The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-01-26
Principles Of Taxation.


Congress is about proceeding to ravi-
sion ofour Internal Revenue system, with
a view TO increase productiveness; and
the People should promptly contribute
hints toward a re.adjus,ment OF our
scale Of taxation on the soundest aud
mos, beneieient basis. TaXes have
hitherto borne so 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 comprehcnded BY the larger
number. Letus briefly suggest, therefore,
a few Of the more obvious truths bearing
on this important matter.
|. TdreS slouldb so levied as nos TO
discourage, much less Pdralyse, ProdHe-
[ tire InddsfrV This rule has been pretty
generally regarded in framing our past
! Internal Revenue bills; but the imposi'
tion Of three to five per celt. on nearly
every kind of domestic manufacture Is
hardly consistent with it. As War-tax,
this may for time be endured; but it is
Objectionable as part OF permanent
system.
III. The diGsreat Of knopledge, espcei
ally of an elementary character, should,
under a popular Gorernment, Be k(t
free and encouraged TO The greatest posi-
DE drtenL Our five per ceul. excise on
Books, particularly hool.Dooks, is q
clear mira, ton ofthiS rue. II should be
one Of the first taxes taken eff or essenti.
ally modified.
III. Articles of luxury, especially
those Of a pernjcious or periiouS character
should be tared heavily. Administering
Beversg 5, especially Distilled Liquors
come under the purvicw oil this RUE. 81
! do Tobacco and other narcotics; SO do all
manner OF implements Of glmiug, &c,
&c. Our laws us they now staHd con.
form in the main to this rule, though less
consistently aud efficiently han we could
wish. Congress, however, came tardily
lup to the mark, aud imposed no adequate
tax on Distilled Liquors until few
thousands of sharp operators had been
lenabled to make their fortunes out of thc
foreseen. inevitable enhacemcnt of the
price Of stocks in bond consequent on the
pending increase of impOst.
Nv. TdrsS should be so levied as 10 dim
inish the aumber of Tics, ,oho tite dat
thrice by rocationS tohich contribute moth
ing 10 The i0salh or iOsH being oj
the country or Of The human
family. We 0pprehcnd that ui;
: rule is rot generally understood
vet II is most important and siutary
Let us suppose it conceded that the use
OF Alcoholic Beverages is wholesome
proper, or at all events inevitable; il i,
Insyeriheess true that TO employ auC
subsist One Million of our people main !
by the Liquor Traffic when it might b
adcuuatefy prosecuted aud sufficiently
difused though the number employed ii
or su5sisteJ 10y il we're reduced to OnC
hundrcd Thousand: here is an enormUu,
msdirection OF our National energies, ,
ruinous subtraction from the aggregate
product of our National indu try. II bu
hnlf our people now employed in anC
subsisted by the saie and dispensaton o
n.xious siimuants were won thence t.
Productive Labor, the wealth Of oui
country would be largely aud rapidly
augmented. So with regard 10 the tralii,
in narcotics-aud, in fact, t. traffic gen
orally. We have far too many traders
too many spectators, too many parasites
on the body polite, living by arts tha
c Jntrlbute nothing 20 the sum OF humat
welI.oclng-by minstering to appetite:
that need to be chastened and regulated
ther thcn melted aud infimcd. Taxa
ton should axe note Of this, aud adap
itself to the end of winning so many a'
may be worn from needless, il not hurt.ul
into productive and bcnr6cent vocations
-rhe.e hints might be largely cxten
ded. Who can deny that license OF a
least 500 per annum required of encl
praclicing lawyer would give US bette
law ami more justice, while largely coun
ieractlag the tendency to a glut in thu
lawyer market! And it we might thu
win thousands Of capable, efficient per
sons from an unavaiIing quest of suits in
to vacations wherein they are needed an
cou ID nut fail 10 be Immediately and sig
nally useful, why not!