The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-08-17

Congress martS wnere Puolic Crus0 was
sold for private gain. "Thou shalt earn
thy breadc'by the sweat of thy brow, "
was no longer even memory. Paul did
not plant, nor Apollos water, and men
lived not by the energies of labor, but by
the chances of speculation. In one
sense, at least, the Utophia of the great
dreamer became the actual life of our
people. The hour of atonement has
COME. Property having gone far beyond
its actual value, by the law of compensa-
ton, has fallen greatly below its intrinsic
worth. The normal consequence is
panic.
Alarm and anxiety, doubt and appre-
hension, brood over all the industries of
the country, and its wonderful material
activities lie PROSTATE and helpless under
universal financial paralysis, with an in
debtedness, national, State and munich
pal, appalling in its magnitude. The in
terest alone on the national debt, is, in
round numbers, including that paid on
the Pacific Railway bonds, 500, ,oOO, 900,
and on the State and municipal debts,
S2,OOO,OOO. So that, for interest on
debt alone, the national and local gov
ernments require S1S2,OOO,OOO yearly
from the people. The enormous charac-
ter of this burden is best shown by COM
parison. The British Government pays
annually, in interest on its national debt,
S122 OG0,0 900, and on its municipal debt,
$l3, ,50O,0 900. Thus, the British Govern
ment, for the same purposes as ourselves,
pays, in round numbers, Sl35,0OO,O ,OOO,
while we pay S1S2 100000.
And yet there is really little compari-
son between the actual wealth of Great
Britain and that of the United States, for
the former is incalculably the richer.
The parallel is still more discouraging in
the costs Of the administration. The i'm
perial revenue of Great Britain is. about
SS9S, ,697, 900, and the amount raised by
taxation for local purposes is about $lO4,-
1000. So that the the whole cost OF
governing the country is say $3.50, 534, ,00o.
The revenue of the government of the
United States is S29O,OOO,OOO, and the
amount raised by taxation for local pur-
poses is about $3.50, 100000. So that the
whole costs of government in the United
States is 1920, 100000 against 1856, ,5S4, :
600 in Great Britain. -.s.
Local taxes alone in the United States,
are within fraction of the entire reve-
nue. of the British government. Yetthat
government supports and maintains o
prolific royal family, plants and protects
distant colonies, and governs in vice
regal munifcence, great Eastern EN-
pire. But bring the comparison home.
Compare the costs of government, now,
with preceding administrations, and the
picture is still more revolving. The costs
of Washington's administration, in its
highest expenditure, was little over
$4,000, 900; that of John Adams less than
S7.OOO,00O; that of Jefferson less than
SS,0OO.OOO; that of Monroe less than
$4,000 900; that of Jackson, with In
dian wars, less than $31, 900, 600; that OF
Van Buren, less than $38, 600, 900; /; that
of Polk, with the Mexican war included,
less than $4,000, 900; that Of Pierce
100000; that of Buchanan q little
over $60,0O0,000; and that of Grants
last year, over $294, 100000. "yl.
] The increased expenditure in admins.
tration, necessitated O proportionate IN.
crease in Federal taxation. Thus, the
Federal tax, in 1860, was SAC, ,000, 900; in
1850 it was $50, ,OO0, 900, and in 1870, $780,.
100000. In 1850 the population of the
United States was 23,l01, 1916, pay.
ing a Federal per capita tax OF sl;72
in 1860 it was 81 AS, ,321, paying q like
tax of $1.91, and in 1870 it was $685.,
271, and paid q like tax of Sl1.67. 1t is
thus seen that the increase of public ex-
penditures, excluding the interest on the
public debt, has been, since 1860, two
hundred per cent, while the population
of the United States has increased only
forty per cent; and the ratio of Fed.
eral taxation, per capita, has increased
from 1860 to 1874, about six hundred pei
cent. What has become of this immense
increase of taxation, taken from the earn
ings of the people?. 1t has not paid the
public debt; it has not filled the public
treasury; it is not boarded for resump'
ton. Where then is it? 1t has beer
suuandered under the guise of official ex
penditure, in the license of party corrup
ton it has been used to. debauch the
morals of great party through the In
strumentalities of civil service; and il
has organized and perpetuated unconsti
tutional satrapies in the Southern States
to overawe conquered and submissive
people, and suppress the freedom of thu
ballot-box, that carpet-baggery, with al
its train of evils, might rule and ruiz
what war, in its most gigantic proper
tions, had not destroyed. How long car
the country bear this pressure? NJ
doubt we possess great material capablli
ties, a marvellous power of recuperation
and hopeful vigor of vitality as e1pan
sive as the spirit of liberty and broad anc
continental as the territory we inhabit
But these capabilities and powers hay'
their limitations. This is shown in th'
general depression of business; in 'th'
impoverishment of corporations and indi
viduals; in the timidity of credit; in th'
bankruptcy of States, and in the uni
versal cry Of "hard times" The remed!
for all this lies neither in undue contrac
ton nor initiation of the currency, nor
yet, in forced and premature resumption
of specie payments. The disorder j
radical, and although not immedicable, i
beyond the quackeries of legislation
The remedy-there is but one-is in th'
hands of the people. 1t is embodied il
one word-Reform-but like truth, thi
word is many sided. 1t affects ever.
public question, and embraces all genera
interests.
The declaration of principles, made b.
the St. Louis Convention, a masterpiece
in literary excellence, in historical pre-
sentation of the issues involved in th'
election; in the arraignment of the Re
publican party for the neglect and abus
of its great opportunities, and in recall
ing the people to the solemn appreciation
of the duty they owe to the country, IL
restoring to the government its purity
and to the nation its safety and its honor
itself suggests the mode and measure o
relief.
Public expenditures, licentious ant
criminal, both in degree and amount
must be diminished; official accounta
hility lost in the mazes of Republican