The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-03-02
Good Campaign Documents.

in his letter from Chattanooga, Feb. l3,
says:
The Democrats are playing wise
hand at Washington in reirenching
the expenses of the Government. Re-
publican papers may spluticr and
sncer and call it false economy; but
no matter what they call it, it is the
policy that takes with the people. In
fifteen years the expenses Of the Gov
crnncnt have increased two hundred
per cont, while the population has in
creased but forty per cent. Trade is
taxed half to death. The depression
in business is owing largely 10 tho i'm
mcnse burden of taxation which is
placed upon the shoulders OF the peo-
pie. 1t is notorious that men in Gov
ernment Off fiice-sevcn-eigbtso of them
make more money than they can in
private life. 1t is true from President
Grant down to the 81 400 clerks.
can not convey to you an idea of the
immense pressure in the South to get
Government positions. One would
think that nothing else pays, and, in
fact, little else does pay. 1t this DEM
Ocratic Congress apply the pruning
hook from top to bottom, and bring
the Government to something like the
simplicity and economy of other days.
they will have campaign document"
to spread before the people this fall
that will be almost irresistible. The
Republicans are not good at retrench-
ment. They can promise more of il
and do less than any party I ever
heard of. In 1872 they had a power
full rctrenchment plank in the platform
at Philadelphia. 1t was q sumner.
The men who worked for dollar a
day-contributinga fifth Of that 10 the
Government through Indirect taxa
tiOn-read and admired. But the very
next thing this retrenchment promis-
ing party did, was to meet inCODgress
aud double the Presidents salary, and
steal $4,000. 900 from the treasury IL
front and back pay. principally back. }
To say nothing OF the business in
terests, the condition of the laborers
i'm very many sections of the country
is positively distressing. What is the
matter2 Wages are very low, and a
part of what little they earn is taken
by indirect taxation to support the
Government" All Of this winter men
tween here and Nashville for eighth
CcItS u uoSs 9uu DOaTuIu2 CS =.
Ont OF this they must support their
families. Yet nearly every article they
buy is taxed 10 "suppOrt the Govern
ment." and the Government is costing
more than twice as much as il did in
1850. The party that will stop the ras-
cally extravaganza at Washington, and
not pay men in Government employ
more than twice as much as they can
earn i'm private life will be rewarded
10y grateful country. And it wont
matter so much what the name of the
party is, either.
The Republicans i'm the House and
Senate have an opportunity 10 take the
wind out of the Democratic sails by
joining heartily in the work OF re-
trenchment. But if they hang back,
and vote no on every proposition to
retrench, it will be so much the worse
for them in the coming election. The
Democrats are not noted for doing
nything wise--in fact, quite the con-
trary-but they are pulling the right
striug in retrcnching the expenses of
the Government. Most people have
only limited idea OF the vast increase
in Government expenses. These ex-
pcnses, pensions and interest Oil the
pu01fC uCOi, CVuiSCt CACCPtCu,
should not be more than twenty-five
per cent. greater than in 1850. Yet
how enormous has been the increase!
round numbers, Sl6,000,O00. In 1874
this branch cost S42,O00.OO0. In 1860
the navy cost $lI ,OOO. 900, and in 1874
S3l OOO, 900, or nearly three times as
much. Yet the navy is not more ef-
1850, S6.OOO,O0O; in 1874, Sl1,OOO,OO0,
or nearly three times as much. And
so oil.
Yet no one will deny but what there
is greater need OF retrenchment and
economical government now than in
1850. Then there was no heavy debt
to provide for, which now weighs up
on the shoulders of the people.
"Times are hard, and there seems
no immediate prospect of improve
ment. Within the past year | have
been more or less in eleven States OF
of the Union, North and South, and
the cry everywhere is the same. All
classes Of people feel the depression,
aud business does not pay. What is
the matter? The burden of taxation,
direct aud indirect, is too heavy. Our
earnings are taxed away. Few realize
what large proportion of family eX-
pense accounts go into the Federal
is, what heavy per
cent. of the price Of articles of every
day use is in the shape of Indirect
taxes. If this thing was brought
home to the people just as it is, and
they to realize the burden of indirect
taxation that is npOn them, there
would be a row in the land, and a de-
mand for retrenchment that would
have TO be needed or the heavens
would shake.
travel considerably as a matter Of
business mot for pleasure, for be-
lieve with Emerson that travel for
pleasure is the FOOLS paradise,) and
wherever I go I have TO meet this
in various shapes, but
the spirit is the same.--''Say. mister,
is times as hard where you have been
as they are irere?" to which cau,lor
me 10 reply, "Yes. my friend,
and you won't make anything by
changing locations" The man who
has been much in the South and
mingled with the plain people (keep-
ing away from the first-class hotels,
where he will never see any OF The
plain people, for they can't stand four
dollars dIy. nor the half of ii.) this
man has heard, II say, Colonel, times
IS powerful hard until it runs like
punch, punch, punch, in the presence
Of the passenjare, in The Uranium of
Mark Twain.
Let us have retrenchment, and the
Government brought back TO the
administration of other
lays. Ii the parties make q race to-
ward retrenchment, each trying to do
he most in that line, SO much the bet
er for the party which does the most
)f it. ii. V. X.
THREATENED STRIKE.-The Massil- |
on american says: A general strike |
Of the miners of all the mines in this |
ralley is imminent. The men are now
)aid seyenty-fiyc cents per tom and I