Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-09-16
DIRECT TAXATION.
By ELIuu BuRRIrr.


Than that OF Direct Taxation. To urge the
adoption OF a policy which has ever been
obnoxiovs to The veto OF public opn on, is
not pleasant task; but il Is one wh ca, in
several recent articles, we have undertaken
with difiidence, and which we would now
resume with an unwavering sincerity Of pur-
pose The morality of in iirect taxation is
gradually becoming question of serious
inquiry on boh sides of The Atlantic. No
sober minded INN who has coretiHly analy.
zed the history and nature ofahis system of
raising revenue, by nation, can avoid the
conviction, that il is exceedingly vicious in
primo pie and Practice. We have already
noticed some OF The bearings of this system;
especially that which relates TO the inequi-
y II creates IN allo,tRg the bu dens OF the
Government to the i farent classes of soci.
cry. No system of inditec, taxation has
ever been formed or ad, p ed in any coun-
<ry, which did uol impuse upon The poor man
a disWoport share OF the public bur
den. 4 he indaec, invisible system of
revenue raising surrounded his poverty Ike
an atmosphere, exhaling fom his subsis
tence sac llIhcs ny which b S Governme ut
pampcred ii reckless pradigalit..
A good appetite has ever been the re
ward Of l. or and tho misfortune Of
poveIiy; boih of nh oh conditions have
been turned into st nding source of
revenue by The Political economy of mod.
ern times. by the sweat of the brow
shalt thou eat Bread" was no, only a
p-eIicaiion but pronise; and without the
interference. Of The policy in question, it
would have been bissui blessing to man.
M bread vas ever ale under auspcies of
OF such luxury, as by he sweat of The brow.
The provisions and promise that the Iabor-
ing man shall eat bread, and haze bread 10
eat, il he sweat fox it, are not more clearly
established by revolution than The fact is
10y experience, that he shall eat great deal
of bread. before he can satisfy an appetite
stimulated by toll. There has been no dis
charge from this condition recorded any
where in the ann lis Of Poverty. Poor men
have generally been laboring men ana have
always been men ot great appetite, none can
dispute that. Poor men, TOO, have always
coupled as much superficial surface of per
son, 10 be covered with rameni, as those
who could clo:he themselves i.l.fiae linen
AMI fare sumpiously every day." Their
wives are physically as large as he richest
mems wives, requiring as many yards of
calico or silk for dress as he Duchess of
Buccleugh.. L EN- poor mems Children ecu
IN number, stature, and desire OF food and
ra;men', those of The rich. Now, then, is
Ii not clear, that national revenue raised by
an indirect TAX on food and raiment, must
e levied most d sproporlionate.y from the
subs SIenoe VI The poorer Classes of the com
nunIty?
sB.E The iniquity ofth's system ofrevenue
ralsIny Is only one feature of It's nature
Ia ibe first pI Gee, II would never have been
resur1ed tQin order toInsct merely the Civ.
il expenses If Government. No, a custom
bousswouId have been necessary for this
purpose. With all tue lack OF economy
exhibited by The british and American Coy,
crnmenIs III tiisir expenditures for their
civil departments aloe, The people Of both
countries would read, ly meet those civities
by dreci tax. aud scarcely feel il burden
For The amount appropriated TO thuse de-
parlments IN ght be ia.sed by an annual tax
al sh ll'ngs IA head on The people of the
Uni,ed Sales, and shllnys a head on
tn,s: of Graf Br.tun. Custom Houses
are III the NO $; sense, The caitliige boxes
al War. They are hung at the side of
na'ion 10 coll,c ball cartridges for future
wars, or f,rcc Contributions for delaying
he expenses Of lie past. 1t is fact wor>
Thy the reflection OF all sober men, that this
easy, snrrept tious way of raising money is
the source of ssupeadous prof gacy in the
expenses of inad:rn governments Were
il no; for this corrupt and co;rupting system
this invisible. ubiquitous raising OF money
by evaporation from The substance of the
people, the world, long ago, would have
emerged fIom under The crushing burdens
Il has borne. The nations OF Chris,endnm
hive raised and expended for the perSecu-
.llon of wars sum Of money which the al.
cnmpu e. But with all The exped enis Of
despotism, they failed To raise The current
expenses of their Is. They handed
down TO the ingenuity OF this pacific age and
generation aud arrearage obe provided for
by some asiuts mode of money-raisng. -
rhe sum of Tea Thousand Millions Of dol
.ars in The grand total of this arrearage, OF
he amount which the war expenses OF Chris
enIom have exceeded the assels of their
revenue policies. This vast amount, or
lie interest of it, WI Eve 10 be euapora.
ted from The subsistence Of every generation
10 come. Y This mgAs be- done, and full
quota Of blo,d t,eleil in The veins, and hope
aud health in the hear oil /. Dor. il the sys-
TEN we spe TX 81 did no. induce heavier
Jrau2his upun the people. The Govern
lnents 81 C.nsieRdom not only raise annually
the in,eIcs ON his vast wdI-debt, but
,hullsand mill oiis uf dollars more 10 meet;
The expenses ni preparing for war nd:ine OF
peace. Now. we would ask. could This
enounaus sum, expended on.ihe .'peare es
abl sl.esis' o. Gh:is,endom. be raised by
drua taxi especially if the mind aud
u ofane people were admitted as an ele-
ment of the Government!
Leius bliig ihs case 10 or own, country.
We beg our re ide $ 10 divesl themselves of
aay heled ,ary AMI unreasonable preIadices
or prediluclions OIL this .sublec,. aud con-
slider isw quesii" IS winch We would pro-
poss. fur their reflection. Especially would
as,an,,.,x, ~ - ,r ~