Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-15
A-au.dstcl tlltelliQeIlret.
SATURDAY EVENING, JULY Is, lse2.

ALAitidSlCl tItElllHE1IlEl.
EVENING. JULY Is. lse2.
The Peoples Bardens.
Unquestionably the first duty of the
present Congress was to have relieved
the country from the burdens of taxa
tion which weigh down upon its mater
ial interests, imposing upon capital,
depressing labor and provoking con-
flict between them. To the House Of
Representatives, the popular branch of
the government, which goes up fresh
from the people every two years, with
which originate all bills of revenue
and which under our system holds the
purse strings, the people had right to
look for relief. 1t was the Democratic
House of previous Congresses that had
devised economies in public expendi-
lures, and under its regime the lobby
was driven from the halls of the national
capitol which had been so long infested
by the thieves. 1t was the Re-
publican Senate which had stubbornly
resisted the popular measures of econo-
mic reform. The well known fact has
been that the revenues of the country
greatly exceeded its expenses, leaving a
surplus to tempt the lobby. Even the
accelerated payment of the principal of
the national debt could not absorb this
enormous surplus since there is limita.
tion to the maturity of the bonds. What
the people demanded was that there
should be restriction of expenditures,
and a reduction of the revenue. which
can only be raised by taxation, direct
and indirect, which falls on rich and
poor, capitalist and laborer, producer
and consumer.
After 6 long and wearisome session Of
Congress under Republican control it is
seen that the leaders of that party have
misinterpreted the popular demand and
abused their opportunity by devising
new schemes of expenditure instead of
providing relief from taxation. If they
have saved at all, it has been at the spig
got and only after they had drawn the
bung. Last year the surplus was over
500 900, 600, and next year, notwith-
standing the abatement of some revenue
taxes, it will be about Sl5O, 100000.
To q Congress marsllalled by Keifer,
Robson and Hubbell, whose instincts
and associations are received askance
by No public thief, the uppermost
thought has been, even in making reduc
tions of the revenue taxations to leave
tho largest number Of officeholders and
to protect all the agencies upon the
abuse of which the Republican organi-
zation depends to carry elections. How
tenaciously this idea has been adhered
to is pointed out in lelferdM ccrrespon-
dence with relation to the tobacco tax, Il
subject that is Of special local interest
here
Il provides for certain reductions in H.
censes on tobacco, which ought to be
struck out entirely, because the revenue
from these licenses is insignificant in the
face of SO great a surplus, and because
If the licenses were entirely repealed not
only would vexatiOus interference with
trade aud the peoples employments come
to an end, but another economy would be
made by the dismissal from government
employ of considerable number Of per
some collectors, inspectors and spies-whO
must be maintained in Office SO long as
these licenses are in force, now matter how
little revenue results. In this matter the
bill is disingenuous. 1t provides unim-
portant reductions upon Insignificant
sources of revenue. apparently with the
:~ct of keeping the staff of Office holders
OBJ -resent maximum strength. For
at it r. the licenses to pedlers
instance, reduced on all four
of tobacco A. - to $50 on the
classes from ss., tue second, from
first, from s25 to sl5 o.. from $40 t.
e15 to 81 on the third anu 'ooks like
Ga. 90 on. the fourth class. This >, fact
. very handsome reduction. But IL y.
the whole revenue collected from pedle.
of tobacco was but $26, 25S last year, and
this at the cost of good deal Of interfer
ence and spying, to prevent some poor fel-
low from turning penny by selling tobacco
and cigars around at country fair. The
reductions made will leave the revenue
from this source at about s13, 900 for the
year. With surplus revenue of Sl5O, OOO,-
600, surely this wretched license business,
which is to yield $13, 900, might be struck
out entirely and tho amount would be
probably made up by dispensing with the
petty revenue officers who insure the COL
lection of it. But that would hurt Mr..
Jay Hubbell's feelings and diminish his
collections.
There are other petty items of the same
kind, where the nominal reduction in the
license charge looks quite magnificent and
paternal, but where the whole license
could be we'll spared. Dealers in leaf to-
bacco, for instance, now pay license of
e25, and the bill, with great apparent
magnauimity, reduces this to $12. But tho
whole revenue from this source last year
was but 81, 900, and under this reduction
it will be but $36, 900. Why should it
keeping necdlessly large number of peo.
pie in Office?
A prevailing notion with the Resmbli
cans is to keep all the Office holders in'
even il the interests they have charge OF
do not amount to as much as their ex-
penses. The gross receipts of many OF
the custom houses do not amount to as
much as the salaries of the beef. eaters
who set in them, and in some sections OF
the country the same is true of the reve
nue. collections. But the dear old party
must be maintained, and the ranks OF
the Office holders kept filled up. There
are more of them now than in war times
and while the national debt goes down
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