The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-08
Taxation.

ilA@ro ctn lie bu, l,ttis doubt that ihu theory
+. taxator' Gv imposts is radically wrong, ex
e,l 20 lar rs il is intended as IL measure OF
protection W home industry and euterprae. 1t
l. tie DUTY OF the Government 10 s,imu ,atn and
<cv"s"H within reasonable limits ,--tuking into
tnf,dcratinn the good Of The whole the re-
s"urc9s. enterprise, industry, genius, and talent
at the country, and for THIS purpose duties on
IMPORTS have been resortci to by all nations ----
Bu. AS a revenue measure through which the
excliequer OF the Government may be kept in
g'"s condition, they arc necessarily partial and
threw Tie burden, OF supplying the treasury
Of the Nation uncqualy upon the people The
iF,t traders ar.uments-so far as they stand on
this fonndation-arc invinciblc and tariff,
practically. can only be justified either by the
Necessities Of the Government, or by the ne
'7>sitics of the people. Take, for instance, the
tax on teas and coffee. and particularly the
irtsen. one which imposes tax Of 50 much
per Pound withouy reference TO the value or
"o+t, and The tea that cheers the poor man S
frugal board contributes as much to the rcye-
nues OF the country as the more expensive teas
th"t send up their stcaming aroma from the
silver nrDs Of the rich. 1t needs but Il: mere
statement OF this inequality TO shcw the radical
wong OF the whole system rs a measure Of tax
attn. hut custom has so long sanctioned 1t, that
t1sre is not much grnmbling at it; though pri
"s /" oar present necessity there had seemed to
ht pretty general assent to the proposition |
thai articles. which could not be reckoncd as
articles %; luxury, and which We did not and |
co"'G no: produce in this country, SHOULD he
charged only nominal duty, if any at all. Blu.
'ai,.ase W. have always been more or less
wren: In taxation by imposts, there is no reason
'"a' we should carry the same or kindred inc
qualities into "Nr att .mpts to raise rovcnne
10: t'r Government from other sonrccs
lac true basis Of taxation is. unquestionably, |
property. The M III who has the most dollars. !
wAt:rcr in real or personal estate. should give |
me 'a2' tor the support Of the Governments
H"Nernmcnt exists and is administered to pro-
'eot personal and property rights, and in Tree
toVrsnmcnt like ours where property il so gen. I,
orally distributed, where there arc scarcely any
Immensely wealthy. and but few squaldly poor,
the Grove -nment that secures all property rights.
IN good degree secures, at the same time, all |
personal rights and the main expenses of tho
'"'rThn'n;. are ;hargeablc to the machinery
throsgh which these property rights are secured
anu administered. The theory Of taxation by
wntcn our State Governments are maintained
"uc their expenses paid, and by which our mu
ncrF.l corporations are carried on +, Is certainly
mnei moe equitable, and works more equally.
Take vermont tor example. The State has no
reTtt3Hei any am'An: cs@ps from drscttaxa-
tor This is partly personal and partly on prop
crty about one-twclft Of the former, and eleven
twe.;;hs Of the latter and is Us nearly impartial
and equal a. It is easy to make it, and even
moe equal in theory than It is in practice. The
people do not complain of it, but on the contra
ry sse each year recognizing its sounlness by
bringing under the general rules some exception
al cases where property has hitherto been exempt,
Tncn why should not Congress, in taxin, the
Nation. proceed upon the same principle? Can
any reason be given why what works well in
school districts, towns, cities, states will not
WORK equally we'll as IA national policy Con-
gr,ss doesn't seen to look at tho question in this
light, hut is rather seeking various devices ia
a voie DOING inst what it ought to do We hear
onc cay that telegraph messages are to he tax