New-York tribune., 1875-02-22
4 GRAVE .OUESTION.

a GhdFE 'gUEolIONs
Before the Tax bill now pending in the
House of Representatives becomes law we
must again call tho attention OF our readers
to facts that cannot DO disputed which show
that an increase of Axation at the present
time is not necessary. We have carefully
gone through the revised speech of Mr. Dawes,
and not even Mr.. Dawes himself can find in
it any reasons for maintaining Q that there
is O deficiency in revenue, compared with
expepditure, the Sinking Fund included, which
calls for even fifteen million dollars increase
of taxes; (2) that the expenditures themselves
cannot be brought fifteen million dollars per
annum below their present amount; (3) that
the cash in the Treasury is not at this mo-
ment sufficient for the annual contribution
required to be made to the Sinking Fund;
(D that the country is not sufficiently taxed.
already, and that in the present situation of
affairs the true way to increase revenue is to
decrease taxation and thus encourage business
transactions. We proceed to give few facts
in proof of each of the above propositions.
]. The surplus revenue last year exceeded
five million dollars. For the first seven months
of the current year the expenditures, exclusive
of interest on the Public Debt are ten million
dollars less than they were for the correspond
ing period Of last year, and the receipts three
millions less, giving net gain of seven mil
lion dollars. Now Mr.. Dawes himself, not
only in his speech of June, 1874, but in that
of the 18th inst, assures us that the reduction
of expenditures in the current fiscal year will
reach'twenty.six millions. If so the thirty
one millions for the Sinking Fund are made
L., tha hv "a
nues of this year will fall below those of last,
and that small sum can easily be spared from
the cash in the Treasury.
II. We, however do not believe that the
expenditures will be brought twenty-six mil
lion dollars below those of last year, and zoe
are sure they ,cill not II this projected increase
of revenue becomes an accomplished fact The
Government expenditures are largely within
the control Of the Executive Give the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet all they ask for and the
extravaganza, waste and fraud which have
already excited the indignation Of the whole
country will continue. King Charles l.
would never have had any trouble had MIR.
Dawes been the leader of his House of Commons.
Mr.. Dawes to the contrary, we do not expect to
see expenditures reduced twenty-six millions
this year. The entire decrease so far has been
in the extraordinary expenses of the Army
and Navy, the "Civl and Miscellaneous and
Indians and Pensions" haying INCREASED for
the first six months over the enormous sums
expended from July to December. 1874. But
that expenses can and should be reduced
thirty or forty millions below their range for
the last twelve months we have not the
shadow of doubt. The way to get'them re-
1ta in nii mn
money into the Treasury
Ill. The cash in the Treasury, free of all
claims of certi6cate-hOlders, is now forty nine
millions in specie and seven millions in cur
rency, and this reserve should be used in pref
erence to increasing taxes.
w. We conceive that the prevalent depres-
sion in business Is to be ascribed quite as
much to overwhelming taxation as to any
other cause. The people Of the State of New
York are paying at the present time, as con-
sumers of taxed articles and Occupiers of
| taxed land and houses, not dollar less than
one hundred millions year to their National,
State and local governments, and their public
indebtedness is still. increasing, Is not this
state of things which calls louder for economy
than for increased taxes in order that
those who profit by the abuses of
! Government may profit by them still morei
1t is high time for the export and import
trade and the internal transactions of the
country to begin to show some recovery fG!G
the prostratIon Of 1878, yet it is strange that
they do not. since every citizen of this State
whose vote is thrown at q Presidential cleo
ton is already taxed an average amount of
one hundred and twenty dollars out of his
yearly wages or income. Now we ask in all
seriousness, is business going to be made any
better by increasing the average tax on each
head of family to one hundred and thirty
dolarsf Yet this is just what Mr. Dawes pro-
poses and what Congress is apparently about
to enact.
If the real purpose of increasing taxes is,
as we suspect it is, to make the Administration
Independent of the people, just rs Charles /.
wished to be Independent of his House of
Commons, the sooner the people understand
it the better. full chest is as potent in
political as in military campaigns. The taxes,
collected from the whole people. have already
been used TO fill navy-yards with workmen
and the South with deputy marshals and
"overfow baconn just before an election; and
the same use will be made of the public
money again. so long as forty millions of it
can be had for the asking.
THE PROPOSED SENATE or FRANCE.
The news of the day from France is the