Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-01-12


From the View York Post.
The object Of tax laid by the federal govern
ment. in the present condition Of the country, 10
TO bring money into the treasury in order to de-
fray the necessary public expenses. A tax laid
for any other purpose. = tax which brings nothing
into the treasury and the only effect Of which Is
TO increase the public burdens, by making some
important and necessary article of conssmp
ton dear, is simply piece OF van,on legislative
cruelty So far as It goes il is an act OF desPotic
power. exercised by the government At the ex-
pense Oh -ihe community at large.
The Indirect tax laid by congress on printing
paper IS Of this characte Ii was unquestiona
ols laid in the honest expectation that IL would
produce some income TO the treasury. II brings
II nothing. Ii il a barren measure, except 70 the
paper makers. Ii makes printing paper excess
lively, artihcially, uRnatursny dear, and that -
all. No importer can bring printing paper into
the market in the face of duty OF twenty per
ceat. on the value OF the commodity, payable IN
gold. and accordingly all competition Is excluded.
The owners o: paper mills in this country. with
this advantage over the consumer in their hands,
make their own prices for paper, and defy the
grumblers. hi ff-k
1t becomes the duty of congress to interfere in
this matter, and protect the people against the
paper makers. The memers now see that il acts
as prohibition on importations, and makes the
10 act without delay, annuliing measure which
has so disappointed their expectations. and, by
allowing which to remain in force, they make
| tbemselyes accessory to act of oppression.
IL will not be maintained that the exclusion Of
cheap printing paper from our market is de-
manded by the public voice, or desired by the
community in even the faintest degree The
reader of books, who finds them growing dearer
ard dearer, does not ask for them. The parent
- ed ..f,1t ..oI ,hAal
books for his children, and is made to pay three
times as much for them formerly, would re-
| joice to be relieved from this Inconvenience.
The reader of newspapers and periodicals, who
| is compelled 10 diminish the number of his sub
scriptions to these publications, does not desire
| that congress should refuse to repeal measure
| which forces him unwillingly to this privation
On the contrary, all those classes, and they
comprise the whole community. the entire ma
ton, would thank Congress with one voice for
so reducing the duty as TO make it 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 Oh
newspapers in Great Britain was repealed in
compliance with the public clamor against il al
"tax upon knowledge" The clamor was just
the stamp duty was in fact an obstruction to the
spread OF information; aud the objections to il
that the government found itself obliged to give
way. aud the duty was repealed. The duty OF
printing paper, under which the community suf
fers is infinitely more unjust aud odons than ,
stamp duty on newspapers. 1t is not only a tai
on knowledge, but taA on education. Ii taxe
what ia Great Britain was left free. II taxes no
merely the communication Of news and the dis
question Of public questions, but IL exacts a tri
butte FROM the learner in his tenderest years an,
.l.la- ..,I tbo Of coia -,
highest researches 1t levies an aims for tn,
benefit OF the paper makers upon the child learn
ing his alphabet. There is not a handful posted
on the corners OF the streets which does not pa,
| tribute So
Worst of all this tribute does not go into th
treasury. The stamp duty exacted in Grea
Britain was added to the public income, went {;
support the government and TO pay the interes
OF the national debt Our duty on printing pa
per adds nothing to the riches of the public ex
chequer, but finds its way directly into the Golfer
Of the paper makers. Much better would it b
for the government IL it were stamp duty
since then the original reason for imposing
would continue in force, and the increase whic
it would cause in the price of printed matte
, would go directly into the national treasury.
E As the tariff of duties on paper now stands.
is cheat, fraud upon the people. Why ar
newspapers, pamphlets and books, and every
/
asked patriotic customer OF his bookseller
One reason Of the high price," the book
seller naturally answers, :" is the dut,
of twenty per cent on imported printing
paper, which must be paid in gold, amounting. il
tact, TO more than forty per cent" "Oh, duty
imposed by the government to supply its owl
pressing needs. reioins the customer. "Well
il the government needs the money. will pa.
the difference cheerfully' A little further in
quiry would satisfy him that this high duty is re
tanned in the tariff not TO meet the need of tn
government, but to satisfy the greed of the pa
per makers The tax. therefore, resolves tsel
into deception, which, if Congress allows i
to continue, will be disgrace to our legisla
ton.
These are but part of the considerations il
favor of the repeal OF the tax on printing paper
and we have by no means done with the sub
ject.