Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-08-11
VOL, Who. 7,
DIRECT TAXATION

ION win me great principle on which that
Government is founded, without being
struck with the anomaly it presents. The
fundamental principle of our political in
sttu'lons is that the great body of the peo-
pie are honest and intelligent, and fully
capable of self government. Yet so little
confidence is really felt in their virtue and
intelligence that we do dare not put them
to the test of asking them, openly and bold.
ly, to contribute. each according TO his
means, 10 defray the Necessary expenses
OF the Government-bu resort, instead, to
every species of indirec,ion and arbitrary
restriction on trade. This is true not on
ly of the general Government,but Of eyery
state government, and every municipal
corporation. The general Government
raises It's revenue by a tax on foreign com.
msrce, giving rise to the necessity OF a
fleet of revenue vessels, and an army of
revenue officers. The State Government
rases their funos by u tax on auction sales.
BONUSES on banks, tolls on highways, IL
censes, excise. &c. The municipal cor
poralions descend step in this prodigous
scale OF legislative swndling. and derive
their resources from impos,ions on gro
GERS, from steamboat and stage coach H.
censes, and from tax on beef-wood
coal, and nearly every prime neces.
sary Of life. This whole complicated sys.
tenn is invented and persevered in for the
purpose of deriving the expenses Of gov
eminent from a people on the basis Of our
institutions! What an absardity does no,
mere statement Of the fact present?
/ Has any citizen, rich or poor, the least
idea OF The amount which he annually pays
Tor the support Of the government? The
thing is impossible. No arthmetician, and
even Rabbit with his calculating machine,
coulc compute the'sum. He pays q tax
on the very article Of clothing he wears ON
every mosel of food he eats, on the fuel
that warns him in the winter, on the lioh;
which cheers his home in the evening, on
the implements Of his industry, on the a.
musements which recreale his leisure. -
There is scarcely an article produced By
; human labor or ingenuity which does no,
bear tax for the support Of one Of the
three governments under which every in.
dividua lives.
/ we have heretofore expressed the hope
and most cordially do we repeat it,tha, the
day will yet come when we shall see the
/ open and honest system Of direct taxation
resorted TO. 1t is the only democratic sys
tenn. II is tina only method of taxation by
which the people can know how much
| their government costs them. 1t is the
only method which does not give tho lie 10
S the grea: principle on which we profess to
= have established all our political nstiiu
j lions. II is the only method, moreover, ir
Y consonance with the doctrines of that mag
s nlfcent science. which, the twin sister, as
e il were, Of democracy, is destined to make
this country the pride and wonder Of The
q earth.
n Thee are many evils which almos! nee
| eSsar'y flow from our complicated system
b OF Indirect taxation. In the first place
i taxes tall on the people very unequaIy-
In The second place, il gives Use 10 thu
creation of host Of useless officers, ant
Il there is no circumstance which exercises
!, such vitiating and demoralizing innu
!, ence on politics, as the converting Of e.
+ lecions into strife Of opposite parties 70,
d place instead of principles Another bat
9 effect Of the system is that it strengthen.
the government at the expense Of the PEG
pie, induces il to extend its powers to OBJ
, JecIs which were not contemplated in it:
, orig nal institution, and renders i, every
year less subject 10 the popular will. The
tendency OF The system is TO build up anG
foster monopolies Of various kinds, and ;s
T.. impose all sorts Of restrictions on those
! pursuits which should be left wholly &c
3 the control. of the laws Of trade. We are
5 well satisfied, and have long been so, that
the only way 10 preserve economy in gov
eminent, to limit it TO its legitimate pur.
poses, and 10 keep aroused the necessary
degree Of vigilance on the part OF the PEG.
; pie, is by having that government depen-
: dent for It's subsis' ence on direct tax on
property.
llhe fundamental principle Of democra-
cy is no, cheat aud mockery, a mere
phrase Of flat,ery, invented to gull the pco-
, pie, if it is really true that popular inteli.
gence and virtue are the true source Of all
{ political power and the true basis Of Cow,
: if these positions positions are admitted, we
can conceive no possible objection to a sys-
tenn OF direct taxation which at oil counter
balances any of the many important and
grave considerations that may be urged in
its favor.
For our own part, we profess ourselves
TO be democrats in the fullest sense of the
word. We are for free trade and equal
rights. We are for strictly popular gov.
eminent. We have none of those fears
which some of our writer's, copying the
slang of the English aristocrats, profess to
entertain of ''balanced Democracy."-
We believe when government in this
country shaIl be true reflection Of public
sentiment; when its duties shall be strictly
confined to lis own climate ends, the e.
quail protection Of the whole community
in life, person. and property; when all re,
siric!ions on trade shall be abolished, and
when the funds ne essary for the support
Of the government and the defence Of the
country are derived directly from taxation
on property, we believe when these objects
are brought about, we shall then present
10 the admiration of the world nation
founded as the bills, free as the air, ard
prosperous as fruitful soils genial eli
male, and industry, enterprise, temperance
and intelligence GIN render Us
William Lsggcn.