The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-12-27
re We, exhibited nnt

j
ject. The Secretary of the Treasury has au-
nounced the fact that as things now stand there
will be an actual deficiency to pay the expenses
OF the Government at the end of the next year
unless the revenues are larger than they were last
year. There is no ground for reasonable ex-
pectation that this will be the case And this
financial embarrassment does not grow out of any
bad management on the part of the administra-
ton or the party. By reference to the receipts
of customs it will be seen that there were about
twenty millions less received from this source in
November, 1873, than there were in the same
month ii 1872 in the port of New York alone
So that tie deficiency is the result of falling off
of the importations. As this gives rise to the
necessity of furnishing other means for raising
revenue to meet and satisfy the financial demands
of the nation, Congress should face the music like
brave men and put tax at once on something
on those articles that will render it least burden
some to all the people. Instead of that there is
an evident disposition to borrow more money
and do nothing towards raising the requisite
funds to pay. There are $40, 900, 900 of the loan
of 1853 that is-or will be soon-due. Instead
Of rsi.;- rs, .-+o-aEon they are pro-
posing 10 negotiate new loan to pay off this
debt.
We do not claim to be the embodiment of po-
litieal wisdom or to have any particular financial
ability but believe that it is to the interest Of
all concerned to have a sufficient tax levied to
meet this demand and to continue reduction of
the public debt at the rate of at least fifty millions
per annum. We do not believe that statesman
ship, true, noble manly and courageous will die
tate different policy The manner that is ex-
hibted in dealing with this question reveals an
evident timidity on the part of individual MEM
bers, concerning the wishes of the constituency
that stands behind them. Each man is afraid
that the imposition of tax on any article at this
time would bring disaster in his election next
Fall. If there were a-half dozen of the leading
members who were bold enough to take up such
measure and fight it through, regardless of the
political consequences to MemselUes-this, and
this only, is what should characterize the conduct
of an American RepZesentative-the bill would
be passed and it would become law. Thedebt
would continue to be reduced. The annual in
terest would continue to decrease. We have too
much confidence in the patriotism, the honesty,
the fidelity and the intelligent integrity of the
American people to believe that they would fail
to sustain Congress in the cause suggested.
The debt was constructed to save the American
Union from destruction at the hands of domestic
foes. The people sustained the Government in
borrowing the money and making the sacrifices
that saved the Republic. They refused to repudi-
ate the debt thus contracted They have made
it inviolate and declared it must be paid in the
way promised. And they will abundantly sus-
tain the men who will be brave enough to impose
the tax necessary to pay it off gradually.