Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-05-23

psnsive government, and au svererown pension
roll Of retired missionaries. This requires an |
annual DRAFT upon the people for 1890 900, 900, |
with little or no hope Of a possible reduction Of ,
the amount In the future to any considerably
extent, while the masses are daily becoming
less able to bear their pro rata Of the enormous |
burthsn. Asan inevitable result pauperism is |
on the increase. The number Of people relieved
in England in JSsusry, 1886, was 92o.9i4.
Three years later, In January, 1869, the number
had increased to ,O59, ,45s; in view Of which
fact, Lord Hamilton said in the British Parlia. |
ment at Is inpossible 10 consult the sad |
statements which indicate a constant increase |
Of misery, for three years past, without being
visiby alarmed for the future" His alarm
was not without foundation, for the number
pauPers supported, in whole or in part, by the
government, has nearly doubled since those
fears we're expressed 10 1859 while those
among the working classes, who have not
reachedtha, condition, are barely able, under a
system of most rigid ecsnomy and sef.denial.
IL support themselves and their families.
ErPEcTs OF NATIONAL DEBrs on TnE CoErNENr.
without troubling the reader with statistical
in general terms that a similar condition of af-
fairs prevails in France aud pretty generally
over the Continent nf Europe, with this expert
snce, that where the public debt and consequent
tax burdens are heaviest, the suffering from
poverty isinvariably more extensive and severe
A Pseent"Com mission on Wsrkingmen's Dwell
lngs IN Vienna" caused minute investigation
10 be made into tho sanitary eonditOn Of the
people Of that city. The report shows an
appalling state Of Affairs. Aere is a single par
agraph:
"ln four small rooms Of 4 house 10 the Brig
gitienau. "a suburb or VieunA,) the largest
room measuring twelve by ten feet, there we're
found seventeen famtlies, numbering together
uinety-two persnns, They slept, cooked, wash.
ed and lived in these four rooms, and these
were their sole babttaiiOn. Ia another hauss
in the same street hty-ssven persons, Of ell
ages and both sexes, ish habled three small cab
insts and onc room fourteen feet BY nine feet
Only TIVE Of the cabinets had windows, and
these were only two feet'high. 10 another, iths
worst instance OF all, one hundred aud thirty
three, Of different serss aud all ages, were
crowded into six rooms. Three childrea were
suffering with the sm ,ll-poE in one VI these
ronms and woman. who bad been confined
during the night in the presence of twelve or
fifteen men, was lying deal on a shelf"
II is not elAimsd that this accumulation II
poverty and human degradation is wholly the
result Of costly and bad government, bHt il Is
not necessary 10 60 beyond these causes In hnd
the main source Of nearly all the parPsrism in
Europe, or wherever Il 10 found 70 exit among
civilized people 10 any considerable extent.
TEE PUBLIC DIET OF THE uSIrkD.srATEs.
In the United States the recently acouni alatsd
national debt is not ye; felt 50 severely BY the
masses as 10 Europe, fer two reasons: First.
the taxes are SO arranged as /" fall mainly .
the more wealthy portion Of the communities ,
and second, labor is better paid here than in-Any
other portion Of the world, so that the tax bill
can generally be paid without causing distress
in the family. We have no guara ntee, however,
nj a continuance OF those favorable conditions.
A public debt that the pe"plo ean
unt reduce annually will very soon reduce the
people aud If our law makers and rulers pro-
psss to avoid the financial errors Of other ma
tions they will direct legislation 50 IS tr main
tain the most rigid economy in public Affairs
until the last dsllsr sfour national debt Is paid.
The annual rsdsetiou Of the public debt esuno
with safety be permitted to fall oelow s75, ,0001
900 year. Il oug hit 10 have been continu I'd a
800, 900. 900. There is no basis for the srgu
m,nt ths. the public dsoi shsuld bs left for gu,
successors to pay. II is not the legacy that pa
triotism would suggest. ahd ne true friend o.
the Am.rissu Republic will aeesds to propc
siton to psrpetuats or prslOng the public deb
one day beyou the period absolutely necessary
n secure its payment. The Government OF tn
| ad ctn pad, aft IN
public debt. yet the peoples mnaey will con
Iinus to be absorbed IN the extent Of $l06 900,
600 a year in the payment of interest on til
debt. In this way the people will have th
pleasure Of paying the amount Of the debt il
interest alone once in every sixteen years, Will
the principal Of tbs debt will remain the same. &.
It's evident, then, that the dominant impuls
ofevery patriotic statesman should be 10 secur
and maintain a steady reduction Of the publ
debt. Ne increase Of salaries is required; non
should be permitted in any department Of th
Government; and the mast rigid econom
should be prscGsed in the annual appropri.
tons and expenditures. There are not les
than $40, 600, 600 involved in the ssnstruetis
, Of public buildings now going up in dfere'
, parts Of the country, nearly all Of which migI
, wisely have been dispensed with until after
return to specie payments. Other apprspri
tions have been made By the last Congress
, involving some millions Of dollars IN the aggr
+ gate, which a strict regard to the public il
terssts would have prevented.
+ II rspublcanlsm means anything II is zig
a economy in the management of the people
4. money gathered ints ths public treasury,
a ssrupulous care not TO incur public deb! whit
/" it can be avoided, aud patriotic determinati
5 when debt becomes imperative to liquidais
r, as rapidly as possible consistent with the be
,. interests OF the people.
4 STATE INDEBTEDNESS.
n Thsre is another class of debts which q
5 equally repuguanI TO spirit OF true rspub
n cIuism, but " hieh have been permitted
. accumulate to an alarming extent in the Uuit
. States. We refer to State debts. With soG
few exceptions, each Slate in thr Union is n,
II carrying debt Of from ten to fifty millions
,r dollars, the interest on whieh is annually draw
Vt from the pockets OF the people. These obI,g
- - IioDa ara even more burdsnsome than a nat ion
DAFT, because b'ih the prime pal and the intsrs
70 U.ust ultimately be drawn whslly from I
l. packets Of the people Of the State, while I
- General Government has other sources, in /
y tariff and in the sales Of public lands, fr,
10 which to draw . portion Of its revenues. VIII
State ineurs a debt it involves every m
y within its limits. and the people are bsUne
'g its payment until every dollA- OF il is dseharg
70 out Of their sWn earnings.
Is MrlciPAL DEBrs.
g Not less Questionable is the municipal or G.
d dsbt, aow 80 sSmmon, and in somS eases
in large as to amount to twenty ave, Any, aud
A. one ease to over QUE hundred millions Of della
Or The magnitude Of these obligations is real
ly alarming. Ths effects upon the welfare Of t
s. c,mmuniiss involved are Of a most serio
o - 4 A