The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-18
HARNrsr CALL ron EcoNoNY,

Aiew days ago alarge meeting Of tax
payers was held in Watertown, Jefferson
county, N. Y, and a severe set Of re-
trenchment resolutions adopted, demand
ina reduction Of Federal salaries to cor
respond with tho "gold basis" and in.
strnetiug their Representatives in Congress
70 vote against an appropriation to meet
tue arrears ot;pensions grab. These reso-
lutiots have been received here, and have
occasioned agood deal of quiet talk among
members. II Is believed that we are
atthe beginning Of q revival Of interest
among taxpayers rs to where their hard.
earned dollars go that are poured into the
National Treasury In q mighty, constant
stream. Members OF Congress privately
acknowledge that the whole affair here Is
conducted on more expensive scale than
need be, but every attempt at reduction
encounters q violent antagonism from In
terests Immediately affected, and there
seems no relief unless the people force 1t by
deluging Congress with resolutions such as
those recently adopted at Watertown. Such
meetingsheld in every county in the United
States would haye Q wonderful effect here
IN driving members to their duty. Look
at what item OF expense we may, we find
It doubled, tripled, and quadrupled since
1850, until the total Is swelled to more than
five times what 1t was in the years before
the war. Tlearmy now alone costs near.
ly one-halt as much as the entire Govern.
ment expenses in Buchanan's time. The
Arrears OF Pensions bill takes from the
Treasury an amount nearly equal TO a
years support Of the entire Government
IN 1859. The expenses OF the next fiscal
year are estimated by Secretary
Sherman at S2S5, 5,5O2,4l0, or about
six dollars to every man, woman and child
in the United StatesI Twenty years ago
the annual expense was from dollar aud
q q quarter to dollar and half per capita.
thoughtful men are beginning to inquire
how long this can continue, and what the
end will be. 1t is not believed that the
mass OF the people are any bettor able to
stand taxation now than they were twenty
years ago, II so well. Had our population
aud our Tealtllincress ,proportionately
with the expense. OF the General Govern.
ment, our population would now be about
two hundred and fifty millions, and our
wealth abouttwenty thousand millionsof
dollars! Twill thus be seen that expen.
ses are running ahead out OF all proportion
to Increase inpopidation and wealth.
The resolutions OF the Maine Legisla.
ture, calling for the reduction OF the Pres.
ident's salary to S25, 600, and that ofmem.
bees Of Congressto the old figure Of s.. 900,
have beenreceivell here, and are Sariously
commented upon. It Isl expected that
other States will follow the example Of
Maine and call fora cutting down OF ex-
penscs to correspond with the gold stand
ard. In speaking OF this matter promi.
nent gentleman from New England re-
marked the other day that the Presidents
salary OF $4,000 gold would purchase
eight or nine times as much land, or ten
times as many horses, mules and cattle as
Lincoln's paper salary Of 81, 900 in 1864.
It Is believed that the pressure OF Fed
oral taxation Is now greater than at any
time in the historyo OF the Government, for
adollar means dollar in gold, and the
country is suffering from depression un.
exampled in severity, and length Of time
OF continuance. ,or