Year: 1868

It will be seen from this table that.
while during Washington's administra.
tion. the expenses OF the government
amounted to but IS cents per capita. in
1910, the last year of Van Burcn's ad
minisiration, to but 81 IL per capita, and
in 1850 but to 81 go per cdpita. They
now in time Of profound peace, under
radical rule, estimating our population a.
80, 600, 900, amount to SO per capita, or
about $40 annually for each head of
family, for what are called the ordinary
expenditures of the government Sir.
these facts are in themselves sufficiently
alarming. and do not see that can
now add TO their force by dwelling fur.
ther thereon. If they do not arouse the
people from Maine to California to de-
mand an immed ate change in our rulers
and in our administration, then. indeed.
may We say, with sad heart. farewell to
all hope Of our poor bleeding country to
property and happ ness.


Mr.. Speaker. in these remarks do not
intend TO misreprescnt, or. il can avoid
il. TO be misrepresented; and therefore
must repeat that IN this Indictment
against the radical party have no. In
cluded those expenses and expenditures
which are the necessary result of the war
through which we have just passed.
have not included the estimates for pay
ing bounties and pensions, the sums nee
essary to pay the interest on our public
debt. have left these out that the peo-
pie might see whittier we are tending un-
der the radical rule, even ii these sacred
but most burdensome debts were cancelled
forever.


Now, Mr.. Speaker, should not have
made remarks of this character, especially
at this time, if it had not been for the
extraordinary course which my colleague
[ Mr.. Logan] took in addressing the
house upon this question, which ought to
be considered as mere matter of busi-
ness. am aware that unusual latitude
has been given in the debate. Whether
it is in the power of congress, the presi.
dent. aud the secretary of the treasury
combined to inaugurate system by which
this whiskey tax can be collected or not,
it is impossible tor me to say. My i'm
preston is, that, while the tax of 80 per
gallon is retained, the revenue will never
be fully collected. The temptations to
fraud and bribery are too numerous in
this profigate ago. / care not how vigi-
liant the head of the department may be,
there will necessarily be a great deal of
thievery and fraud. My impression is,
that the only remedy is to reduce the tax
to one.quarter what it is now aud inaugu-
rate a better system of collection, and the
amount of your revenue received would
probably be as great as it is at this time.
| do not believe that it is in the power of
mortal man to inaugurate q system by
which the entire revenue can be collected
while the tax is retained at the present
rate.


In the remarks which | have made, as
a matter of course-and presume it was
so with my colleague-it was not intend
ed to insinuate that all the officers con-
nected with the revenue service are en-
gagged in peculation and fraud. do not
believe anything of the kind. do not
understand my colleague to charge any
thing of the kind, although his charges
have been very broad. But with the
temptations that are held out some fraud
is inevitable. 1t is impossible for the
or the secretary of the treasu
ry, or the commissioner of internal reve-
nue. to know one man in thousand of
their appointees. How are they to avoid
when they must take the men recon-
mended to them, getting men often who
are at best weak and will yield to the
which are held out 50 boun-
around them? | do not believe
that it is possible to inaugurate sys-
tenn under our laws as, they are now, and
with the taxation as. it is now, that will
result in an honest collection of the rev.
pnue that ought to be received from this
whiskey tax.


A few words moro, Mr.. Speaker, and I
have done. Our whole revenue system
seems to be devised for the purpose Of
holding out temptations of fraud and per-
jury There is but one hope and one
Bring the party as soon as pos
'ible into power that is pledged to econo-