The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-04-24
TIE TAX ON LIQUORS.

ccsroNs.
Spirits ..........,....".....G G2623 81
Wine ..,......... s..'...'.s" 's...' llifTpI
Tobacco and Snuff. ...................b.6 b.606, ,4SS
INLAND nBvESuH.
MALT" ...,..,.............fs ca. 20S,Sl3
Spirits .,..g, ,225, ,J3S
Licenses .'..'''' '''''''.'l ,492Oel
Stamps '..,'....,,.,...,..' '....'...s'.S S.s6B,SO9
ESio7OTH
Making in our currency tho sum of Sl73,-
100000 or about Sl0,0O0,000 more from
those sources slone than tho Tariff Commit
toe expect to raise from all sources under
their new bill.
Tho tax on British spirits is So, so per
gallon On common and unmanufact ctured
tobacco 40c per pound, on cigars So, 80 per
pound. Tho maltstcr must first obtain Ii
CONGO before he can enter on the manufac
turo of malt, after which every bushel Of
malt mado by him 10 heavily taxed The
distillor, the brewer, tho retail dealer in
strong drink, all havo to pay for their Ii
censo to engage in the traffic, and by this pro.
coss the large aggregate is acquired. We
doem this systom Of taxation to be both
reasonable and just, and az ably stated by
tho Now Yord Tribune, and the New York
Independent, we affirm that "taxes should
bo SO laid as to bear on tho vices OF tho
community rather than its virtues, for many
reasons. 1st. 1t is vics, not virtuo that
renders government necessary. 2nd. II is
the avowod end of government to protect
virtue and discountonance vice, and, Bird
vice does not mind expense, but Id willing
to pay for its qualification" Wemust have
" law which shall bear heavily upon every
thing which promotes or stimulates vice,
immortality, or extravaganza. Lot those
who live in luxurious Incidence, pay tho
proper penalty for their indulgence and
idleness This ia fitting time FOX our pol
itcans and law makers to think Of such
matters. We want all the help now which
puro morality can give us. We want u
basis which is sound, beautiful and high
toned, and one which sAall mako good men
strong, and influential, and wicked men
woak and powerless. We have now a
chance 20 meet an enemy, more destructive
than war, more desolating than pestiience,
That enemy is intemperance. War has
slain its thousands - intemperance its tons
OF thousands. Wives mourn the loas of
husbands, and children deplore the loss Of
parents who have sacrificed wealth. honor,
health, life, and eternal happiness, to graft
fy this dcbasing passion.
How then shall we roctify tho evil? Shall
it be done by calling those engaged in tho
traffic hard names Shall it bo done by
ihe enactment of legal prohibition from the
use of strong drink. We apprchcnd not.
Such modes of operation must of necessity
in the present state and condition Of society
utterly fail. Men will not bo reformed by
Lard language. or brute force. 1t is educa-
ton. II is moral restraint. 1t is the en-
noblng precepts of Christianity Slone that
eau accomplish it. We believe that what
over rational plan can be adopted to limit
and restrict the prevailing use of alcoholic
drinks, will prove blessing to our people
and nation. AT the present time and in the
present condition of society, We can con-
,ccivo of no plan, more certainly tending to
such results than that Of levying 9 heavy tax
on every class of alcoholic drinks manuise.
tured, or sold. The high price of liquors
will thus of necessity place a very large
class of the victims of intempcranee in a
position of comparative sobriety in which
habits Of temperance may be measurably
acquired and thus afford scope TO Chris
tians and philantrophists for tho exercise of
the potent influences of sympathy, kind
ness and the teachings Of Christianity.
Thus may wo hope by force of necessity,
md education TO redeem many victims from
1his slough Ct misery and vice. To thus
debGr the poor fron an uncomfortable hab-
1t SO pcrnicious and destructive, will bo
TO teach them the art Of self control, 10 aid
them in regard for the blessings of social
life, aud thus elevate their thoughts to the
higher destiny of moral and intellectual
life.
The man of means, The wealthy victim
OF inlempcrance has no othcr resource than
self determination for his deliverance from
this dire curse; but how weak and futile
does the force of habit, make this power Of
The human character. With an appetite for
drink in man money inspires al Unsuitable
desire to crafty it, and in the majority of
such cases, the only hope Of their deliver.
auce from this gigantic national evil, is in
the sleep of death. We now repeat what
we affirmed in previous article on the sub
iject lntemperance is curse TO individuals,
curse to families, curse in society, il is q
national and an unmidgated curse, 1t has
been fruitful source Of misery. crime, and
of bloodshed. In this manner il has bur
dened our townships, counties, and states
with taxation. An interference with the
cause, Of these evils, in the shape of pro.
lIibition, has been designated by ceriain
judges and lawyers as unconstitutional aud
from the recent action OF Congress in re-
gard 10 the importation, manufacture aud
sale of liquors, We may we'll conceive that
the legal status, given ths traffic by QUA
highest legislative authority will cause all
the prohibtory enactment of subordp4ts
legislatures TO be void. We say then mas.
much as the question of unconsttutionalty
canncvnr ariae In tho mai ta, of lavvino to y q