The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-31
rAaNTrfcENT TAXATION.

"We cannot afford" says Mr.. Tilden.
"the magnificent taxation OF the he.
publican party" Here ID brilliant
brevity which every honest taxpaylng
American citizen must indorse. 1t IL
this magnificent taxation which has SO
crushed our prosperity as a people ana
caused 30 disastrous shrinkage In our
taxable va lues.
In 1860, just previous to the war, the
ordinary exp penses Of the Federal COY
ernment amounted to S5s.955,95S, ana
this, It will be remembered. was under
n Democratic Administration which
the Republican publicists are never
tired Of denouncing. In 1875, after III
teen years Of Republican rule, and after
the necessity Of civil services reform had
peen pressed home to the Administra
tion, the expenses Of the Government
amounted to $l42.073,632. and this, ex-
elusive OF the immense sum required
for the payment OF pensions and the
interest On the public debt.
Thus It will be perceived that the or
binary expenses Of the Government are
nearly three times as great under Re-
publican ~ it was under Democratic
rule. or .he vast sum involved. ut least
fifty millions, drawn directly from the
pockets of the people. might and should
be- saved. Indeed the Democratic
House OF Representatives, though se-
rousIy crippled in It's rotrenchment ef-
forts by the opposition of the Grant ad-
ministration and the Republican Senate.
succeeded In reducing the departmental
expenditures to the extent OF about
thirty millions.
But. II may be asked, how does 1t
happen that the ordinary expenses OF
so seriously increased. as the figures
above given show2 The tax payers,
we answer, are indebted for that in
crease TO the magnificent extravagance
and corruption which have been parts
or the policy OF the various Republican
administrations ever since the war.
There have been expenditures in ali
directions which were wholly unwar-
ranted, and the army OF official salary
drawers quartered on the public treas
ury has been growing greater year by
year
In 1865 there was an immense amount
OF war business yet to be attended to.
aud all the machinery Of n complicated
internal revenue system was in active
operation. It might be supposed, there
fore. that much larger force of depart
ment clerks was then required than
could possibly be needed ten years
later. when our civil and military ser
vice was supposed TO be, and indeed
should have been, placed on q peace
footing. But instead Of q reduction,
what do we find Why, that the official
army above referred to had increased
| from 52.779 in 1866. to g6,617 in 1S75-in
all 1883 persons. Such are few OF
the agencies by which the magnificent
taxation Of the Republican party be
came necessary.
| Now, Il Is not to be supposed that the
party to whose corruption and extrava-
gance we are indebted for these mag
nificent results, ,is at all likely to lead us
back into the pleasant paths OF sim
plicity, economy and prosperity. The
leading men Of the party are mixed UP
with all the governmental irregularities
which have brought such serious bur-
dens upon the country, and are there.
fore interested In covering up their
| tracks. To them the very mention OF
retrenchment is regarded rs sort Of
personal accusation ; to look for reforms
within the party ID therefore hopeless.
What then Is to be done? Simply this
Act with the party which has made re-
form a fundamental principle OF its
policy, and selected practical reform
candidates to carry out the popular
behest. Tilden and Hendricks are the
true reform candidates while Hayes
and Wheeler belong to the Grant sue
cession and would go for magnificent
fayafion tn the hitter end