The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-05-19

We are happy to learn that the taxes as
sessed under the Internal Revenue act are
promptly met, and the people as a general
thing respond cheerfully to the calls which the
Government is making upon them. Occasion
ally there is grumble, but compared with
the great number of tax payers these cases
are as scarce as hens teeth.
This is not the first time in the history OF
this nation, that the people have been called
upon to pay a direct tax to the general gov
eminent, and that too, for the carrying on of
a war.
The following papers of which the following
are copies have been handed us, by one Of our
old and esteemed fellow citizens. As they
may have some historic interest at this time,
we copy them verbatim. The first is lcence
to retail trader and is in substance not UNI
like those which retail at the present day IRE
required to take out.
LICENSE TO RETAILER OF MERCHANDISE, OTHER
THAN WINES AND SPIRITS, IN CITY, TOWN OR
No % Whereas of the Town of Port
land in the County of Cumberland in the
seventh collection District of Massachu-
setts hath duly made application for
other than Wines & Spirits Now know
I.Sl Ye, That the said --is hereby
sl5 licensed to sell by retail Merchandise. 9TH
- err than Wines Spirits, at his store in
Middle street in the Town aforesaid, dur
ing one year following the twenty-sixth
day of November thousand eight
hundred fifteen, in conformity with
Act of the Congress of the United States,
passed ont on the second Of A Az gMl lsis
In the Collection District Commissioner of the
aforesaid this 9th day of Revenue
November, lsl5
Collector of the Revenue for the
seventh Co lection District of Massachusetts,.
The second is receipt which was given by
the Collector Of this District then the 7th
Collection District of Massachusetts, to the
gentleman who paid his tax $3.50.
Received this 30th day of July 1874, from
the sum of three Dollars and thirtynine cents, for
Town OF Portland in the seventh Collection DctIict
in the State of Massachusetts, under the Act of Con-
gress passed the I'd August 1918 to lay & collect
Direct tax within the United States
W. STORER, Collector
Dollars 3, 80 for the seventh Collection District
in the State of Massachusetts.
These old documents carry us back half a
century, and call to mind all the causes and in
cdents of the last war with Great Britain.
They may also serve to show the younger por-
ton of the community that the taxes which
now are, are those which have been, and thus
strengthen their faith in the declaration of
Solomon, "The thing which hath been it is
''that which shall be: and that which is done,
sis that which shall be done, and there is no
''new thing under the SUM-"
The war OF 1912 like the present war. had
ite nnnouantc vary MANY of xyho,n ua ora in.
clined to think, were honest and conscien-
tious yet that war teaches one lesson, which
it might be well for persons among us to study
and ponder.
The men who constantly and persistently
opposed that war were ever after marked
motive and integrity of purpose could not
save them. They were ever after regarded
by the masses with doubt and suspicion.
To have been a member of the Hartford
Convention, although that convention EN-
bodied vast amount of intellectual ability
and moral worth, and though no reasonable
purposes were ever developed from it, was ev-
err considered damning political ofense, and
one for which the members could make no ex-
piation.
The war of 1912 was waged for our rights,
the present war is for our existence; and If
those who opposed the former politically per-
ished, of how much sorer punishment shall the
men of our day be thought worthy, who now
talk treason and array themselves against the
Government, when the very existence of the
nation is at stake?