, 1862-01-20
popular rights. The most bancfu1 and

| to1'oAn' 1l5ues. Inc most DanGful AM
antl-Republicau Of I'LL impositions, is sta;
on knowledge" Those who favor the pro
position to impose stamp tax on newspa
per circulation in America, are the would
be a1istocrats ofour Republic. 4 measur
! Of this sort might be submitted to in JEFF
| den, but will not 70 Gown in the Free States
/; The effect Of this conspiracy against edu
cation would be to enhance the pricc 0
newspapers at least twice as much as tn,
amount Of the proposed tax. The nun,be,
ct subscribers would fall !. #; consequent,
hc profits on clrcul1 on would diminish
and publishers therefore would be Obliged
III order TO live, nvtonly to increase their sub
sefip'lon price enough to pay the tax, but tc
make good, as far as practicable, the loss
resulting from decrease Of circulation. For
instance, we would be compelled to charge
twenty cents week to our city patrons aud
ten dollars per year to our mail subscribers,
Country papers would be Obliged to nut
up their rates 10 three dollars per year for
their wccklics, and the cheapest club rates
for weekly paper would be two to two aud
half, instead Of one dollar, the present
prices. The inevitable effect Of this vou1d
he, to cut down the circulation Of the press
o1 the country at least one hall, and TO des-
troy one third or more Of all the ncws-
papers IN the Union. Large numbers Of
printers would he thrown out of cmplov-
nent Millions of dollars invested in the
printing business would be dcprcciated
The business of paper, press, ink and
type manufacturing would bc cores
pondingly injured and ban1srupted, and the
Workmen in those branches deprived of
the means Of Obtaining livelihood at the
trades which they have spent years to learn.
but this is not all. The money the Gov
sernmcnt would abstract by a miserable
stamp tax would bc more than countcrbal-
anced by the loss Of revenue it would sus-
tain in other respects. The depreciation
OF value Of printing establishments, and
The consequent loss Of property tax; the
reduction Of capital invested in paper,
Type, press, and ink making, must be taken
INTO account. The falling of in wages
paid to employees, and in profits made
by publishers, would tell on the
income tax. And the decreased consuup-
lion Of dutiab1c and excised goods would
also help to swell the loss Of revenue, The
aggregate Of these items would far more
Ehan equal the sum that would be nctted
70 the Treasury by The proposed stamp
lax On popular information AS revenue
therefore, it would be folly and
olundcT, leaving all other views of the sub. |
ect out Of sight.
Alter a contest Of fifty years duration, |
he press Of England has been unfettercd
md released from the odious stamps and
special taxes. and is now almost as free as
ne press OF America. As each imposition
Sas Telnquished by the aristocracy, the
absorption rates were reduced in a double
alto, and the circulation increased in four
old proportion. AT last the penny two cent
apcr made its appearance, and found its
ray into tens Of thousands Of hands that
ever before read the daily news. The
My unjust tax remaining unrepea1ed. is
le excessive postage, which must ere long
One down. Then the great Popular In
ructor OF the British Isles will be COM
letely unslackled, and like the sun, will
hine for all, the poor as well as the rich;
le republican as well as the uabob.
civilization will not tolerate taxes
n information for the million.