Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-01-17
Moro Raids on the Treasury

moro RAIDS on the Tfeabury
II is estimated that the various raids
on the Treasury already sketched for
the Forty eight Congress would wipe out
all the surplus and leave a considerable
balance on the opposite side Of the pub
lie account. At the head of the list
stand the bills for the purchase OF ground
and erection of public buildings in many
cities and towns of the country, asking
appropriations for about twelve million
dollars. The bills for the improvement
OF rivers and harbors already cover six
million dollArs, with several States and
Territories to be heard from. For the
cause OF education several schemes have
been introduced for appropriatins sums
ranging from ten million TO City million
dollars a year. Then there is n consid'
erable array of bills for creating new
departments, bureaus aud commissions,
involving an increase of the army OF
Office holders and large expenditure to
the Treasury.
OF the pension, back pay. bounty and
prize money bills there is no end. One
bill proposes to give a pension 10 every
soldier who served three months ir the
Union srmiss, without regard to e1e
question whether he Was n deserter a.
bounty Jumper or not. Another pro
vides for the issue Of FIVE hundred mill
ion dollars in Treasury notes for paying
to soldiers and sailors The differences in
value between the deprecated MONEY
paid and gold, together with per cent,
interest. Bills to pay State claims Of
various sorts ask appropriations estimat-
ed at not lels than tFcnty five million
dollars. Florida wants two hundred
and twcnty.four thousand dollars in
full settlement on account Of Indian
wars. Another bill provides for re
computation ofall accounts between the
United States aud Pennsylvania. Vir
ginia and Maryland growing out Of the
war OF 1912. Sui! another bill proposes
to credit each State With its quota of
the direct tax Of twenty million dollars
under Ihe aclof 1851, which would take
about fifteen million dollars out Of the .
Treasury. California. Oregon, Nevada
and Nebraska have all claims on account
of Indian hosultics.
There is snarm Of private claims Of
every description upon the justice or
generosity Of the Government Mostof
them have grown out Of the civil var,
but some have come down from former
generation, The heirs Of Richard W
Meade claim nearly two million dolIars,
principal and interest. due from the
Spanish Government since 1919. Ben
Holiday claim for carrying the mails
is another cold soldier" but hy no
means Of a. ancient date. The book
SCENTS Of the Methods Episcopal
Church South rensw their claims Of one
hundred ard ffiy thousand dollars for
property used or destroyed in Nash.
vile during the civil war. Besides,
there are many demands upon the
Treasury for drawbacks and rebates OF
taxes and duties which amounts 10
several million dollars.
Some Of these claim, on the Treasury
are just, and should have been paid
long ago. Some Of the bills are for ex.
pendilures that are expedient and nee.
essary for the public interests. But
most Of them are based on the assump.
tions that tho treasury OF the Govern
ment Is inexhaustiblc and that the
people are never so happy as when pay
Jog taxes 10 swell the surplus. These
are great mistakes. In the las, election
for Congress the purpose Of the people
to cut down the unnecessary revenues
not By wasteful appropriation but by re-
duction oftaxea, was most emphaticallY
expressed. The present is therefore not
favorable Congress for the success of
Treasury raids, no matter under what
philanthropic or patriotic guiso they
are 'presenled. --PIis Reotrd
Two Kinds of Tariff.