Tombstone weekly epitaph., 1882-12-09
TAXATION.


 of national taxation, the EPITAPH be- lieves it would not be the part of wisdom for the Democrats to materi- ally reduce the rate, especially if the reduction involved cessation in paying off the national debt. An eastern exchange, on this question, says:
 Every politician who has spoken on the subject since the last election has taken it for granted that taxation must be re- duced. Both parties cry for a cutting down of the national revenue, and why? Not because either objects to spending she money--far from it-but because each ln- terprets the recent voting as meaning that the people will not pay so much for gov ernment as they have been paying for these many years Each side is trying to curry popular favor by declaiming loudest in favor of this one policy and neither ap- parently has suspicion that it may pos sibly mistake the popular meaning.
 Is this the sole lesson to be drawn from the elections of this fall--that the reduction of the debt must be stopped, and that no more expendi- lures are to be incurred for internal improvements? Are the people real ly so very anxious to escape from paying each a dollar or two more a year? Have they actually decided that the general government is to do nothing for the general welfare ex- cepting the protection of frontier settlements from Indian raiders! The clamor for the reduction of taxation means that this is what the people want and what they will have. Are these wiseaores who pretend to know so much about the condition of the public mind quite sure of their premises?
 Why should there be such great anxiety to stop the further liquidation of the public deht? Is such debt really blessing that we should try to keep 1t on hand even when we are able to get rid of it? Would it no' be better pohcy to pay it of as fast as we can conveniently, and so be ir '. position to borrow on the best terms possible the next time we fno ourselves in difficulties? Are we SC very sure that we will not he con- fronted with the necessity of fighting for a generation to come? Who car say when national honor will require us to put our armies in the field anc navies on the seas, and is not money or the ability to borrow money, the .siuews of war?
 Another questions: Ought we no to spend some money, HOW that w have q surplus revenue, in putting ourselves into defensive order? w, have scarcely fort or gun worth. the name along our entire seaboard We have no navy, and the pieayuE' appropriation made at the last session of congress is not going to give u one. Would It not be a, wise thin! for us to remember the old maxim about preparing for war in time o peace, to this extent at least?
 The politicians who think they ar sure to humor popular desire whel they talk about cutting down tn government revenue to the loves possible point, will surely find ou their mistake if they persist in thel new course. The people of thes United States have no objection t bearing the present load of taxation , but they do want to see some returl , for their money. They do object t , having it thrown into little mud pud , dies or lost in the pockets of oflicia 7 jobbers, but if they see it applied t purposes that will make the countr
 more prosperous and more respecte , they will pay cheerfully as long a 7 is necessary. Let congressman past 5 this in thelr hats.