Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-14
ESTABLISHED, 1881

~ Ike @ tS~-S power. exercised
- - ne ne 1ogernment at the expense Nr5'I Of /,
= community at large '''Se u
ne indirect tax laid bv Congress-
'S pGPe- IS of this cba~stsr
,.;n,, St'onaoly laid in the hone
80 nnnn At 1t woald produce som
expectation Ia. 'SsaEy. 1t brings j
income to the Tre> measure, exeeE
nothing. Il is barreh SeS printiD,
to the paper-nakers. Ii ma 7ALAtu
paper excessively, arti6cially, ~ts.
rally dear. and that is all No Oimpo.
can bring printing paper into the market
in the face of duty Of twenty per cent
I on the value Of the commodity, payable
I in gold, and accordingly ali eompstihon
is excluded. The owners OF paper mills
in this country, with this advantage over
the consumer in their hands, make their
own prices for paper, and defy the gram-
blers
It becomes the duty of Congress To
interfere in this matter and protect the
people against the paper makers. The
members now see that II operates as q
prohibition upon impertatioas, and
makes the prices Of printing paper ex-
orbitant 1t is for them to act without
delay-annulling g measure which has
so disappointed their expectations, and
by allowing which to re main in force
they make themselves accessory to an
&C. of oppression
It will not be maintained that the ex-
ciusion Of cheap printing paper from
our market is demanded By the public
or desired by the community in even
the faintsst degree. The reader Of
books, who 6nds them growing dearer
aud desrer, does not ask for il. The
parent who finds himself obliged 10 pur.
chase school books for bis children, and
is made to pay three times as much for
them as formerly, would rejoice 10 oe re-
iieved from this Inconvenience. The
reader Of newspapers and periodicals,
who is compelled 10 diminish the number
of his subscriptions 10 these publica-
items, does not desire that Congress
should refuse 10 repeal measure which
forces him unwillingly to this privation.
On the contrary, ell those classes, and
they comprise the whole community
the entire nAtion-would thaak Congress
with one voice for so reducing the duty
as to make il productive to the treasury.
and at the same time relieve them from
the unnecessary drain which the duty on
printing paper makes upon their means
II was not long since that the stamp
duty on Newspapers in Great Britain
VAS repealed, in compliance with the
public clamor against II as tax upon
knowledge The clamor was Just; the
stamp duty was in fact an obstruction 10
the spread Of information; and the ohjec-
tons to Il were urged with such force,
zeal and eonstancy, that the Govern
Enent found itself boHnd to give way,
snd the duty was repealed The duty
on printing paper, under which the
community suffers, is Infinitely more
unjust and odious than q stamp duty on
newspapers. Ii is not only a tax on
knowledge, bat a tax on education. 1t
taxes what in Great Britain was left
free. IL taxes not merely the communi-
cation Of news aud the discussion Of
public questions, bat i sxacts tribute
from the learner in hls tenderesl years,
and from the scholar and the man Of
science in his highest researches. II levies
al aims for the benefit Of the paper
makers upon the child learning his al.
phabet There is no; handbili pasted
on the corners of the street which does
not pay tribute.
Worst Of all, this tribute does not 20
into the treasury The STAMP duty ex-
acted IN Great Britain vas added 10 the
public income, went o. support the gov
ernmsnt, and 10 pay the interest on the
national debt Our duty on printing
paper adds nothing 20 the riches Of the
public exshequer, but finds its way d.
I rectly into the Golfers of the paper
makers. Much better would il be for
/ the Government II Il we're a stamp duty,
since then the original reason for i'm
I posing Il would continue in force, and
the increase which it would cause in the
price Of printed matter would go directly
/ into the national treasury.
As the tariff Of duties on paper nov
stands, il 10 n cheat fraud upon the
people. Why are newspapers, pam.
phlets, and books, and everything print
| ed, so much dearer than formerly7'
asked q patriotic customer Of his book
seller. One reason Of the high price,
the bookseller naturally answers, " is
the duty Of twenty per cent en- impert-
4 cd printing paper, which must be paid
in gold, amounting, in fact, TO more
than forty per cent" " Oh, duty inn
posed By the Government to supply its
own pressing needs, rejoins the Gus
toner. 'tWell, II the Government needs
the money, / win pay the difference
cheerfnlly" A little further inquiry
would satisfy him that this high duty Is
retained in the tariff not 70 meet the
need Of the Government, bat 20 satisfy
the greed Of the paper-makerA The
tax, therefore, resolves itself into a de-
( ception, which, If Congress allows it to
continue, will be disgrace to our legis
lation.
These are but part Of the considera-
} tons in favor Of the repeal Of the tax on
printing paper, and we have BY nC
means done with the subject
ri PAID orr IL HIS owS CoN.-A few
; days since IS few hundred Of the rsbe