Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-25
$~eO,OOO,OOO SURPLUS
That h Tax Payers Should Insist Upon
Having Struck Oh.

New York Herald: The last Democratic
President before Mr.. Cleveland was chosen
in 1855, when the United States contained
about %, 600, 900 of people against So, 000,-
coo last yeaf. We have been looking
over a table of annual taxes and expendi-
lures covering the period from 1866 to
1SS4-5, and set down here some compari-
sors between the first year of tie last
Democratic administration and the last
year of the last Republican.
In 1867 the total met revenue" OF
the federal government amounted in round
figures to $4,000, 600 in 1SS4-85 to $685.
$4,000. In 1856 the people paid 81 IS per
head for the support OF the government;
in 1SS4-55 they paid S. 81 per head.
But including in each case, as is neces-
sary, the payments for pensions and inter
est on the debt, which together amounted
to So, 100000 in 1S56-57 and to $l07, sec, 600
in 1SS4-S5, it results that the 'net expen-
ditures" necessitated taxes to the amount
of 81 3S per head in 1857 and 81 80 in
18S4-85.
In 1867 there was, however, a surplus
revenue of less than $4,000, 900; in 1eS4-5
this surplus revenue, taken from the peo-
Piles pockets without a shadow of excuse,
amounted to S63, 00,000. This systematic
robbery of the people by over-tanation
began in 1880. In the previous year the
surplus revenue was only s6,750,0O0; in
1880 it rose to S65. $50, 1000; in 1881 it rose
to over 500, coo, 600, in 1882 to S145 $780,
900, in 1888 to 1882, $50 900, and in 1884 it
| stood at Sl0i,333 1873. In six ~yeaIs-the
last six years of Republican rule-the peo-
pie were overtaxed to the amount of 1922
100000, the exact amount of surplus
revenue for those years being s622,23 3,
707. That is a very great sum to force
needlessly out OF the POCKETS OF the people
in six consecutive years by exorbitant
taxation, and those years of absolute peace.
Comparison of items and expenditures
show that in 1856 81 $4,000 600 were spent
on the navy in 1SS4-S5 only Sl6,000,0 900.
In 1867 the army cost a little less than
Sl7 ,000, GOO, but in 1SS4-S5, with fewer In
dams to deal with, it cost over $40, 500,0 900.
The Indian service cost in 1556-57 only 81
700, 000, while in l8S4-S5, with fewer Indians
to feed and keep in order, and with trans
portation and all other expenditures cheap
ened by railroads, the Indien service cost
sc, SOC ,000.
In the return from which we have taken
these figures civil and miscellaneous ex-
penditures are Jumped together, only the
items for war, navy, Indian, pension and
public debt being stated separately. The
item of "civil and miscellaneous expendi-
lures" has had a fast growth. In 1867
it came to a little over S32 ,000, 900; in
lSSi-S5 it footed up SS4, 100000. Nor is
this a sudden increase. In the previous
| year it was nearly 81 900, 000; the year
before that Sos, 500, 600; the year before
that $57,250,000.
Il would seem from these figures that
the Democratic House might easily and
safely strike off between 100000, 600 and
soc 900 Of taxes; and we advise the
people, the tax payers, to require this to
be done. The whole surplus revenue
$63,000,000, ought to be remitted, because
The establishment of proper economy in
the Indian service, in the War Depart.
ment, and, above all, in the overgrown
and bloatsd total for civil and nigel
to provide handsomely for a new navy and
for al other burppses.