The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-08-27
The Taxation, Extravaganza and Oppression
az pin,s

in Chester county by II. f. Monaghan, Esq.
1t is n plain exhibit and one that the people
should not pass over without serious Thought.
1t imprcsses the lesson that must become
apparent to every thinking man, viz: that
the extraordinary salaries and enormous
taxation of Federal State and municipal
governments must be brought down or the
people must become bankrupt Mr.. Mon
aghan said.
The question now interesting the people is
whether their general and State governments
shall be carried on for their advantage or in
the interest Of cliqucs and rings? This is the
question the people are now agitating and
discussing.
The crops are good, the products of iron
and other manufactured articles are cunsum-
ell rs never before, yet we find business par.
alyzed and Il financial panic o'erspreading
the whole country. What is the cause of all
this? 1t can be none other than bad govern
mcnt-the truth is, we are managing our
local, State and National affairs corruptly
and ut too great cost.
His statistics taken from the reports of the
depart>ments and traced from the general
government to the lowest offices in the land
showed the expenses of each increased from
one hundred to three hundred per cent.
Lincoln's salary was 1000, and now for
the first time in the history of the govern
mcnt the salary of the President has been
doubled without the first iota of cause, with
none demanding it, excepting the chief ex-
ecutivc himself Extravaganza in govern
ment once infused will permeate the whole
body polite.
The ordinary expenses of the u. s. Gov
f,r ha ,,,l; ;,1 l..
islatiyc departments in the first wear of Lin
coins administration (he was quoting from
Republican ADMINISTRATION throughout,) was
SCI ,5Sl ,lj6, while in the year 1874 of
Grants administration, the same expenses
amounted to Sl67, ,4i0, ,297, an increase of
over two hundred and fifty per cent. He
had no time to examine the expenses of
Congress, or the other departments but the
same rule OF an increase would be found an
plicable to each and all. Coming nearer home
we find the same condition of our govern
mental affairs. Take Pennsylvania Curtin's
salary in 1862 was $1,000, and now for the
first time in the history of the State, the
Governors salary is $4,000, an increase of
one hundred per cent. In 1862, the general
expenses of the State Government were
S4i9,OOO, while in 1874 they amounted to
81 O96, 600, an increase of one hundred and
fifty per cent, Go if you please to the legis-
lative and judicial departments, it is the
same. In counties and cities the rate of in
crease ranges from one hundred to two
hundred and fifty per cent. These are the
secrets of our hard times. If men should
farm in the same way and increase their ex-
penscs to the same extent, they would be
soon bankrupt. And the worst of it is, that
it is our money that is thus recklessly squan-
dered-money taken from the pockets of the
laborers and business men of the country,
and a paralization of every industry has and
ever will be the result
Our government to-day, though Republi-
can in form, in practice more closely re-
semblrs an Aristocracy. The distinctive
feature between them is, that the former is
made and governed by the people for the
people, and the latter is ruled by few, and
for the benefit of the rulers. And when n
State, under whatever name it may be called
is managed for the advantage of the office
holders, it ceases to be Republic for the
people, and becomes an ArstOcracy or per-
sonal government. In an Aristocracy the
few fourished but the many suffer- Rings
and ringsters are rapidly becoming the
Aristocracy-of our country and wherever in
power their will is as despotic, extravagant,
and corrupt rs that Of any Arstocracy on
earth.
Alas, at the head of our ring ruled States
is old Pennsylvania, in the hands of as cor
rupt ring as GOD ever let live outside of a
penitentiary.
Mr.. Monaghan here drew startling con-
trast in statistics between number of our
States.
Thus we see wherever States are uncon-
trolled by corrupt rings salaries are kept
steadily down to fair standard, and in the
ring-ruled States the more potent the ring
the higher the salaries. Compare the sala-
ries of the Governors of these to classes of
States, either on a population or property
basis, and the extravaganza will appear more
potent.
These startling contrasts show that we are
ruled to ruin by allowing ourselves to be
ruled by rings. Our people are over burden
ed with taxation. The State, county, city
and town taxation of the United States ex-
elusive of that by the Federal Government
for the year 1860 was in the aggregate
S93, IA, ,42l, and for 1870, ten years threat
ter, the taxes for the same purpose over the
same territory were $277 ,S02, ,495-an in
crease of nearly three hundred per cent.
How long can this be endured? How long
can any nation stand such taxation? How
far distant is bankruptcy if this be not
stopped? Now it is not so easy to pay taxes
as in 1860, when comparatively free from
debt. To-day he was told by an intelligent
man that in one of the wealthicst townships
in Chester county there were only three
properties free from mortgages and liens.
Besides our individual liabilities, huge
mortgage in the shape of our public debts
rests upon all our possessions. The Federal
debt is 81 100000, 600, of which Pennsylva-
MAS share il one-tenth, or S2l0,000,0 900 to
which adding our county, city and State
debt of $l00,0 900, we have the mortgage
of this State at over $3l0,000,00 Each
year Pennsylvania pays over l5,000,0 900 in
terest on this great debt, and as no one to-
day thinks of dishonoring any public obli-
CATION, we must eventually pay the huge
principal Yet this burden must be borne
while over 81, 600, 900 Improperly taken from
the pockets of the people by taxation lie for
years in our Treasury, on which cOrrupt
ringsters may speculate and carry on private
banking.
Our remedy as in individual enterprises
must be by curtailment of expenses, which
we cannot hope for from the Republican
party. And the demand of the people of
Pennsylvania should be for a reduction of
both salaries and ofce-holdcrs The form
er are far too large, and of the latter we
have many who should be discharged and
made producers instead of consumers. Sal
aries must be reduced to the lowest point at
which we can command the services of our
best men. And when we can have good men
for low salaries, wisdom demands in our Grip
pied condition that we should take them.
The thousands of men looking towards and
scrambing for Office prove that we may easily
reduce salaries without injury to the public
service.
Fraud and peculation have become so no.