The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-05
BY TELEGRAPH
GOV. TILDEN's LETTER.
He Reviews the Platform and the
Situation.

| On Dcuhll VI tuC uClntClhtC JUL
vention held on the 2Sth of June at 81!
Louis, advising me- of my nomination a!
the candidate Of the constituency repre-.
sented by that body for the office of presi
dent ofthe United States, l answered that
at my earliest convenience and In conform
ity with usage would prepare and trans.
avail myself of the first interval in my I'm.
avoidable occupation to fulfil that engage
ment. The convention, before making Its
nominations, adopted declaration OF
principles which as whole seems TO me q
wiae exposition Of the necessities of our
country and tf the reforms needed to bring
back the government to its true functions,
to restore purity of administration and to
renew the prosperity of the people. But
| some of these n forms are so urgent that
they claim more than passing approval.
TIE HARD TINES.
The necessity of reform In the scale of
public xpense-federa, state and munich
pal-and in modes of federal taxation, jus
titles all the prominence given to it in the
| declaration of the st. Louis convention.
The present depression in all business and
industries of the people, which is depriving
labor of its employment and carrying want
into so many homes, has Its principal cause
in excessive governmental consumption,
under the illusion of specious prosperity,
eDgendered by false policies of the federal
government. A waste of capital has been
gong on ever since the peace of 1866 which
could only end in universal disaster. The
federal taxes of the last eleven years reach
the gigantic sum of $4,000, 000,0 900; local
taxation has amounted to two-thrds as
much more. The vast aggregate is not less
than 81, SOC, 900, 900. This enormous tax.
alton followed a civil conflict that had
greatly impaired our aggregate wealth and
had made prompt reduction of expenses
Indispensable. 1t was aggravated by most
unscientiflc and ill-adjusted methods of
taxation that increased the sacrifices of the
peop'e far hey fond the receipts of the treas
ury. 1t was aggravated moreover by a
financial policy which tended to diminish
energy, skill, and economy of production
and frugality Of private consump-
ton, and induced miscalculations in bust
ness ard unremunerative use of cap
ital and labor. Even in prosperous
times the daily wants of industrious COM
munities press closely upon their daily earn
ipgs; the margin of possible national saw
ings is AT best small percentage of the ma
tlonal earnings. Yet now for these eleven
years the governmental consumption has
been larger portion of the national earn
icgs than the whole people can possibly
save even in prosperous times for all new
Investments. The consequences of these
errors are now a present public calamity !;
but they were never doubtful, never lnvis-
ible. They were necessary and inevitable,
and were toreseen and depicted when the
waves of that fictitious prosperity ran high
est. In speech made by me on the Gath
of September, 1868, it was said of these
taxes "They bear heavily upon every
mans income, upon every individual and
every business in the country, and yea. by
year they are destined to press still more
heavily unless we arrest the system that
gives rise to them" 1t was comparatively
easy when values were doubling under re-
peated issues of legal tender paper money
to pay out of the froth of our growing
and apparent wealth these taxes, but
when values reeede and sink towards
their natural scale the tax-gatherer
takes from us not only our income,
not only our profits, but also a
portion OF our capital. l do not wish to
exagerate or alarm. simply say that we
cannot afford the costly and rulnous policy
of the radical majority Of congress-. We
cannot afford that policy against thu south;
we cannot afford that magnificent and op.
pressive centralism into which our govern
ment is being converted; we cannot afford
the present magnificent scale of taxation
TO the secretary of the treasury said
early in 1865: "There is NJ royal road for
the government more than for an indivi-
dual or corporation. What you want to
do now is to cut down your expenses and
live within your income. would give all
leger. de-main of finance and financiering !;
l would give the whole of it for the old,
homely maxim,
LIVE WHITING YOUR MEANs!'
This reform will be resisted at every step,
but 1t must be pressed persistenty. We
see to-day the immediate representatives Of
the people in one branch of congress, while
struggling to reduce expenditures, COM
PEELED to confront the menace of the senate
ard executive, that, unless Objectionable
appropriations be consented to, the opera
tions Of government Hereunder shall suf-
fer detriment or cease. In my judgment
AN AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
ought to be devised separating into distinct
bills appropriations for various depart
ments of public service, and excluding
from each bill all appropriations for other
objects, and all Independent legislation. In
that way alone can the revlsorY power of
each Of the two houses and of the execu-
tive be preserved and exempted from the
moral duress which often compels assent
10 Objectionable appropriations rather than
stop the wheels of government.
HIS SOUTHERN POLICY.
An accessory cause, enhancing the dis
tress in business, is TO be found in the sys-
t,matic and indispensable mi'government
imposed on the states of the south. Be-
sides the ordinary effects Of ignorant and
dishonest administration it has inflicted
upon them the enormous issues OF friudu-