The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-12-22
r,Os rur asussln COMMERCIAL
A QUESTION FOB CONGRESS.

a UUboIlUN 1Vn OoNoooSss
IT there IL any tax which, moro than anoth.
or, bears hardly upon the highest interests oi
tho people, il is tho prercnt oncyous tax upon
the raw material OF our books and newspapers.
II will not he denied by any discerning pefron
that the widest diffusion Of knowledge is to the
highest interest Of all men, however clique o!
an aristocracy may be temporarily benefited
by the prevalence Of ignorance. Tho more In
telligcnt any community is, the more prosper
Gus Its members must be; and popular intelli-
gence, in every country, may be measured ny
the facility with which the means 0f popular
enlightenment can bs placed within tho reach
Of all. .. rai .'ra.l .l a.i
| In no country on tho globe have the means Of
universal education been so populariIed and
cheapcned as heretofore In tho United States.
II has been our boast that nearly every citizen
could not only read and write, but could afford
to take his own newspaper and buy his own
hooks. But recent "uniriendly Legislation" by
Congress, In the indiscrminate desire to create
prodgious revenue for the necessities Of Cow
errment, by imposing new and heavy taxes up
on most articles Of use or luxury. has thrown
serious obstacles In the way Of the march OF
knowledge. The price Of paper, materially en-
hanced BY the excessive taxation, is 30 large %
to form tho most considerable item In render
ing difficult Of attainment what, before the
war, was within the humblest means. The
spelling book, which used to cost ten cents, 10
now raised to twenty five; tho arithmetic, or
history, or schOol.rcader, which onco sold Tor
seyenty.fv cents, is now retailed at dollar
and a quarter or dollar and y hall and the
newspaper-that .'poor mans library
once visited every man . door for two cents per
day, can not now be Afforded for less than four
or five cents copy at retail, or ten or twelve
dollars per year.
While 1t IL truo that large share Of this
great increase OF cost is duo TO other items OF
expenditure than the increased price OF print
ing paper, the latter, at least 10 che case oi the
newspaper, Is the largest item. The plain
white paper, on which newspaper is now
printed, costs twice rs much as formerly re-
ceycd for the whole paper, and labor employed
by publishers costs more than ever before.
Tho question OF the reduction OF the paper
duty, that it may not bc prohibitory, and give
publishers security against extravagant prices
OF paper, and ut the came time make II posi-.
bic for the Government to derive some revenue
from this source, thus cheapenng publications,
assisting in the payrnen, OF the public debt and
promoting the general diffusion Of intelligence,
Is question that will come practically before
this Congress, and which we hope will be met
by that h,dy in spirit Of libemlity, and with
degree Of intelligence greater than was wit
messed in the last Congress. t...
The experience of England in this matter, Is
most pertinent and Instructive. That over.
taxed country, with its four thousand millions
OF public debt, abolished, utterly, the excise
duty upon paper In 1860, only short time Of
tor tho termination Of the Crimean war, with
its enhanced burden Of taxation. At the same
time, the duty upon imported paper was nboi.
ished. Tho repeal was carried alter nm ami
mated contest in Parliament, by the sheer force
Of merit inherent in the measure. II was con
clusiveIy SHOWN that the tax on paper was u
direct, tax upon knowledge, in i's most odous
form-that Of rendering cheap books and news
papers, practically; inaccessible to tho masses
of the British people. The great leading jour
mails, like the London Times, charged sixpence
sterling fnr each issue, or about S35 per year.
The amount Of duty paid by the Time, 1 ran n up
10 the enormous sum Of f40, 1000. or 500, 900
per annum. Many literury enterprises, tho sue
cess Of which would have been for tho advan-
tage Of the general public, were abandoned in
the face of this great exaction. A demand In
any quarter for an increased quantity Of paper,
was the signal for an advance in the price OF all
tho papsr actually supplied, and this acted with
the most destructive effect upon the very pub.
lcations most in demand. Thus oil projects
Tor the publication and diffusion of books or
magazines, at low prices, were nippcd in the
bud, lust rs tho inOrdinato price Of printing
paper in the United States OF late years, has
curtailed Publishing enterprise to an unprece-
dentcd degree. i
Mr.. Charles Knight, London publisher, Of
the highest respectablity and intelligence, ties.
tilted, that for period Of twenty years no had
paid sum OF ES0.000 to authors for their
writings, but that, in order to circulate that
amount Of mind throughout the country he had
been obliged to hand over q sum OF G50,O0Ot to
the British Government! The tax thus proved
doubly oppressive, curtailing the rewards of
authors, and enhancing immensely tho price
paid by tho public for tho benefit of their
labors. I''... ...N
Bat this odious imposition upon popular en-.
lghtcnment was swept away ut one blow by
the wise and liberal action Of the British Par
lament. What has been tho result7 The
great engine OF tho Press has been emancipated,
and has sct to work with energy unparalleled.
to scatter tho reeds Of knowledge broadcast
throughout the Empire. SHILLING Libraries,
printed with good type, on clear paper, arc cir
culated by the million, filled with the latest rc-
cults Of scientific and literary labor, while mag.
azines and reviews, which before cost irom hall
dollar to dollar and-a.half each, are now
issued at sixpence or q shilling. The penny
press, crippled or killed by the paper tx.
sprang into vigorous and permanent lite, and
the wholesome competition flowing from the ab.
II p "A
the aristocratic journals, like the London Times,
to reduce their price nearly ono halt. We
quote from late spesch OF Right Honorable
Mr. Gladstone, then Chancellor OF the Excheq.
ucr, and one Of the fathers OF the measure, tho
following lucid statement oi the bcnefcent ef
lects that followed the repeal OF tho paper du-
ty:
I sneak not now Of its economical, but OF its
polirical and social effect. Economically, u
was the abolition Of o mischicvous, might al.
most siy barbarous, impost. hut,
over and aboye the relief OF industry from bur
dcns and restraint, what has been tho advan-
tage Of that repeaR Talk OF conservative
measures! Never was there mcslsure % con-
seryntivo ~ that which called into vivid, ener-
getic, permanent and successful action the cheap
press OF this country. To the most numerous
classes OF the country II was like new DAY,
new epoch In Iils,w they loupd that the In
formation on public Affairs that had onOe been
either the exclusive proPerty Of the higher class
or else doled out D them through the rare and
Questionable medium Of Sunday papers, came
TO them, too, morning after morning, and gave
them now interest In tho affairs Of their coun.
try. and, with that new interest, new attach.
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