Year: 1876

d ON. ELI j. n IN kIE,
In THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,


Saturday, .4ugusi, 26, 1876.


The House having under consideration the bin
I'll. r. No. 3926) to amend the laws relative to
Internal revenue


Mr.. HENKLE said:


Mr.. Speaker: | am nSceedingly re-
luctant to trespass upon she time Of the
House at this late period Of the session.
Many measures Of great importance and
absolutely essential to the proper ad-
ministration of the various departments
Of the Government yet remain unad-
justed, and the attention Of the House
will properly be engrossed by their con-
sideration until they shall have been
disposed of. A great national contest
is also rapidly approaching, and daily
attracts more and more Of the attention
OF the people and tfeir representatives.
SO that it appears extremely doubtful =
in the present feverish condition of the
public mind, the members of this body
can be induced to deliberate calmly and
carefully upon any public measure not
absolutely indispensable to the business
Of the present session.


Notwithstanding these uniavorable
circumstances, however, a sense of duty
10 those who have delegated me to rep
resent and protect their interests here
impetsm to speak upon subject which
~<Vme appears to be of the most vital
importance to the interests and welfare
Of millions of the inhabitants of our COM
mon country. ! refer to our revenue
laws and the sources from whence are
derived the means with which TO dcfray
the expenses of the General Govern
ment.


A more important subject cannot pos
sibly engage our attention at the pres
ent time. It's influences pervade every
rank Of society. and affect, TO a greater
or lesser extent, the material interests
Of every individual in the land. No
subject, perhaps, has attracted so much
Of the attention of statesmen in the past
history of car country, and upon none
has such diversity Of opinion been en-
tertaincd and advocated. Hence its
careful study and mature consideration
are of the most paramount importance
al the present critical crisis in our his
tory. There is widespread and deep
seated conviction in the minds of a ma
jority of the people of the country that
these laws can and should be so modi-
fed as TO tighten the burdens of taxa
ton now imposed upon a class of our
citizens most grievously oppressed by
adverse fortune, and TO place them
where they most justly belong.


We cannot shut our eyes against the
painful truth that there is deep distress
and impending ruin everywhere in the
land, with gradual but constantly ad-
vancing strides, financial embarrass-
ment has obstructed the pathway of our
people until destitution has become a
common lot and thousands upon thou
sands Of the best people of the country,
willing and anxious to toll for bare
support, are actually suffering for the
necessaries Of life.


The disasters that have befallen the
poor and middle classes have not stopped
there. The same causes that have
brought the toiling millions to want and
beggary have dragged down in the COM
mon wreck the capitalist, the merchant,
and the tradesman also. Bankruptcies,
the like Of which were never before
known in cur history. are the current
events OF the day. Agriculture. manu-
factures, and commerce are paralyzed
Beyond precedent, and utter want Of
confidence pervades every branch Of
industry and every avenue OF trade, and
rejecting men are forced to study Sc
rioasly the signs Of the times, and, if
possible, TO suggest the causes and the
remedy for the impending ruin.


do not contend that all of this wide
spread distress is attributable to any
solitary defect in our existing laws.


| believe there are many causes, each
contributing its respective share toward
the general depression of the times.


The infidelity and notorisus dishones-
ty Of men in the highest and most re-
sponsible positions of the public service
have annually diverted to private emol-
ument millions Of the peoples money
that should have gone to paw the interest
on our national debt and defpy the cur
rent expenses Of the country.


This system Of peeulation by men in
high places has pervaded every arm OF
the public service and. as now album
dainty shown, has robbed the Golfers Of
our common country Of untold millions
and to the same extent increased our
burdens Of taxation.