exact pro-
portion to the business Of the coun.
try and to the ability of the people to
pay. The appropriations for the present
fiscal year, and the adjustment Of the tariff
TO meet these appropriations when the sub
jcct WAS last under Legislative consideration,
have been entirely overturned by the tinan.
cial events Of the last three or fur months.
Business has been suddenly checked, and Il
has not yet recovered from the paralysis
which came upon 1t. Imports have fallen
OIL and the receipts from internal revenue
have undergone such shrinl;agc that
the Sccrctlry OF the Treasury was com
PEELED To draw upon the reserve to
meet tho current expenses of the Govern.
mcnt. Inflated prices, inflated business
brought norc revenue, anil the Govern.
mcnt was enabled from time to tins To
eject the reductions 10 which We have re.
ferred. The decrease in the revenues is
really one ui the hcaltlicst signs OF the
times. II ,lInws. first of all, that the lal-
ancl %! .!,ldc rs in Our iiivur; that we have
conc tn e solid substantial commercial
hds m''h eI0h"r than tho most s,nyu!nc
OF us anticipated,
So far as III" poorer Glasses are concerned,
the sng@ 1'i.,,n- Oi the Secretary will not. if
cmlTdi 4 n Gi''uti0l. ;Slrcl thcln one way
or nnmhrr. Iir rr0rosrs Ia tux the luNu.
rir5 - mrrLc ur f.: the hcIici, in the rcve.
nTcs. The T'~lnr'tion of The daily. upon
tea nnd ,lrr vii! no, increase the prices of
t''"Sr aniclrs, Since the tax WIS removed
th' cost % c1n5umcrS lus not been rr-
diced oac crni. The only Glasses who
who a,nrd lIy itwcrc the producers. In
like manner the increased duty now, il !,
should hc Imposed, will fall upon them and
not upon tho working ptoplc. At any
event, ii an Increase of taxation i nccrs.
sarS. the S"crctary's recommendation that
II should b2 placed upon the luXurics of
life Is the correct and true theory.