New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-01-05
PRINCIPLES or TAXATION.

PRINCIPLES OF TAXATION.
Congress is about proceeding to revision OF
our Internal Revenue system with view to
increased productiveness and tho People should
promptly contribute hints toward r6adjust-
ment OF our scale OF taxation on the sOundest
and most benefcent basis. Taxes have hitherto
borne 30 lightly on the masses here that they
have given little thought or heed TO the subject;
so that principles generally accepted by thinkers
are here scarcely comprchended by tho larger
number. Lot us briefly suggest, therefore, a
few of the more obvious truths bearing on this
vital matter:
|. Td1ss shouid be so ispied as not TO discourage,
much less paroly-e, Productive Isdsstry. This
rule has been pretty generally regarded in
framing our past Internal Revenue bills; but
the imposition of three TO five per cent on nearly
every kind OF domestic manufacture is hardly
consistent with it. Az a War-tax, this may for
a time he endured; but it is Objectionable As a
part of a permanent system.
III. The diffusion Of kno'sledge, especially Of an
elementary character, Should. under popular Cor
rnmen,, be Ign free a'M encouraged 10 hesreatesf
possible e1ieD. Our five per cent excise on
Books, particularly on school-Books. is clear
iufraction OF this rule. II should be one OF the
first taxes taken off or essentially modified.
III. Aniots cf!aIDry, especially those Of per-
nicons OF ptross character Shorid be taJcd harils
All Intoxicating Beverages, especially Distilled
Liquors, come under the puryicw Of this rule
SO do Tobacco ard other narcotics; so do all
manner of implements of gaming, &c, &c.
Our laws as they now stand conform in the main
to this rule. though less consistently and oih-
GENTLY than we could wish. Congress, how
ever camo tardily up To the mark, and imposed
no adequate tax on Distilled Liquors until a few
thousands of sharp operators had been enabled
to make their fortunes out of the foresecn, inev-
table enhancement Of the price of stocks in
bond consequent on the pending increase OF
impost.
w. Tarss should be so ieried as TO diminish he
number Of those ,cho krs and thrive ty roeations
rhioh contribute nothing TO The neain or nel-be'ng
Of II. eoua,ry, or Of the humd~ Jdm'!y.-We
apprehend that this r,llo is not generally under
stood, yet it H. most important and salutary.
Let us suppose it conceded that the use of
Alcoholic Beverages is wholesome, proper, or
at all events inevitable; it is nevertheless true
that TO employ and subsist One Million of our
people mainly by the Liquor Traffic when it
might be adequately prosecuted and sufficiently
dinrused though the number employed in or
subssted b. il were rrdnccd 20 One Hundred
thousand: here is an enormous msdirection Of
our National encrgies, ruinous subtraction
from tho aggregate product of our National
industry. If but half our people now employed
in and subsistcd by the sale and dispensation
of noxious stimulhnts were won thence 10
Productive Labor, the wealth Of our country
would be largely and rapidly augmented. So
with regard TO the traffic in narcotics-and, in
act, to traffic generally. We have far too
many trader, too many spectators, too many
parasites on the body polite. LIVING By arts
that contribute nothing to the sum of human
well-beiDg-by miniftering "a appetitcs that
need to be chastened and regulated rather than
melted aud mfamed. Taxation should take
note Of this, and adapt itself 10 the end OF
winning so many as may he won from needless,
if not hurtinl, into productive and beneficent
vacations.
These hint, might be largely extended.
Who can deny that license OF OF least 500
per annum required Of each procticing lawyer
would give us better law and more justice,
while largely countefeting tho tendency to a
glut in the lawyer market? And if We might
thus win thousands Of capable efficient persons
from an unaysiling quest of suits into yocations
wherein they are needed and could not fail TO bt
immediately and signAlly usenl, why nOll