Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-19
Raids Upon the Treasury of the
United States.


know, but there is re4sonthle probai ility
that this session is SO near an end that no
law will be enacted this Congress
A pr posision to refund the cotton tax is
another OF these raids on the treasury 1t
will take only sixty millions of the peoples
morey t. refund this tax. The south are
unanimous for it. and some of the west and
north. but it is not likely to succeed this win
ter 10 the present rage, however, for CO.
operative legi lation-in our legislature il il
sometimes called - bitching on the long
team in other words, a comb nation of in
terests-it is not easy to say how soon such
a measure may become law Tie theory
ard excuse for urging such legislation is,
that the tax was unconsti utional and that
10 any event. it was unjust The Supreme
Court, when the question was before it, WIS
evenly divided as to the constitutonality of
the law sud, SO far as it is legal question
its eOnstitutionality is therefore established
10 decision To the contrary being given As
to It's justice it is obvious TO ohservs thar
it WAS he only internal revenue tx Of a~y
amount hat was col ected at the nth, cx
cCpt that On tobacco; and, in part at least
the tax was added To the price OF the cotton
Id, and 30 came ont of the cons liner rather
than the producer. These cor elusive reason,
however, against rounding this sixty millions
Of dnlIars. avail little with the loralties to-
be benz Il ed by the proposed legislation, and
t. e claim will I've a disturbing element IN Gu
gress so long there is any chance hat J.
may he recogniz d and when hundreds q
millions are asked for other schemes. thu
will e. er stand ready to bargain for d shar,
in the general dist. 'utipn.
And c'o,e upon the heels Of these demands
for 81 mtny millions comes the proposition
GIN ing to be seriously pressed, bat tie
United States virtually assume the debts o
the rebel States ere tted since the close Of til,
rtbellIp"- The amount is roughly estimated
at Sl25 .000-t00 Of curse the measure 3
disguised somewhat under the form Of 8.
loan ~ the c. -dlt al the genera 'vcrnmer1
Here is the pan. as We fLd 1t IN a crcula.
apr cal 10 Congress
l. il proposed that there he an ssue ~
not more an bundled and rw,nt,-fv
million 6 25.0DO.0 OO) of b,nd- of IT,,
United ares bearing interest at the rare o.
iuar p: Gel I. IN specie, AID Iefesmabe
the end ri tTty years. Let these bonds :,
50 mary ct th m AS may be found &C., sar,
IL meet the rondI'ions hereinafter stat,-i, b
apPmtl"ned am"ny the ciev, n reconsrr ucren
- r.. 4 4
and population, VIZ: on,-h, IF of the sun
divided IN prop 'rtI N t. tnti bona file deb,
as sxstiny on the first d ~ o. Jauua.y 1873.
and the other hal IN tn" rati, u, their p1uu-
lAtinn as shown hy the ceus ~ Of 1870 g,
there be five comm IssIUnerS app tinted hy tn.
President, with the adv C; AMI consent O.
the nate, whose cumpensari III shall b
equal To the salary OF JustIc,s of the Su
preme Court for one year. Provide thu,
these commissioners snail determine Ii
amount OF the debt of each Ut the Stat
abOye referred to, and shall also d, eide Il
what rate the different CLASSES o. tlelr bou,l-
may Be exchanged for the four per cenl
UnIted States bonds.
Then, upon any one of these Statts
through tie action of it's legislature. accept
ing the conditions of this ac,. let an uppor
tuDlty he affIrGe1 Tor a limited time to eac
OF tue creditors of that State 10 exchtns
such of its bonds as he hold, at the reduce
rate as fixed, fJr the bonds of the Uulteo
States.
10 give the highest possible value TO tn,
four per cent. binds it might be provide,
that the United States should, for the tern,
of twenty years, pay the interest. with
Condition, however, imposed on said State.
that at the end of four years they rail b.
r,r ~, "a, no n oor+
aud after a periut If twelve years SIX pc,
cent. until the United Statss should have
been repaid the interest advanced by it,
II IS evident enou III tn tt the treasury c.
the United States Is now the objective p int
either directly Dr indirect Y, IF the princi-
pal measures before Congress. The annual
appropria IONS for the current expense,
the government and the interest on the put
lie debt, and the Sun Her j Ibs that from tim.
to time get the sanction o. law, are alb u.
three hundred millions of dollars And tn,
people pay a this money into the treasury
il one form or another, through direct or Ia
direct taxa ion, aad it is their interest
cdrefIly rec to it thar the treasury is not
further drawn up0n Tor the Dentfi OF swln
dies like the PAc fer ailrO is, IT to pay ny
bod,'s d BIS 1t would b, a comfortab G
thing, perhaps, it evefyb riy Gull I've
the pub i; charge, but paup3rIsn has never
been looked upon as quite rc5pe ;F,be, an 3
highway robbery, has been in Old-fashlOnrd
times, rather s. verely Condemned. Ii th'
gOvernl ent will let the people al ne, the pc
lle will and nu sht to b, alb Z and " iing
take care OF then-eivee. We hope the peopI,
will also come to ID cjmpreh' nston Of the id
thst governm Mt pAtronag'. and gOvernmeu
aid OF all sorts. il only the dev C, OF cunning
men to make pr ii" at the pub ic xpensc.
10 fact. these arpic tiuns { e - relief " thu
bes eye the Congress OF the United SCater
are, generally, only like 50 many ell dre>
ed and respectable be- cars. who rather thar
get an honest living hy honest work, ar,
c>ntinu ally hold NJ out their hats for contrl
bLti1ns from t'e treasury Of the Unite
Sites TO e. 10 them To i've in luxury an
idenesr. It 10 4 klnd If begging that ha
becone 81 prof ab th .t 1t Is toll I'VE as ,
business, an keeps it's p.Id lobby At every
door of the national capitol. How long tn
people who create the wealth of the countr,
will quietly submit to be taxed that Il lev
mep may live, without labor, upon aPpropria
tions from tue United States treasury, is tn
questi IN of this future.