New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-23
THE COTTON TAX.

Our Chamber OF Commerce is very busy aud very
auxicu, concerning the tax Of three cents per pound
Oh m the Cotton grown in this country, payable on
IFS removal from the collection (Congrcss) district III
which il was grown. We heartily agree with the
Chamber in regarding this taz, with all other
,oxes. ne essentially an evil. There is the Income
Tax. for instance, which we were recently competed
to paw though the income wherein 1t was LEVIED hod
all vanished months before" gone glimmerns
through the mist of things that wcre,' aud never
more TO be seen or heard Of II would have been
more agreeable to Us not Ia pay that tax, coming as II
did come Oh tie back Of so many others but 'he
collector though polite firm. and, when the last
day of grace came, we had to fork over Other loiks'
we presume, are treated just so; and why not the
holders of Cotton
The Committee Of the Chamber say:
"To continue tax upon Cotton il only to discourage us
cultivation the hest cotton lands Of the world % ou.s n
Iz where the, would be ready enough 10 devote much OF
their soil to other purposes begin TO throw crop.
of three OF millions of bales the market. OF Europe u'
The lowered prices which would naturally ensue
If the intention here was to inculcate the belief
that the growers of Cotton on the worse lands OF
India, Egypt and Brazil" pay no tax the assertion
should have been squarcy made, so that 1t could nave
been squarey met As il is, it amounts only to this
Take off the tax and our Cotton-growers could ruin
their rivals who cultivate ''the lands aiore-
said. We question the facts and we further maintain
that the result contemplated if attanablc, would be
undesirable. The South might far better set her
widows and orphans at work spinning and weaving
her Cotton on her own soil than attempt TO underworld
and run out the Cotton.gower5 Of India, Egypt and
Brazil. And the Cotton-tax strongly encourages and
tends to develop the Cotton manufacture ut the Souih
"a contamination most desirable for the industry OF
the South but not so palpably advantageous to the
commerce Of Ncw-lOrk.
The Committee proceed TO say:
Your Committee arc unable to find satisfactory reason IN
favor Of this - question Of revenue may !" l9 OF
20 millions without C0mpcusatiug for thc injury d"tc 10
national prosperity The result OF The operation then Is thai
Government is paying high .nlane 10 multitude q" mn 70
cocc, the tax and 70 not few ony u away ng51 ~ dlM
backs upon Cotton fabrics exported when would nave p'eA
better io al concerned If there Lad been 10 taN 90 a
So far as this is an argument at ALL it bears d.
recty against the whole system Of Excise or Internal
Taxation Every internal tax may be said to operate
adversely to National prosperity" and, if we are
to repeal ono on that ground, why not another, aud
anothcrl Petroleum is only produced ON q very
limited area: vet every barrel Of it hal to pay 81 ex-
else for many months
Congress greatly reduced our internal taxes last
session and the revenue has considerably fallen of IN
consequence Judge barely adequate to The redn'-
ton Of the principal Of our National Dcbtby One Humid
red Millions per onnum. We protest against asirgoh
another penny without imposing full equivalent.
The present tax-b would jus, about cxtinguish our
Debt in twenty years. We are for paving Tie Debt
and nsi, that the scale OF taxation shall be graduated
to that end 1t is hard to pay heavy taxes for twenty
years. il would be harder still % pay them forever:
and that is thr practicable alternative pre,cutcd.
If we take of one tax we shall take of auohcr aad
there will be no stop I'LL we get down To merely
paying our current expenses and occming interest.
We may not sympathze with the negroes Of TIE
South, oppressed 10y the Cotton.tax, So much a' MI
Opdy;c does; but we will joyiully concur IN taking
of taxes BY Wholesale whenever we shall have paid
the National Debt.