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

- W 'HS Ouieu otdteSt Is ihtre doiia
necessary for the defence of the republic
and The efficient administration OF lis laws
which they would hesilie to vote, or nav
according 10 any just principle Of allo
meni and collection? [. there any princi.
pie OF apPor'ioning tax more radically Just
than that of taxing a man according TO his
property! Would There be the slightest
fepugnsnce to direc, tax, levied on this
principle to meet the civil expenses Of the
Government We cannot bel eve il. For
II the burden of these expenses were div
ded equally among the inn ,btan,s ofthe U.
;. without any respect TO property. il would
not amount to 81 cents a head per annum.
Levylng this tax according to properly, il
would scarcely be felt ihroughfhe cou nt.v.
We insist. thea that, raising the amount
requisite for the c,rH erpenses of our gov.
eminent would never hive been imprac j..
cable or unpopular by direc, tax, and ,ha,
no other system would shave resorted TO.
were j: no, for the purpose of of absorbing,
lnsensbly aud insisibly. from The substance
of the people, vast revenue to be souan-
dered upon preparations for war in time O.
peace
We insist that this people are ready to
vote and pay ever, dollar absolutely nee,
essary for The defence Of their country;
and to pay it. too. as cheerlully to he tax.
gaIherer as to the custom house officer
But we beg the candid reader to look back
over our history for the last ten years and
say whether the country would not hive
saved at least $500, o. If The expendi
lures Of The Government had been mo, Dy
direct taxation. During the sht yea
ending with 1913, a period of profound
pence in teciviized world. 1853. 1896. III
were expended OIL the Military and Naval
establishments alone Could this sum
have been raised by direct TAXI Never.
But WHY motif from any Obi -clinn 10 this
system of taxation? No! but from The
convic ion that such q sum on yht not TO be
squandared in such a way; that it was leu
times the amount requisite Tor tine defence
ofihe country. No administration could
survive the attempt TO raise by direc, tax
eighteen or twenty millions year TO be-
appropriated to the army and navy The
people would No, foot such bill with their
eyes opened by the appearancesof The tax.
gatherer. The six millions per annu,n
expended on the civil departments Of the
Government, they woyld pay without muir
muring; but when they come to the TWEEN Y
millions for d fe &c ~ the of peace they
would ,ell the national publican to Ecu,
and come again. Now then we would
ask. in conclusion. ough, there to b. dol.
lar more expended upon our prepare, ons
tor war, than If the revenue Of The Gov.
eminent were raised by direc, ,uxg Can
the exPendi ures for these prepa ra,ions ev.
er be reduced To the standard of st,ict ne.
cessity acd economy. untl hey shall be
mu,lin this ways This easy, indirec, pro
cessot revenue raising now in vo"ee tend.
to something worse than mere prod galuy
|; is Taught with oil the tende nces ot pc.
lii cal corruptieH. 1t enables governments
to absorb 'hsSsubstance Of the sub ec,s in
maintaining vast arrnameus in time of
peace, thus Creating hau. hiy ar.stocracy
of epaulet's to ride up the 'fecks of the
people, ond Iced al lie npblicscnb. Who
then will say wrh US, ltn'o future prep
ara'ions for war be betrayed. by dlrec,
tax, that The people may sect heir relation
TO the army and navy!
Manchester, e G. july 81, ls46.