Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-13

4
Embarrassed in the collection of reve
nue.. 1t dare not levy tax except
on the importation of foreign com
modify; and it always dreaded tC
tax the importation ola foreign com
mod y lest it might unwittingly
promote some domestic industry
| No well-educated Democrat could
tolerate such a result So, deficient
revenues were, from time to time
aided by loans. Such was the case
in 1871, 1912, and 1916.
The first act, passed at the first
session of the Thirty fifth Congress
authorized the issue of Treasury
notes, and almost the last act of the
same session authorized a loan. In
June, 1860, a further loan of twenty
one millions was authorized, and on
the 8th of February, 1861, an APP
peal was made to the market for
twenty-five millions more.
Through all those years Congress
assembled annually. The long sess-
ions were extended over periods OF
seven, eight, and nine months. But,
long or short, the sessions produced
little in the way of legislation be-
yond the tax and appropriation bills.
The talk endured for months the
work was accomplished in weeks.
The first session of the Thirty
second Congress was prolonged I'M
til the 31st Of August. The acts
passed embrace one hundred and
rty-four pages of the statutes. All
but the first thirty seven pages are
covered by acts approved on the last
ttoo days Of the session. Earlier ad-
illustrations had planted the Ma
tional Capital, had framed the lead
ing features CT our land system, had
dedicated liberal portions ofour pub
lie domain to the cause of popular
education, and had commenced the
| Cum berand road and other works
of internal improvement. When,
after nearly thirty years of misrule,
you drove the Democratic party
from power, the Cumberland road
was still unfinished, and the party
had been educated to believe that
the National Government had no
constitutional power to complete
such work
That singular faith did not pre-
vent the party from entering upon
such works, but, seemingly, only
from completing them. They did
not refrain from making appropriate
tions, even for improving rivers and
harbors. Sometimes such appro-
priations were made regularly and
sometimes irregularly. Apparently
they were scrupuloGs only that APP
preparations should be made at such
times, in such sums, and for such
purposes as would promote com
MERGE least and party interests most.
On the approaches to Wilmington,
N. c.. appropriations were made at
various times, amounting TO more
than $500. 100 Wilmington has
swelIed from population OF seven
thousand in 1850 to thirteen thous-
and in 1870 On the Red River in
Louisiana there was expended at
different times more than five humid
red thousand dollars. That river
washes eight counties in the State OF
Louisiana. Those eight counties
had a population in 1910 OF fifty four
thousand in 1870 of one hundred
and six thousand On the harbor of
Chicago, which is the gateway to
the Northwest, the home of millions,
they doled out appropriations
amounting to S217, 900 On the har
Dor of Milwaukee they appropriated
in 1914 $4,000. Eight years later
they resumed the work, apparently
with the determination of compile
ting it. Fifteen thousand dollars
were appropriated that year. The
year following they appropriated the
munifcent sum of $163 81, and then
rested from that labor. Congress
voted other appropriations for simi>
lar works, which encountered the
Executive veto: and Democratic
Representatives,, finding they mus!
disobey either President or people,
decided to disobey the latter and
obey the former.
THE LOUISVILLE CANAL.
A great natural highway, the Ohio
river, along which is poured COM
merce of incalculable value, was OBJ
structed by rapid near Louisville.
The interests Of that commerce re-
auired a canal to be built around
those rapids. Congress did not as
sumo that duty, nor even let it alone.
The State of Kentucky chartered a
company to construct that canal and
TO toll the commerce of the Ohio.
The United States aspired to the
dignity of stakeholder in that COM
pany, and achieved it. The Govern
ment took and paid for 1902 shares,
at one hundred dollars each. Pri-
vate parties took 1908 shares. The
canal was built, the tolls were fixed,
commerce bled, and the company's
treasury filled. The revenues were
so large it seemed pity the Gov
eminent should share them. But as
stakeholder, the Government was
entitled to nearly one>third OF the
net revenues The Government
was not represented IN the manage
ment of the company. That was
governed by five directors, each OF
whom was stakeholder. Those
directors concluded they could make
a better use of the revenues than to
divide them with the Government.
To that end they resolved the canal
ought to be made free. In order
that it might become free it was re-
solved that the net revenues should
be applied to the purchase of the
private stock. Having fonnd a mar
ket for the stock, there was nothing
left but to fix The price of it. That
was modestly set by the directors at
only fifty per cent. premium.
Kantunkv sanctioned the arrange :