Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-05-18
peb,. Interest and reunion.

and 70 uemanu sOtne COnslueTatlOu anu
relief from them. In the published
repoHs Of the proceedings OF Congress
we read Of nothing but measures to
deplete the treasury and TO foster cor.
porate and great monetary interests;
and il, per chance, some measure hap
pens to pass which tends in the least
degree to reduce labor and to tighten
the burdens of the producer 1t is at
once crushed by, the Presidents veto.
For the nine months ending March
81, 1881, the ordinary expenses and
interest charges of the Government
amounted to S2O4,274, 4O4. yet there
was collected $62,4s3,749 more from
the taxpayers. This showing was bad
enough; but twelve months later, for
the three-quarters Of the year ending
March 81, 1882, the same expenses
had been reduced nearly ten millions,
or to $l94, ,s66,s77, while the receipts
of the Government increased over
thirty-three million, or TO $299,557,-
0S4, which leaves a net surplus of
$lO4,67 ,227, over forty million more
than for the same period last year,
and over fifty.three per cent. of the
expenditures. That is for every one
dollar and fifty three cents taken from
the pockets of the taxpayers only one
dollar is needed to pay ordinary Gov
ernmental expenses and interest on
the public debt.
To dispose of this surplus every con-
ceivable scheme is resorted to and the
public money most prodigally squsn.
dered. The people have uncomplain-
ingly and with philosophic stoicism
submitted to the taxation by which
this wealth has been accumulated and
only ask that il be applied to legitl-
mate purposes. a
Many ways have been suggested to
prevent the accumulations and thus
check the frauds upon the treasury
The reduction of taxes on distilled
spirits and the repeal of stamp duties
on bank checks and other articles
which ask not for relief and need none
have been suggested, but the thought
of paying off the principal of the pub
lie debt has never appeared to suggest
itself to the solons, What would we
think of an individual having out
notes upon which interest
was maturing semi-annually who
would keep his vaults full of specie,
continue to pay interest and never
think of cancelllng the principal and
taking up the notes? Yet this is what
the Republican party is and for years
has been doing. y.
The National Banks are besieging
Congress for renewal of their char
ters, and will without doubt be sue
cessful. Why not use the surplus
revenue to pay the principal of the
bonds deposited by these banks, retire
Iheir circulating notes, stop the inter-
est and make the money thus issued
seek the channels OF industry and
legitimate business for investment?
This policy will relieve all tightness of
;he money market and prevent re-
Of it. u
Shall we be compelled to accept the
]octrlne that "a public debt is pub
ic blessing" and disregard the eau.
lion which Washington gave to his
against "heaping up public
lebts for posterity to pay, thus un-
generously throwing upon them bur-
lens which we ourselves should pay"
ind by an irredeemable bonded debt
'asten upon the country priviledged
lass which will rapidly convert our
democratic government into a monied
sristocracy?
To remedy these evils and prevent
till greater, we must look to the next
and the people in electing
members must see that they are from
he people and Of the people-that
hey are imbued with the principles Of
rue Democracy and schooled in the
of Jefferson, Jackson and
he founders. In this is the hope of
he Republican government, and the
,eople must not be led astray by the
ide issues and sophistries which the
nyrmidons Of centralizationists, mo-
lopolists. protectionists and monied
will invent.
In the trial of the star route cases
m Thursday, Coll Bliss, counsel for
he prosecution, called the attention Of