New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-22
REIGN AND COLONIAL SPIRiTS-CoSsUnPTIoS AND REvE
Sra In ENGLANp YROX 1901 10 lNA

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Ihave said that high taxation had not the slightest
effect to diminish drinking. This is truth proved
over and over and over in the financial and Legislative
experience Of the English nation. High taxation only
dimnishes revenue by making the manufacture. impor
ation, sale and consumption OF liquors fraudulent and
secret Their present tax Of 81 30 gallon Is conceded
by the British authorities on taxation and finance TO
have at last exactly hit the dividing line between iarg
est consumption and largest revenue How much bet
ter could We bear this than muchsred cousins
No nation in the world is rich a the American. In
none is wealth sodfTused. In rapidly acquired
In none Is expenditure sce careless. In none Is
taxation encountered with little opposition or rather
submitted to with such thonghfless aeGueseence And
philosophicaly 80. The nation Which has practi'
ealy inexhaustble supply Of fTstquaty agricultural
land al ten shngs acre aud whose Industry Is so
profitable that IT afford to pay two dollars day for
unskilled labor is bound be rch and will be care
less.
Suppose that Congress taxes liquor AZ gallon. Di'
vide that tax among the drink that lie unmeasured
in the gallon There 60 OF them, as the average OF
Americans drink. The nominal addition TO The price
Of each gloss OF grog is three cents and a third.
But II is not laid On the passage of the law the
dealer quietly led his casks TO the pump and watered
them and before closing the bung brought the spirit up
to smarting proof with red pepper, or grated horse
radish. His grumbling account with the excise Is adj
jnsed mighty quick. gallon OF whisky sold IN single
drinks the highest Washington price IL cents real
zes So What is TAX Of ~ on that enormously pIoht
able business The ordinary price for drink OF whisky
in Washington and in every American city il 10 cents
the stuff principally rot gut at that. gallon OF II
re,ailed fetches &C, cash down The profits OF the
transaction beat the slave trade all hollow. What is
tax Of 81 on that 1t il nothing There Ii no business
on earth that begin TO pay the tax that liquors eau
pay And the whining and lodging about The nights
and claims Of distilled spirits used IN the Arts Is a!se
and fraudulent. The Internal Revenue department
has taken pains 10 gather the statistics oil whisky
widely and accurateyand is certain that - gallons
out Of every 100 made drank-poured down the
throat Therefore the morat and reformer may feel
dead sure that they tax drunkard making when they
tax whisky; the economists may feel sure that they tax
an article that will bear taxation better than any other
in the country-tha the tax will be more widely and
Justly diffused than any ober-and tina, it wIl be more
cheerfully paid than any other.
In support Of tax much higher than g. gallon, II
may be truly said that don't what they pay
for drink If they want liquor, they will have it. cost
what il may But We have demonstrated tina; ,hc cost
70 the consumer by the glassull will not be enhanced
by the fractional paper currency. On If that demon
ration needs perfection consider that the proposed
"a, OF so i. 10 b. levied for years during the peace
hch sbould succeed the war and that 1t will, In all
probability be levied whisky which will be distilled
nj a cost not TO exceed 20 cents gallon Before the
war the wholesale price OF whisky AFTER distlation.
mas onIy from Is 20 % cents Tho cost OF production
now in stated in the Ways and Means Committee Room
10 be but 50 cents gallon 1t will not be half az much
in the first Winter OF restored peace. What then VIII
he the proGts Of the retail business which VIII nave 10
carry the liquor tax From three hundred to four hund
red ner cent There is not cerner-grocery lrlsh'
man nor Oh ground saloon Yankee on the con
tinept who will quarrel with tax OF two dollars Inc
utmost that they would do would be to take out their
bunps and pour in the water 1t is most signihcah'
fact that among the innumerabe Populations sen' 10
Washington. into the Ways and Means COMMITTEE
Room and into the Hobbies of the House and the SENATE
10 beg off or lie of their taxes no: single one Das
come from the corner groceries or nom their customers
Said Burke of - TO me: I" Let Congress tax ana DC
d-di Isn't rain water cheap and smart weed plenty
The consumption Of ale and lager beer OF domestic
manufacture and of imported ale and porter presents
nm opportrnity for widely diffused taxation when
should be W wisely improved By vs. as 1t has been 05 ID