Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-08-07
REFORM IN THE PUBLIC EXPENSE.

The Convention before making its nominations
adopted declaration of principles which as a
whole is wise exposition OF the necessities OF oui
country and OF the reform needed to bring back
the Government to its true functions, to restore
purity of administration and to renew the pros
perty of the people. But some of these reforms
are so urgent that they claim more than passing
approval. The necessity of a reform in the scale
OF public expenses, federal, State and municipal
and in the modes of federal taxation, iustiies all
the prominence given to it IN the declaration OF the
st Louis Convention.
The present depression in all the business and
industries of the people, which is deprlving labor
of its employmcnts, aud carrying want into SO
many homes, has its principal cause in excessive
governmental consumption. Under the Illusion
of specious prosperity, engendered by the false
policies of the Federal government, waste OF
capital has been gong on ever since the peace oil
1866 which cou Id only end in universal disaster.
The federal taxes of the last ii years, reach the
gigantic sum of 81 100000 000 Local taxation
has Amounted to two-thirds much more. The
vast aggregate is not less than 81 800 900 900.
This enormous taxation followed civil conflict
that had greatly impaired our aggregate wealth
and had made prompt reduction of expenses IN
dispensable. 1t was aggravated by the most an
scientific and i'll ad justed methods of taxation,
that increased the sacrifices of the people far be-
yond the receipts of the Treasury. 1t was aggra-
waited, moreover, by financial policy which tend
ed to diminish the energy, skill and economy of
production, and the frugality of private consump-
ton, and induced mscalculation in business and
an unremunerative use of capital and labor. Even
in prosperous times, the daily wants OF industri-
Gus communities press closely upon their daily
earnings. The margin of possible national saw
ings is at least small percentage OF national
earnings. Yet, now for these eleven years gov
ornamental consumption has been larger portion
Of the national earnings than the whole people can
possibly save even IN prosperous times for all new
investments. The consequences of these errors
are now present public calamity. Bat they nev-
er were doubtful. never invisible. They were
necessary and inevitable, and were foreseen and
depicted when the waves of that fictitious pros
peri,y ran highest. la speech made by me on
the 24th of September, 1862 it was said OF these
| taxes "Ihey bear heavily upon every mans in
come, upon every industry and every business in
the country, and year by year they destined to
press still more heavily, unless we arrest the sys-
TEN that gives Use to them 1t was comparatively
easy, when values were doubling, under repeated
issues of legal-tender paper money, to pay out OF
| our growing and apparent wealth these taxes
but when values rccede and sink toward their nat
ural scale, the tax axgatherers take from US not only
| our Income, not only our profits, but also por-
| ton OF cur capital. do not wish to eXaggeratt
or alarm. i simply say that we cannot afford the
costly and ruinons policy of the radical majority
in Congress. We cannot afford that policy towar1
the South. We cannot afford the mag gni6cent anC
oppressive centrallsm into which our government
is beng converted. We cannot afford the presen
magnificent scale of taxation" To the Secretary
of the Treasury said, early in 1865, there is nj
roy al road for government more thaa for an in
dividual or corporation. What you want TO d'
now is TO cut down your expenses and live within
your income. ! would give all the legerdemain o
fnance and fnanclering, would give the who'll
Of II for the old honesty maxim, Live wlthil
your income"
4 This reform will be resisted at every stop. but
must be pressed persstently. We see to-day tn
immediate representatives Of the people in on
branch of Congress, while struggling to reduc
expenditures, compelled to confront the menace @
: the senate and the executive. Unless the oblec