Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-04-21
rRIsc,ey.Xs OF TAXATION.


ths mode OF raising 1t.
|. Tae necessity is Obvious and admitted
on sll hands. II is great, urgent, clamorousi
sven ii TO t:a last degree unpopular, i. would
Re imperative but neror before vas present
ed il.e spectacle of people SO earnestly beg
c:n, 10 he :sxed-n ct from tie love e tsxs-
ton, surely, hut from = conviction tf It's ne
csssi,y. The. people in Ibis respect Mc in.
ahes,i Of their representatives. II IL cb'icus
~ The pis'nrs. capacity, that tia country
si.sds III pe'ishing nacd ef it; Congress II
nov, perh,ps, fa.iy Awake To- tie fact. a
frigh!fal, constantly increasing depreciation
s.arss every m.ns in the face. The people
. wfsh TO be honest; they wish to p-T tSeir
debts, s;,d it is because thsy wish to pay
th,t they daslrs quickly to stop this sr'r-
utalat;cr, hnrrying them on to ruin A'r'sdy
the eff ct OF do;ay has bern unapoAEEbty
d;ssstraus The country is literally h'"edinE
30 acai:.. !ius life nload is fast obbing away.
Mske haste With tbs tonrniqurt, before 1t III
too laic. any thing to 5ts"ch the blood my
thirs- tho poorest better than none.
.. The amount to ba raised is large. i. ls
usaisss 10 mincs mattors. =ueasy tAX.ti"n
o. s:oxiv fnancia, ruin hes before u1. We
gIes:ly owe s6Oo00O,OGo or iao,e. IL is as
::ffoastsd that bv July l, 1868, ws shall owe
1000 100000. T..c Ya;..s N th- entire prop
es.y .i .he Copfaderacr We cannot 'ealinsis
accurately but tho PC. cea. OF Indebtedness
to property is probably now 10, Ii July -
~. cen. of tbs Tholn property.
II oras- &c psy interest, reduce c"rrsnri''
restore confidence, rrvn,olo fnn;l's'k. me lax
ynust Lo kssvY. This is tina proper ',"'s Tor
.sb .zxss. Az! possible direct hcush;5 &C
crac noa', in The highest dcgzcs, and n.meT
aus ana meet important collateral advantage.
accom-. snS &c I,rest Oianr hctSrnea may
succ.... or may isii; bu. this, if Wall !oil"@ed,
isa.u,e rnsd t1 confidence, CIsu,t, hEd u.u-
,nste honest payment There II -" compll
c:,i1h IL this. Every body can understand
the .rnd ucy Of taxation to Fay the natl nal
i,b: Patience sturdy r.ticnce--undsr this.
vii. sad 1nust. ard can iHleem every lhiig
..ils the currency IL .e1undaat, people can
bes. .Ee7d to pay largely, with gradual ara'-
:ior.t;on hsxcaf;sT. Tie tine aud mode ir9
How 10 tbs g,oalcss a'!TsnssCs. The true
,o.ss,i,s If policy il, maat The c@nahy can
bur Never sgaia can :!a asma sacrifices be
so =hsc.iYs. Now, payment aud purchases
,rs % tho ;,aula "a-;z. \. n'n'h AM ~ o.
,on 3: sae people cau :es', " tho triie fnls,
and n,s o,.!y shunld tie tsx be sctdp bat col
,.c!ed now, for every day is precious. How
painfully Obvious is :kis fact
3. The made of raising 1t.
rbe usual uothad oS rsisias re"5"ue !or
thc sensral government hFs baoH ny '!ut;es
uron ..nnaIis .rhe Confederate Constitution
autbo.:1.s. .lso, duties upo" exports. All
uus:,iau. III thees mnGss, ho~cvar. are 500
pends;, by tee blockade,
Ia ax:;ses or stamp duties. aud 70 Al he
rsxss;nus forms of taxs;ion elsswhe resort
I'D to--ns to tsXcs upon h"ussa, ~'n"nEa'
hs,rt5s. S.;--thc cH,tnt-g has Tis7df htsn &C.
customsd. ID ': .y.g hsti"r, perhaps that it
:rs-s- et;a;i -
We ere x,most shut up hy eHc ci'r"in-
,,.ance.; i, RI. cbsicu. AMI siml!e plan OF az
<d caiorem tax upon prorefty e'a income
tho eii,lt!a plan, II $50 were 1Fae 10 ctoons. -
Each TAX Simple in ;ts nature, ra!cilsb:o in
its -csil ;. css; in the machinery tor lts COL
lsct.on. free frc.n the objection OF exciting
o,ass iss,u:,sas, aud not ietu.:sring with The
natural channs'. of d1aaify ard "xne7f'i'f'
We shall proceed "a conaiisT the pinc''
pies OF just taxation ii rss,e; SUI how they
sre nodded by wa, tho g-ai.d pr:nc'pie
which should gcrsTu ts.st'on II pa'cs and
wsr is ma san:s-to spporti, The burdens ut
aoyetpulnt arcn-GMe. - tie 6in:E.s derive"
frorc Il. ThrIn aru alhet burdens bnsdes
tax.tiop--such az IN, discharge OF militia,
road Aid jury dn,y-porhspsth they night be
c,.sssd Is tarat:or in kind. Thcsr burdens
s.il most heavily upon tn: poor They are
an a.lcquxto SGT CT against p"i-'sx one
which yields comparatively little st all events
and IS not apportioned accordi5g 10 aL!i:iy 20
nav. Indeed, to c"li+rt sayes in money, Ard
rsy f,r all surn services, would IserhsPs he
the equitable u,cdc.
TIE earlier history Of taxation in most
countries exhibits very little regard to p'inc!-
ole of any sort. Jazz: as tho "ti. Il gov
eminent WAS net, even profrss:"iy, the good
of tie governed, 70, in raising revenue, the
omonn! was rcgs- :a'; nare tcar =1Hh'',f ~
;n+rico Ibe object w. :. :.'ac - from tho
heip;e.s who could not protect or aVenge
themselves frequently, t" ra'ss it by indi
rect mesus 90 Is to concenl ito amount, and
divide and 81 coIuss tho ntrihntors-gcn
orally. to regard the interests CT the govern
,nen,, disragsrd;ns .bose Of the loop'e.
pe-f.spg nothing o'se has IN we'll served tas
pufooses Of unscrupuous governments ss
taxes mon trade. The object has been u
catch propasty in t-snsitu, when the parties
might doubt who psid the tax. Exci"s, du-
ties on inports ard experts, l'gicy iutiea,
stamp duties, h,vo all been greatly in vogue.
In word government las bsan supported
by burdens upcE exchange. In tho formation
ofthe Constitution of the United States it was
rsux-ka. ..,hat it was sgreel, on all hands,
that the revenue would principally be drawn
from 1rsLe'-and argued that ut was not
material whether il should DO drawn wholly
from imports, or half from those Sud hsii
Grom exports.'
This mode of raining revenue has hesn
largely defended upon the ground that It MOI
only supports government, but Sprotecss DC
ucstic industry" suhjec! upon which much