National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-14

ness rclatlOlR Will tuc paEU' WIZ SoAA' DoS
notice will be given of the removal of the
business department to the new REPUBLICAN
building.
MR. DAWES ON THE FINANCES.
In his carefully prepared speech upon
the present state of the Treasury, delivered
in the House on Thursday, Mr.. Dawes, as
chairman of the Committee on Ways and
Means, and by courtesy "leader OF the
House, pronounced against any increase
of debt and any increase Of taxation. In
order to meet the requirements OF the
Treasury he sees but one feasible expedient
-retrenchment and economy of expendi,
lures. He would literally, in the words Of
General Butler, 'pinch here and starve
there" He would stop progress on the
public works and save hundred millions.
He would abolish a score of arsenals and
sell the property, and turn the men loose in
midwinter to beg their bread. He would
also dispense with the "sinecure" ports oil
entry and save the expense of paying the
salaries attached to the positions incident
to them Being chairman of the committee
whose duty it is to devise the ways and
means to raise money to meet the expendl-
lures of the Government, he has naturally
devoted his attention chiefly to the duties
of those committees whose especial business
it Is to see that the appropriations are kept
at the lowest point consistent with the Grip
pied resources of the country. 1t is in no
spirit of unkind criticism that these remarks
are INDUCED. 1t simply and naturally ap-
pears that the first thing which would occur
to one whose business it is to provide means
would be to look first to the condition of
the sources from which his supplies are
bound to come In this, as in
all countries, the labor pays the
tax. The first effort of the statesman
who wishes to replenish his exchequer
should be directed to giving full employ
ment to labor. What, would we say Of
the man who would commence the con-
struction of a mill, and at the same time
use strenuous exertions to divert the stream
upon whose waters he located 1t in differ
ent direction? Mr.. Dawes proposes, by dis
charging large proportion of the work
men employed by Government, to inau-
gurate a policy that would inevitably re-
duce the tax-paying capacity Of the coun-
try, by producing stagnation d labor. If
The public works are stopped, private cor
porations will follow The eNunplc, and, by
reduction of wages or working short time,
add to the paralysis of industries. These
processes will retard instead of accelerating
the circulation of the country, and result in
q more fearful contraction of the currency
than has yet been experienced since the
close of the war.
By his own showing the Administration
has succeeded in reducing the public debt
some four hundred millions since 1869, and
ut the same time in curtailing the taxes
nearly as much more. This process only
ceased when the circulation became dis
turbed, and is now in rapid progress toward
recovery, as Mr.. Dawes himself shows, as
confidence returns and the circulation is re-
stored. Why, then, this onslaught on Ia
bort Why strangle the goose that lays our
golden egg9 Will Mr.. Dawes have the
temerity to declare that the people would
rather do without work than topay trifle
more for their tea and coffcef Of what adj
vantage to them to have cheap tea and
coffee in the stores if they have no money
with which to purchase?
The taxes suggested by Secretary Rich
ardson upon tea and coffee, with an Increase
on whisky, and perhaps, tobacco, would
only operate as a very slight reduction of
wages to each laborer, and would be gladly
submitted to, if it were necessary, in pre-
ference to q discontinuance of work. No
country can prosper with its labor idle. 1t
will he torn by turbulence from centre to
circumference. But provide constant en-
ployment for its labor, with prompt and
frequent payments and, with prudent man
agement of its financial affairs, its prosperity
is assured Mr.. Dawes deserves common
iation for his love Of economy. There is
no doubt that he sincerely desires to make
the best use of the peoples money Rigid
scrutiny into expenditures is necessary to
the economical administration of affairs, and
perhaps there are many leaks which may
be searched out and stopped with great
benefit to the Treasury. Perhaps many of
the pension agencies are superfiuOus. The
abolition of ports of entry upon the coast
because they produce no immediate re-
turns, would be like the proprietor of cir
Gus abolishing his canvass enclosure be-
cause no money came in except at the gate
Abolish your minor ports and coast guards
and you will get no revenue at New York.
1t officers perform their duties there are no
sinecures in the customs department Of the
Government The regulations assign du-
ties to each position. The chief one Of
these duties is not to draw pay promptly
and regularly, but to exercise the utmost
vigilance in the protection of the revenues.
He may never detect a fraud or cause Q
seizure or cause a single arrest, but If he
were not on the watch advantage would be
taken by designing and dishonest men to
evade the law and plumber the people.
The Congressional Record of yesterday
did not contain the full text of Mr.. Dawes
speech, and nothing but the synopsis of the
Associated Press has yet appeared. An
examination of its entirety may disclose
features more practical and statesmanlike
than we have been able to discover in first
and casual reading. In such al event we
shall make haste to award justice to the
author. 1t seems unfortunate that gen.
tlennn holding the high and important
position occupied by Mr.. Dawes can rarely
take the floor to explain the financial con-
dition Of the Treasury without announcing
propositions which, unexplained, tend to
weaken public confidence in the party that
he assumes to lead. He is doubtless a Ia
borious. studious. painstaking man. He
would save at the spigot while wasting at
the bung. His vision appean too con-
tracted to embrace the vast exp ause of this
country and comprehend the extensive
qualifications of the Government in its prac.
tical workings. He seems thoroughly i'm