Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-02-17


moderate duty, intended to be about ten dol. |
lars per thousand, or one cent on each cigar, |
is provided for by fixing the duty at sixty |
cents per pound. In addition to this all ci
CARS are to be boxed and inspected. 1t is
believed that all parties will prefer to pay the
duties now proposed rather than to run the
risk of neglect, refusal, or fraud.
There are two printed amendments for
which neither the committee of ways and
means nor myself are responsible | mean
that relating to banks and that placing tax
on sales Other gentlemen will offer them
at the proper time, and it is enough for me
to say that it appears that some further legis-
lation as TO the tax on banks is desirable.-
| What that shall be will Of course be for the
House to determine.
Upon the other question. however, feel
com pelled to say that tax on sales has not
appeared to me any more expedient now than
when it was preached here three years ago.
There are many gentlemen here and through
out the country, for whose judgment enter
tain the greatest respect, who seem to regard
the question with favor, and it has the recon-
mendation Of that important officer az the
present time, the commissioner Of internal
revenue. 1t may be that the only way to sa-
tisly its advocates Of the impolicy cf this
measure will be to test it, | feel certain, If
adopted, that the first thing our constituents
would demand at the next session would be
lis repeal.
Taxes. to be tolerated at all, should be
equal If taxes we're placed upon sales, then
those living near the places Of production
would have advantages not available TO those
remote, in addition to the less cost of freight.
The merchandise, foreign or domestic, from
the Atlantic coast, before it reaches the Mis-
sissppi, passes through the hands of many
owners, and according to the theory of tax
ing sales its cost would be increased at each
successive transfer. So a barrel of -four,
from St. Louis or Chicago, before it reaches
New York is often bought and sold half
dozen times. The tax would be cumulative,
and the intcral commerce of our country, al
ways free until now, would be choked and
damned up-oonfned to narrow localities
Instead Of being national, so far as our laws
could make 1t SO, it would become provincial
or sectional. We should destroy that great
feature of America, the spirit and enterprise
of trade. OF what use would it be to produce
or to manufacture, if the channels Of trade
were to have Instructions placed in the way
and rising higher and higher at every step
Better could the manufacturers and producers
afford to pay the whole tax than to have it
imposed in this form.
Then it would revolutionize trade and
drive out Of employment the middle-men. In
the cities only men Of large capitalize i'm
porters and wholesale merchants-would be
patronized They would at once combine the
. trade Of wholesale dealers, iobbers and re-
! laiers Country merchants would buy Of the
original importer, if he chose to break up
original packages, and the occupation Of job
bers would be gone. Those who desired to
buy at retail would seek the stream of mer-
ohandise at It's fountain head before it had
trickled through gateways where its cost
would be increased by repeated taxation.
7 That merchandise often transferred would be-
5 come unstable as compared wi b that not so
T. transferred. 1t would be soon understood
7 that the merchant, whose goods when dis
9 tributed were charged with but one tax, pose
! sessed advantages over his more humble
neighbor whose goods could not be disposed
of without having paid not less than three
5 taxes think it important that our laws
3 should disturb the usual agencies Of trade as
d little as possible. This measure would clog
n and harass every business transaction of the
S country. 1t would increase the prices Of
t every raw material and Of every perfected
manufacture out Of all proportion to the
It amount Of revenue to be obtained. According
# to the laws Of trade, profit would be taxed
d upon the tax itself as forming part Of the
e original cost. To the consumer it will be the
l. most expensive of all taxes in proportion to
e the amount realized. Nor could it be fairly
It and fully collected. More frauds and evasions
l. would be practiced than under all provisions
8 OF the internal revenue laws. The number Of
IS men who do not keep an accurate account Of
e sales is now large and would be larger None
l. bu, merchants do this, and yet vast amount.
g. of property are disposed Of by other persons
y The farmer and mechanic would be compelled
to study bookkeeping by double en.ry.
If could pursue this subject much further but
x do no think it necessary If our aggregate
IS sales should amount to $4,000 900 900, the
e half OF one per cent would yield but Sl5. 600,
n 600 That is not enough for so large an ex.
d pertinent