, 1862-01-28

cock, when it gave uttcrance to the above |
Of Blair's n;i-Republiean and !
intolerab}y unjust proposition.
VT invite the attention Of members Of
Congress to Il few objections to. the pro
posed stamp tax.
1st. The publishing business is simply
manufacturing. We use paper, ink, types
and presses, and employ mechanics, clerks
and editors for the production Of printed
slccts which are sold Wholesale aud retail
10 individuals and news merchants. We
manufacture our issues for sale pEeciselyas
any other manufacturer furnishes his ar.i-
clcs for the market, Tho newspaper pu!,-
Usher is exactly as much manufacturer as
the miller, the nlac1lirist, the boot maker,
tie weaver, the ironmonger, the tailor or
worker at any other trade. Il is a trade
tl.a; requires years to learn and, taken ass
-hole, is one OF tie highest exhibitions Of
human art and intellect.
I'd. Why should this particular branch
Of American mechanical industry hc Singled
cut for special and oppressive .;sx t;;zsxalon ?
Have tie Committee Of Ways a;.9t1. a.99.t f., o.a1
6ss|s2 IS zsdsa taaat Equivalent to taz e Is to
33 per cent. Oh the gross production Of this
'?scfu1 and important branch CT manu-
fac'ures? Tie prices which publishers
obtain for their printed sheets range
from tNoihirds Of one cent to three cents
per copy. The publishers Of penny papers
gei but GG cents per 100 saects. The lead
ing Eastern tlailies get $3.50 per 100 sheets,
d few dulles get two cents, and weekly
io::l;eTs realize from Il cent and q half to
three cents. But strike an average Of the
Whole American press, and the price wi1l
he Under q cent and half 4 stamp tax
oi half a cent is therefore thirty-thrse per
cent on the gross receipts. # the
publisher undertakes to pay it, he
is blcd about one-third of his gross
receipts, and, Of course, it will soon stagger
and fall II, in self defense, lie taxes it over
on his subscribers, at1east half Of them will
stop Lis paper. He must then discon-
tinuc his publication il a majority Of cases,
and be thrown out Of business aud loose
his investment
Sd. Newspaper business, taken as 4
whule, has not been SO depressed OF paid
so poorly for forty years rs now. No
branch Of manufacture las suffered worse,
and few so severely. The reason is. tha,
while the war has stimulated the sales O.
| city dailies, it has destroyed, in great
| measure, advertising patronage which
is the main reliance Of publishers, as print
ed sheets are sold at but little above the
cost Of white paper. Job printing, another
/ source Of income, is badly affected by the
| rebellion. Under this state Of things, tc
levy a special tax Of 90 per cent. on news
l'arers is not only inequitable but ms0nst1os4s
| injustice-:1le opinion Of Frank Blair and
Justin Morrill, to the contrary.
4;h- We ask The law makers. why an ey.
ecptional, special tax Of any sort should h@
levied OH newspaper manufacturing Pub
fishers are perfectly willing to bear theil
it'll, equitable share Of tho public burden
tc lctaxcd ly the rule applied to all othcl
il;;tles, If the Congress thinks that Ia,
slicr1d he levied on useful production. pub
}shcls will mcst chccrfu1ly pay thci
equal proportion, if it takes the coats OF
'heir backs 10 do ii. For the purpose Q
putting down this internal rebellion an,
saving the Tnion, the members Of our Graf
stand ready 10 make as large sacri6ccs d
the remainder Of The community. VIII
should thcy be required to make more?
9Th. If Congress will levy tax on til
property, real and personal, Of the people
| printers ask no exception to be made {
them. 1fCongrcssexacts tax on income
and wages, printers and publishers stan
ready to 81 fork over" their share Of it. ]
Congress sees proper to impose d tax O
, the productions Of industry, on the good
r Wares and merchandise of all manufactt
rics in the Union, publishers want to be 4!
| sessesse1 with alL1heir fellow artisans. B,
+ they do not want 10 be singled out an
r taxed tssenty Or thirty times hsaAer tia
| any othfr trade or honest, useful calm
r A tax of one per cent. on the gross produ
ton Of mechanical industry would not |
! felt as oppressive, while it would yie]
. twenty to thirty millions Of revenue. b
r TO abstract tllirty-three percent from, new
;, papers, ard nothing from other manufa
5 tu1crs, is a proposition that will only be S
5, '1ously advocated in Congress by the en-
d mics Of our coantrys glory, a free press
0 will only bc supported by those who wou
n assassinatc the great Public Instructor.
II We have the charity to believe. til
It Aessrs. Blair and Morrill, had not giyt
il. the subject Of stamp tax on ncwspape
IL much thought when they announced thu
" intention 10 support such an abominatio
"a The anxiety for revenue blind
- their eyes for the moment to t
- injustice Of the scheme, and caus
Of them to overlook the disastrous eff
C. that such measure would have
e. the newspaper business OF the COUNT
m They did not stop to reflect that as revcn
hc measure, it would be folly and b1.1nd
il; leaving all o:her views Of the subject out
sr sight, inasmuch as the money abstracted
.ir The stamp, would be more than count
p- balanced by depreciation Of value Of pri
an ing establishments, the reduction of capi
tic invested il the collateral branches Of pan
he ink, type, and press manufacturing, and I
.h- consequent loss Of direct taxes; the Fl
on ing off in employment 10 workmen, a
ho consequent loss of income taxes; to VIII
CT a13 TIC decreased osnm2ti,n Of autia