Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-03

ioTSFSr Will oC tiiC StOi VI eiiC aiiioitiooo
of acquiring fame for themselves, or
Jealous of what has been acquired by
another. Hence we find in these days
so much said of excise and internal tax
alton, such lively fears about imposing
additional burtheDs on the people, such
alarming forebodings OF the oppression
on the poor, which must result from a
change in our revenue system. Almost
every candidate has become the peoples
friend, the poor mans guardian, lavish
in promises of what he will do, as we'll
as censure on the course OF others be-
lieve them, they will save the country,
their opponents will ruin it. Since the
agitation of the great question of protec-
ton to our manufacturers, this kind or
electoneering has become quite an cpl
demic, and the task seems imposed on
me to effect cure by an examination Of
the causes of the complaint. If people
will not read and inquire, then they must
fall a prey to the arts of candidates for
their favor--if they will examine, any
man that votes shall have it in his pow
er to expose them in such way that
they must invent some other word for
bug-bear. pledge myselfto rescue this
much abused word excise" from the
many charges made against it. 1t is a
tax assessed on the articles produced or
manufactured in the country. Whether
we call it internal taxation, excise, or by
any other term, it does not alter the
substance: the name given TO it does not
affect its operation on the public or on
the government. Duty is the more pro-
per term for tax whether internal or
external, in the acts of Congress. The
tax on foreign and domestic spirits is
called in both cases duty--the common
acceptation of the country gives TO this
duty on domestic spirits the name of ex-
else, though it is seldom applied to a
duty on other articles. Now, in the ma
ture of this duty on domestic distilled
spirits, there is nothing more oppressive
than in the duty on foreign spirits -
those who drink must pay. A. drinks
rum, and pays IS cents duty; b. drinks
whiskey, and pays IS cents dnty-,he
amount being the same, any man chooses
which he will pay in his choice of the
spirits he uses---as he must pay some
tax, he pays as much in the one as the
other. Call it duty, tax, impost, excise,
there is no more oppression in the one
than the other. This word then becomes
disarmed of its terrific effect. AS to
spirits, no good reason can be perceived
why it should be more formidable when
applied to other objects--to- clothing,
iron, paper, sc. All the hardship OF ex-
Else is in the name, in the imagination
II is mere prejudice, resulting from the
want Of little reflection. which when be-
slowed but for moment, makes the sub
Ject too simple and plain for discussion
in an essay in such paper as the Re-
gister. Yet it is the simplicity of he
subject, the Plainpess of comprehension,
which prevents the people from examin-
ing it. State the great revenue question
on which this country is divided, which
is the best system--impost, which is a
tax on foreign products and manufac-
| lures excise which is tax on domes-
tic products and manufactures--any man
Of the plainest mind will say, as to mere
rumor, il the ratio OF the tax is the same
the people pay the same in either mode,
The preference OF the one system over
the other must be governed by other
| considerations, growing out of the situa.
| ton OF the country, to which wise and
just government will always be attentive,
and which it is highly inimical to over
look. 1t has been seen from official do
cuments that, so far as respects impost
on advalorem goods, every dollar of re-
venue received into the treasury is the
means of taking FIVE dollars out of the
country-it being the necessary consey
| 1uence of encouraging the consumption
of foreign articles in preference to do
mestic. If this is a wise and sound po-
| Icy, then impost is the best system of
revenue-but if this is bad policy, then
excise is the best; for the natural conse-
quence of the adoption of this system is
the encouragement of our products and
observation-disclosures, the more is
made at home the greater is the revenue:
whereas in impost, the more is imported
and the less of domestic is consumed,
the more Is received by government.
\ 100000 gallons of spirits were con-
sumed in the United States, and tax Of
IS cents gallon imposed on such as
were imported and such as were made
at home were free---then every gallon
of domestic would diminish the revenue
25 cents--it would be the interest Of
government to encourage the importa-
ton, and the reverse if the tax was on
the domestic. Here comes up the ques-
: ton interesting to every farmer, every
landholder, every laborer, every poor