Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-02-09
THE REVENUE COMMISSION.

Non Taxetion of Manufactures Recon-
mended.-r1eeaIizod Wealth to be Taxed
The following is the text of that portion
Of the report by the Revenue Commission,
under the head of the Proposed Revenue
Policy Of the future
/ In respect to the evils arising from exces-
sive duplication of taxes under the internal
revenue system and from a lack of equaliza-
between the tariff and the excise, it may be
urged, that the remedy for the latter diff
Guilty is most easy namely by increasing the
tariff To this however as a permanent
measure there are most serious objections,
inasmucn as the lack OF equalization is not
confined to the articles specified in our Illus
tratlons, bat is very general and will be more
and more extensive as the value of currency
approximates to that of gold; while an IN
crease in the tanaG Sufficient to remedy all
difficulties, would render the tariff itself al
most prohibitory, or at least so high as to
invite continued assaults deprive 1t Of all
elements of stability and increase the bust
ness of the contrabandist The remedy
therefore for the difficulties above pointed
out and illustrated save in a few striking in
stances which have probably resulted from
oversight in the framing OF the law must in
the opinion of the commission be sought for
in S1eh q Terision Of The present Internal REQ
enae system as lCiH look TO an entire erenlp-
ton Of the manufacturing industry Of the
| United States from al direct tarati0n dis
titled and fermented liquors, tobacco, and
possibly few other articles excepted).
THIS the commission are u7theSitdtlRgLy pre-
pared to recommend.
As however the revenue derived from the
excise on the industrial products of the
country amounted to nearly sixty per cent Of
the gross internal revenue in 1868; to sixty
four and half per cent in 1864; and to near
ly fifty per cent in 1865, it il evident that
radical change Of the kind recommended
should not be made at once but gradually,
and according as experience satisfies us OF
our ability to substitute other and less objec-
tionable forms of taxation adequate to pro-
duce a revenue corresponding To that reln-
quished.
To endeavor to remedy the difficulties
| growing out of the present duplication OF
taxation and want of equalization between
the excise rnd the tariff by specific enact
| ments of exemptions as has been proposed
by some would in the opinion of the com
mission, be impracticable and would crowd
the statute book with such detail of emu
meration as would render the law exceedingly
difficult of comprehension, and open the way
for more gigantic frauds than are now prac-
ticed. The evil is radical, the remedy must
also be radical.
Assuming, then that the policy indicated
which we may here restate in brief to be the
abolition or speedy reduction of all taxes
which tend to check development and the
retention of all those which like the income
tax fall chiefly upon realized wealth-is ac-
cepted as the desirable future revenue policy
| Of the country the question next ARISES in
what manner and to what extent can it be
carried out and at the same time insure to
the Government revenue adequate to Its
necessities.