The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-04-01
TAXATION AND THE PARTIES.

States the burdens imposed by the.war
It has been forced to keep them familiar
with the fact that they owed a great debt
and to impress upon them the necessity
of making provision for it reduction ano
payment. In order to sustain the IA
tional credit it has been the policy OF the
party to so gauge taxation that every
year should show not only the interest
but part of the principal paid. That
it has been thoroughly honest and eff
| fective in its administration Of the Il
nances of the country is well-establlsh
ed fact. By limiting expenditures wher-
| ever practicable, it has been found teas
ible, to greatly reduce taxation and
| ascertained, as it was still to control
the debt When it was during the
last session of Congress, that the re-
venu would probably be insufficient
to meet all the demands that were
likely to be made upon it, the Repub-
hcan party shirked none OF its respon-
sibility, but fearlessly did what ii
thought to be right and what the pres
ervation Of the national credit required,
namely, increase the rate of taxation Sc
as to be sure to make Up the deficiency.
The -gatherer is rarely q welcome
individual, and the public are wonder
fully sensitive as to anything which takes
money out of their pockets. 1t has been
the policy Of the Democratic party to
connect taxpaying and Republicanism1
in the minds Of the people as much
corruption have been the stereotyped
orators everywhere. 1t has been their
I 10 no ,,y,n
JUDGES of the ta1payers-a method which
the outs as rule adopt, whether there
is any foundation for it or not. In some
states the prospect OF reputation has
even been held up as bait for the sup
port of the avaricious and dishonest.
On the one side we have the Republican
party imposing and collecting the neces-
sary taxes, while on the other Demo-
cratic damagogues have been promising
measures of relief which, though upon a
little reflection they must appear false,
are still alluring. When a man IS told
that there are some doubts as to wheth-
er he is bound to pay a certain debt, and
that there is way for him to avoid it,
he is sorely inclined to listen to the
voice of the tempter and to disregard
the promptings Of his better nature. It
is this weakness in humanity that the
Democrats have been working on, and
it seems with some success.
And now comes the day of the fulfill
ment of their promises of relief. All
the financial bills which pass Congress
must originate in the House of Repre-
sentatives, and in that body the Demo
Gratis have the majority. They have
promised to reduce taxation. Will they
do it? If they do, they will injure the
public credit, and are they ready to
take the responsibility Of doing that
If the public credit suffers they viii find
that there is enough honesty in our peo-
pie to repudiate the party which injured
it; and if they do not reduce taxation
they will break their promises. They
can take either horn of the dilemma they
choose.
But instead of any movement toward
reducing expenses, we find that very
stronge portion of the Democrats in
Congress are III favor of movement
whereby the National Government shall
assume the indebtedness of all the States,
issue bonds therefor, and pay the inter
est on the bonds. This means an in
crease of the national debt Of nearly four
hundred millions. Ex-Gov. Walker, re-
preventative from Virginia, stands pledg-
ed to a lvocate this measure in Congress,
and in it he will receive the support of
nearly all, if not quite all, the Southern
Democratic members, and the Southern
Democratic members form the majority
of the Democratic side of the House It
is not unlikely that from among them a
speaker will be chosen, nor is it unlikely
tIo+ 4lo al = lo
the one chosen. OF course the Senate,
as at present constituted, will render the
passage of such law impossible, but
the Democrats will show their colors
nevertheless. There are among the new
members of the House from the South
those who have expressed themselves
in favor of making the nation pay for
the slaves emancipated during the war,
and it is probable that some one of them
will have the hardihood to press such a
proposition before Congress. None of
these are indications of economy, and
the prospect is that those who have
placed any faith in the Democratic prom
ises of retrenchment, etc., will soon
find themselves sadly disappointed, and
will thank fortune that the Senate and
the Executive stand between the House
Of Representative and the consumma-
ton Of it's wishes.
We confidently expect that the course
adopted by the Democrats during the
next session of the House of Representa-
tives will SO injure their party that they
Will feel their late victory to be curse
to them. They have more on their hands
than they have the capacity to handle,
and their conduct will be keenly watch
ed. We well know that the people OF
this country will not support the schemes
with which the party must become
identified, and which have already cast
| their shadows before. This will be
shown conclusivelv in the fall election
of 1876, if not before. They have rope
enough to hang themselves, and they
Will use it.-SentineI
AROTTT one third of Mackinap TSIaOG