The Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.T. [i.e. N.M.]) 1851-1854, 1852-12-25
Bile proportion towards delraying the

pTuteCuOn, 0H0 6HOUG HOt ItcStCc IT,
Such a man has no more business in
civilized community than drono has in
hive of bees,
We take it for granted then, that no
civil government can eGen eriSt, for any
great length Of time, much less be pros
perous, without some system of taxation
to meet its necessary expenses We
hold that this principle is recognize
most clearly by God himself, who origi-
mated civil government, and who insti-
tuted, by his own divine authority, sys-
TEN Of taxation in the Jewish nation for
the support Of thatgovermcnt. TWAS
recognized, too, by Jesus Christ, when
be performed amiIaCle on one occasion
to get money,to pay the Roman tax, and
on another occasion, when he was asked
if it was lawful and right to pay tax 10
the Roman government, he said, 'Ren-
derunto Caesar (the Roman govern
ment) that which is Caesar's.' He re-
coguiaed the Hgdt Of the government
to demand tax, and the iutgor the peo-
pie to pay it. IfGod, then, has recog-
nizod it as right, what man ,gll dor,
TO calIit ~iaue. 4.
But the question here arises, upon
what principle or basis, should taxation
be fixed? We answer, in general terms,
that it should be fixed upon the basis Of
every thing else, Viz: that of equity and
Justice to every citizen. That is, in lc-
vying a contribution upon the citizens
to meet the necessary expenses of the
government, each one should be reQni-
red to pay in proportion to the interest,
he has to be protected by, and the ben
efts he derives from, the existence Of
the government. OF course, then, the
man who has large amount of proper
ty, has greater interests at stake, great.
er need of protection, and derives molt
benefit from the government, than one
who has less amount, and so on dowI
to the poorest and most destitute, who
have compqraliyel yno interests atstake
and derive but few benefits from the 90
vernmcnt. Necessary household fumi.
ture, we think, should not be a snbjec
Of a teXation, neither should the tools o
tho mechanic, nor the implements o
husbandry. Y,.r.'
As totho choDatof taxation, itshoul(
be as little as an economicala aladministra
ton Of the government will admit, espe
ciaIly amongst poor people, Even
light taXttion is very apt to produc,
murmnrings amongst the people, ouj
when the burden is increased beyou'
what is necessary for the actual want
of the government, they have right t.
complain,
Another question in conuexion wit
this subject, worthy of some cohsidera
! ton, and which has not littleperpIW
ed political economists, is, what mad
Of taxationis the best.2' mother word,
9 is direct tax preferable to an iadiyGl
, one? We may remark that each mod
/ has its advantages and disadvantagc'
$ In the first place an indirect tax, sue
? as, for example, a tariff laid upon in
, ported goods, causes less murmming an
!, dissatisfaction amongstthc people, Sim
e ply because they do not see and let
: how and when they are taxed, ahd,ui
: exact rmoupt, as they do in a dirfct ta'
S But on the other hand the peqple q
f ways pay more in reality, by this ind
}, rect mode than would dare to be rXac
: ted from them By a direct tax. ~ Pew
e There is great mistake in. the mine
r ofmany persons, especially in New Air'
: leo, upon this subject. They suppo'
7 thatlt all the revenue OF the goyernmel
+ is collected from the merchants III Il
}. form of duties upon goods imported In
d the Contry, as heretofore, the pcop
i have no tax to pay. But avery hit
= reflection ought to teach them that 4
i merchants, who pay this tax, in ord
e to make themselves safe, must make
e up in a higher piice put upon the 600
1t they sell. . Thus, for example, il a me
chant on certain lot of goods pays fl
'r hundred dollars duty, when he CON
is to fix his selling price upon his gooC
e he sits down and calculates what ca
Is article originally cost in Philadelphia
e New York, the expenses of his trip
t and from the States, the cost of {
3 transportation of his goods, the pmqr
he ought to add on for risks, etc, q
lie lastly the amount Of daty he has had
Ie pay lor the introduction Of each arG,
I'd into the market When I've has ana
c. out the cost pfall these items. be maj