Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1884 — Reducing Taxes. [ARTICLE]

Reducing Taxes.

The ordinary expenditures of the Federal Government for ten years, including the current fiscal year, exclusive of the interest on the public debt, exhibit a striking increase, as the following table*will show: 1870. Ord nary expenditures 1104,421,507 1871. Ordinary expenditures 105,863,911 1872. Ordinal y expenditures 153,201,85!! 1873. Ordinary expeudirnr. s 180,488,637 1874. Ordinary expenditures 178,618,965 1871).'Ordinary exp. (Dem. Honse).... 169,000,029 !87G. Ordinal y exp. (Dem. House).... 158,216,526 1877. Ordinary exp. (Dom. House).... 142,535,497 1878. Ordinary exp. (Dem. House).... 184,463,452 1879. Ordinary exp. (Dem. House).... 161,619,934 1880. Ordinary exp. (Dem. House).... 169,090,062 1881. Ordin ry exp. iDem. House).... 177,142,879 1882. Ordinary exp. (Rep. House) 186,904,232 1883. Ordinary exp. (Rep. Home) 206,218,006 1884. Ordinary exp. (Rep. House) .... 218,297,298 The expenditures for the current year are thus $41,154,419 more than in 1881, and $31,393,066 more than in 1882. The total appropriations, including the interest on the debt and all extraordinary expenditures, from the year ending June 30, 1872, up to and including 1883, exhibit a like increase. 1872. By Republican Congress ..$176,119,183 1873. By Republican Congress 173,495,015 1874. By Republican Congress 197,920,292 1875. By Republican Congress 182,804,929 1876. Dem. House of Representatives. 179,166,209 1877. Dem. Honse of Representatives. 164,653,639 1878. Dem. House of Representatives. 144,492,149 1879. Dem. House of Representatives. 174,743,606 1860. Dem. House of Representatives. 192,188,000 1881. Dem. Honse of Representatives. 189,356,251 1882. By Republican Congress 216,465,197 1883. By Republican Congress 295,729,015 Yet the Republicans with very rare exceptions unite in the shout, “Don’t reduce appropriations!" There is an unemployed surplus of more than $100,009,000 now in the treasury. The Secretary of the Treasury estimates that the surplus revenue for the fiscal year ending next June will be $85,000,000. From the decrease of. the interest on the debt and the natural increase of business, this surplus is likely to be larger than smaller in succeeding years unless taxation is reduced. In seven years this annual surplus, even if not increased, will reach $595,000,000, or over $100,000,000 more than enough to rsgleem all the bonds then possibly redeemable without paying high premiums. The Secretary says the same annual surplus until July 1, 1907, with the $100,000,000 left after paying the 4| percents., would amount to about $1,460,000,000, while the whole amount of debt then redeemable is less than $749,000,000. Yet the cry is raised by the President and re-echoed generally by the Republican party, “Don’treduce the surplus!” Prodigal expenditures, profligate appropriations and a surplus beyond all our indebtedness necessitate unnatural and taxation. The people complain. Business is depressed. The cost of living is increased. Directly and indirectly money is squeezed out of the pockets of the people unnecessarily. Yet everywhere is heard the Republican watchword, “Don’t reduce taxation !” The Government is to be run on the high-pressure principle. The debt is to be paid on the high-pressure principle. The peopleware to be squeezed on the high-pressure principle. To what special interests which have paid the Republican party for special protection may continue to enjoy it. In order that labor, which suffers from the increased cost of living, jnay continue to suffer, and that monopolies and corporations which have amassed immense fortunes through the pampering aid of Republicanism may continue to add to their wealth. In order that the party in power may have control of an enormous corruption fund as a means of bidding for the support of the greedy and unscrupulous. Of course some use must be suggested for the surplus revenue. Establish government free schools, say some, and thus add to the Postoffice, Treasury and Judicial patronage, stretching into every township in the Union the patronage of school teachers and other school officers, reaching to every school district. Give the surplus away to the States, say others. Let the Federal Government act as Tax-Collector for the States is Mr. Blaine’s proposition. Cut ditches all over the land and improve coast defenses, is Secretary Chandler’s plan. But with a few honorable exceptions no Republican voice is heard saying, reform taxation; reduce extravagant ex- ■ penditures, discontinue corrupt subsidies and appropriations; do not be in undue haste to pay the debt; relieve the people and the business of the country by moderating taxation; give fair protection to American . manufacturers; make the cost of living less than it is, and do not heap unnecessary burdens on the masses for the sole benefit of the favored few! The Republican cry is of a different character. There are factions in the party—jealous, embittered, revengeful. But they are all ready to unite in the watchword, “Don’t reduce taxation or appropriations. ” —New York World.