The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1882-01-28
WHY TAXES sHUOLD NOT BE
REDUCED.

The following editorial, "Why Taxes
Should not be Reduced" is taken from
the New York Graphic: If our national
debt continues to be reduced at the rate
at which it has been reduced during the
past few years, then it will be entirely
wiped out before the nineteenth Gen.
fury comes to close. In fact, if the
annual surplus revenue were to be as
large as it has been during 1881, and
were to be as conscientiously applied
to the reduction Of the principal of the
debt, there would be no debt to speak of
in less than ten years. The financial
question, therefore, is still an important
one for the country to consider, and it
presents itself in rather q curious shape
at all times. Shall we go on paying the
debt; shall we reduce taxation, or shall
we spend the surplus in some other way!
Ii we want to do the former, then, OF
course, all we have to do is to go on in
the path in which We are now. If we
are to do the second, where are We to
begin in taking off taxes? If we are to do
the latter, it is hardly necessary to ask,
where are we to spend the money? That
national debt is q national blessing is
not yet accepted as all axiom in political
economy, but that it is a great conven-
fence in certain circumstances we are
beginning to discover, and the reluctance
to part with it is becoming more manifest
every day Whatever Congress may
think about the matter, there is little
doubt but that if the question OF debt or
no debt were to be put to q popular vote
the decision would be the debt by all
means. With feeling like this abroad
the two ether alternatives become very
prominent. Reduction of taxation means
long wrangle about the taxes to be
reduced, the upshot of which is certain
to be a measure that will satisfy nobody,
save not penny to anybody and put
millions more into the pockets of already
too plethoric monopolists. On the other
horn of the dilemma there are schemes
without number for spending the surplus.
Among these some are excellent, some
bad and some Indifferent. If the good
ones were sure of being picked out and
carried through, this would be the best
way Of solving the difficulty, for then the
country would have something to show
for the money it relinquished. For in
stance, we need a new navy; we need to
equip our small regular army and our
militia in more thorough and warlike
manner; we need to fortify our seaports
as they are not fortified now; we need to
improve our harbors and navigable rivers,
and we need to do dozen other things
conductive to our safety in time Of war
or to our comfort in time of peace. Very
many are imperatively necessary, looked
at from one point of view, and they really
should be undertaken whether we have a
surplus revenue or not, and they GER.
tainly should take precedence Of re-
duction Of taxation. 1t does appear pos.
sible for Congress to pick out these
things which should be done, before an
other dollar of taxation is RENTED. If
anybody deserving to be benefited by
such remission were likely to be benefited,
then something might be said on the
other side, but we have now reached
such point where taxation is scarcely
felt, and where any further reduction is
sure to fail Of any other effect but max
ing the rich richer. Nothing that the
poor use will be cheapened by such re-
duction, while the impetus that is sur,
to be given to manufacturing industries
by the undertaking Of such defensive
works as have been mentioned is sure t.
benefit the entire industrial interests o
the United States.