The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-02-01

: ity of the country to furnish me
: and material of war and to meet ir
creased financial demands is cunt
lative. The burden carried by thi
country from 1861 20 the presen
day has been much greater than
would be If laid upon this matte
and people from 1881 TO 1900.
The burden, therefore, of the pres
ent debt would fall but lightly OF
the country il the payment thereo
should be for time delayed, or th'
rate at which it has been paid be de
creased. Ii thus becomes ques
tion OF prudence with the Govern
ment whether they win continue th,
burden upon the people, or reliev,
them Of part of it.
The burdens Of general taxation
borne by the people are very oner
ous. They have not only the Gen
eral Government to sustain, on then
deyolyes the expenses of legislation
Of the Federal Judiciary, of the rep
resentatives of our country in all th,
principal governments and cities ol
the world, Of the management O
snch Of our internal affairs and con
veniences as belong to Congress, The
keeping up Of our Army and Navy
the erection Of public buildings, the
improvement OF the rivers and har-
bors, and many other items that re-
quire large annual expenditures,
With the increase of population and
the filling MP OF our unoccupied
lands almost all these annual out
lays and expenses will tend to in
crease in place of decreasing, and all
such expenditures must be in some
way met by the people of the coun-
try. They have also TO sustain their
State Governments with the expens-
es and outlays incident to them,
their legislatures, judiciaries, peni-
tentiaries, places OF reform. hospit-
ais, and all means of aiding the af-
iiicted, 10 sustain the common
schools. to pay the cost of such i'm
provements of rivers, of canals, of
railways, or of roads as the States
may undertake. Tney have also
the heavy cost to meet of city gov
eraments, of county, town and bor-
ough governments they must pay
The inferior Legislatures, erect build.
ings. provide water, police. iails.
poorhouses, and build roads and
take care of them.
On the liberality of the peple the
country depends for the building of
charitable institutions, universities,
COLLEGES, private schools of high
grade and every variety of relief to
the poor and the afflicted. In addi
ton to these burdens almost all the
States. most ot the large cities, and
many of the g unties and towns in
the States. 81 Il labor under the bur
den Of ind, etedness incurred during
the war 10 sustain the General Gov.
ernment, which Indebtedness occur
red on the then value of paper cur
rency, has now TO be paid in gold.
They have not had the means at
hand to pay off much of said in
like the General Gov
ernment, nor to refund it at lower
rate of interest. The superior credit
Of the General Government has been
made partially at the expense Of the
local governments. / have stated
these facts that Senators might keep
in mind that the question should
not be considered as merely one of
our ability to reduce our indebted
ness by paving off annually one
hundred millions of dollars and by
continuing our present laws for rais-
ing revenues, as if it were but a
small matter for the people to do,
but it should be considered in con-
nection with the total burden of tax
alton imposed by the revenue laws
Of the General Government, as well
as those of the State and subordin-
ate governments within their
bounds.
There is, therefore, a strong argu
ment to be found in these facts OF
the other burdens of taxation borne
by the people in favor Of reducing
the amount OF revenue applicable to
the payment of the public debt when
il can be done without injury to the
credit OF the Government and with
out risking in the least the ability of
the Government either to pay such
Indebtedness as it natures or to if
terfere with the ability of the Gov
ornment to fully provide for the
wants of the country as they may
he developed. A complete state
ment of the percentage of taxation
borne by each male citizen OF the
United States over twenty. one years
of age in the various ways stated
would astound the Senate and the
There is probably no
country n the world where the tax
alton direct and indirect is so heayv,I
and only people situated and cir
cumstanced rs the American people
are could prosper under such a bur
den, If no other reason could be
advanced in favor OF a reductions Of
the amount of moneys derived from
our internal revenue laws than thia
one Of reducing the burdens of The
people, it would be amply sufficient,
in my judgment, TO warraItthe pro
posed reduction. Yet ! will say
frankly that ! have another object
in wishing to have the internal fev-
enue reduced, and ] hope hefoFe
long that every vestige Of that sys-
tepl viii ccaSe to exist. That object
is to prevent any material change
being made in The tariff upon i'm
ports as it now exists, for upon its
existence depends thp prosperity,
the happiness, the Improvement, the
education of the laboring people of
the country. although do not Oh
iect to careful revision Of it By a
competsnt commission,
want to say word here about
the arrears of pension act. This act
never should be repealed, and in my
Judgment it never will ny Gan be. 1t
has lately been ils!d UP to contempt
5y that class of people who twenty
wears ago were engaged in exhorting
tberc same pensioners 10 go to the