Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-09
The ETOrt to Maintain the Rebel Fl

The Effort TO Maintain the Rebel FL
The rebel Congress met in Richmond on
Monday last. The Richmond Sentinel, in
discussing the financial condition of the re-
bellion, says their only hope of ameliora-
ting the condition of affairs is in taxation.
It says:
Of our two sources of revenue, loans are
voluntary on the part of the citizen, while
taxation is involuntary. A loan IS obtained
by inducements; taxation is by demand
The latter IS, therefore, our only sure TsEi-
ance, and especially IN thePrese71ce of afeeI-
ina of tiynorousness or distraLst. To taxa
ton, in its various forms, we must at pres
ent mainly look. @
Congress must not be tinaad IN laying tar
es We have seen that on them We are
chiefly, almost entirely, to rely. The ne
esssitg Is atpoa as to impose large tarcs. 1t
Is that or financial catastrophe, ending In
snbjugation. Let heavy taxes be laid DIS
creetly and in proportion TO the ability to
bear. The present taxes are not equal in
point of levy, or equal according to ability
to bear. This should be remedied. The
burden should be adapted to the shoulder
which is to receive it. Let it be applied
| according TO just and equal standard and
the people viii besr great deal without
murmuring; for they Will regard it rs the
price of freedom, and freedom is cheap al
any price.
We thing our present tax bill errs fatal
" in so laying the taxes as to relieve the
great mass of producers from that neees-
| sity for money which would be so salutary
| in its effects. The tax falls in heaviest
force upon those engaged in traffic. It i'm
poses q percentage on the amount Of sales,
a percentage in profits, and various levies
that amount in the whole to an enormous
| tax. This does not touch the producer
| It is necessarily laid upon the goods sold
increasing the prices, already enormous,
and thus finally imposing grinding bur
den on theconsumer, in addition TO his own
proper tax. Taxes laid upon producers-
and not upon their products SO much as OF
their ability to produce, that is to say on
their capital and advantages would have
a different and happy effect. Production
would be stimulated and sales become
| prompt. This rule should be applied moi
| only to manufacturers, but equally tofsTn4-
ers, who constitute the largest class of pro
ducers. It is remarkable fact that Indian
corn. which is produced on the fertile fields
| in sight of our city, on the same ground
snd in the same way as formerly, Ia thi:
dsy selling st 3 greater exsggerstion o.
price than the caicoes imported from
| Europe, purchased there with special, ol
| its equivalent, and brought in with all the
| expense and hazard drumming the block
ade. The policy which produces such re
suits is wrong, if not indesd monstrOus. Il
needs not be replied that corn is scarce
| So are calicoes. But scarce or not there
| is enough Of It, for nobody starves, and il
can always be had for money enough. Il
is not the scarcity that mainly makes tht
| price. 1t is because those who hold it have
| no necessity to spare IT, and no need fol
the money it willbring. Many man who
| has not bushel to sell, would find many
a bushel to sell if the necessity to raist
| money was upon him.
| Nor needs any one complain Of high
taxes, especially those persons whose dis.
trust of the currency makes prices go high
| They say Confederate money is valuelssi
| then they lose nothing by paying it int
the Treasury. Perhaps they will then fine
that it is at least agood and desirable thing
10 pay taxes with. .....s-