Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-09-20
D~RMoaAl1z1NG TAXATION.

No government has the rlgnt 10 pur-
sue a policy-.which systematically de-
bases the morals of the people. 1t is a
waste of the vital power Of a nation,
such as no country can afford to con-
tinue. The revelations which appear
in regard to the operations of our tax
system ought to alarm both the govern
ment and the people as to the future
stability Of our institutions. This jour-
nal has constantly maintained the doc
trine that distilled liquors constitute a
most legitimate subject for as heavy
taxation as can be successfully collect
ed. But we have been equally conf
dent that two dollars per gallon was q
tax which could never be successfully
collected, and that if the attempt should
be made, it would DO productive Of i'm
menso frauds, while yielding much less
revenue than might be obtained by
much lower rate.
Recent disclosures show a state Of cor
ruption already existing, which a few
years ago would have been absolutely
Incredible. TWAS not strange that tai
of two dollars per gallon on whiskey
revived in hundreds Of foreigners the
remembrance OF the art and skill OF
secret distillation, and set sp innumera-
BILE little stills in cellars, outhouses and
caves of the earth. But we n that
almost Immediately immense capitals
were invested and combinations were
formed, including the very officers OF
the G~overnment. some of them men of
irreproachable character, by which huge
fortunes have been built up in o few
months, whilst the Government has
been defrauded to the amount OF mill
ions and tens of millions Of dollars.
More than a hundred millions, it is as
serted, have been %plundered' in this city
and neighborhood alone.
It ,cas shown to the last Congress how
impossible it was to collect this tax ;
but they responded by enacting a COM
plicated continuance called the ware
house system, which they said made it
impossible that the tax should be evad-
cd. Now we find that o large liquor
dealer keeps his own bonded warehouse,
gets a relative or friend Of his wi ap-
pointed keeper; has perhaps an easy
opening into his own premises; keeps in
his desk blank permits signed BY the
agent; gives bonds signed by men Of
straw, oil under the eye Of the Assessor
and Collector, who wink at all irregu-
larities, and seem to think their Offices
created chiefly to afford facilities for
plundering the Government. Here is a
case related in a paper recently:
GA distiller had over six hundred
barrels Of spirits in a bonded warehouse.
He bargained them all at forty cents per
gallon in bond to parties who proposed
to receive them in lots Of two hundred
barrels each, to pay for each lot before
removal. On removal Of the first lot of
two hundred, the storekeeper, suspect
ing something wrong, gave information
which led to their seizure and forfeit
ure. This fact becoming known, he
was removed by the Collector, and an
other s%torekeeper ordered to take his
place. Under this keeper the remainder
Of the spirits has since disappeared, and
the Government has lost the tax Of
forty-two thousand dollars due on the
lot removed since the change Of keep
ers /"
II is quite evident that unless a change is
made speedily our whole financial system
,eiH break dozen The Generalization
produced by excessive and indiscreet
taxation in this and other cases, will
extend to every branch Of the service.
1t is already so extending. 1t has al
ready greatly reduced the revenue. 1t
will reduce it more and more and then,
how is our credit to be sustained ?
Those who have paid all their taxes
honestly. and conscientiously feel the in
justice of allowing such wholesale eva
sions, and by degrees will learn to con-
slider it only just to clear themselves as
others do.
The habit Of dishonesty once begun
in one thing, soon extends to mems
whole lives. What will be the state Of
society, when the body Of business men
learn to consider false oaths apd ficti-
tious bonds and bribery Of public Off
GERS to be lawful methods Of enterprise
for the rapid acquisition of wealth?
The SUBJECTS so urgent that Congress
ought even to take it in hand at once.
Had the tax been originally fixed at fifty
cents a gallon, it is not likely that such
a system of fraud would have been gen.
Grated; and many men now branded
with dishonesty might have remained in
good repute. IF there are competent
statesmen in Congress enough to Crap
pie with such q question, it would be o
glorious service to the welfare Of the
nation to revise and simplify our whole
system, and reduce the sixteen thousand
taxables to one hundred, even during
the dog-days.-N. Y. Evening Post.