The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-21

Now, there are two ways of raising a reve-
nue.. One is by taxation the other by loans.
AS for borrowing money, we believe it will
be conceded that we have done enough of that
already-the national debt now amounting to
twenty-five hundred millions of dollars, and
the voice of the people being Enthusiastically
towards lowering instead of increasing it. The
revenue demanded for the purposes of the
Government must therefore come from taxes.
OF taxes there are two kinds--internal and eX-
teTnal or customs duties. If our revenue is
derived altogether from internal taxes, the
desire of the Free Trade League would be at
once gratifed. The man who makes a pair of
shoes in Massachusetts, will be taxed from one
to two dollars on his manufacture; while the
product Of the English or French shoemaker
will be admitted into the country free of taxes
of all kinds. The man who raises wool in
Iowa will be taxed twenty-five cents per pound
on his product, while the South American and
the Dutch Boer of the Cape will be per-
mitted to land the fleeces of his foreign
focks upon our shores free from taxes.
The Kentuckian distiller of spirits will
be charged two dollars for every gallon he
manufactures, while he of Islay or Cognac will
be invited to import his product unattended
by any tax. In word, to derive the large
revenue required by this Government exclu-
sively from internal taxes would not only
destroy the business of every manufacturer
in this country by furnishing a positive
premium to all foreign competitors, but it will
throw out of employment every man, woman,
and child in the country dependent for their
support on any other industry but agriculture
and even a great portion of the latter, by de-
priving them of that home market which,
under a wise though often bafled system
of protection, has been slowly and labo-
riously built up in this country. But
public opinion clearly stands for de-
crease of internal taxes; the people are every
where muTmuring; the taxes are uncOnscion-
ably high the taX-gatherer is seen in every
house; he prizes into every mans affairs,
and subjects a free people to dOmicliary visits,
thing that we have stood long enough, aud
which we never would have stood at all,
had it not been for temporary and pa
triotic purpose. One-half of the present
revenue of the Government is derived from
customs duties, and the popular tendency
being unmistakably in favor of lowering in
ternal taxes, as necessary consequence the
customs duties must be raised, in order that
the amount of revenue shall be obtained
which the requirements of the Government
demand. An increase of the tariff being con
ceded, it only remains to discuss in what
direction this increase shall 60 on. Shall
it be upon those articles of common use
which find their way into every poor mans
house, so that his present heavy burden,
/ instead of being alleviated, would only be
rendered more unbearable2 Shall it be
upon sugar, now no longer an article of
luxury but one of urgent necessity Shall
it be upon coffee upon tea upon rice
all of them belonging to the same oata-
logue, all articles of necessity, and all already
taxed as high as they can stand, and of large
consumption among the poorer classes 2 Or
shall it be upon French silks, laces, kid
gloves, British iron, and Cape wool, and
| such other articles of foreign produce
| as are likewise raised or manufactured in this
country To increase the duties ON tea, sugar,
/ and coffee would answer but one end-that of
raising the required revenues To increase the
duties on textile fabrics, iron, and wool, would
answer two ends-that Of raising revenue,
and likewise of protecting American manufac-
/ turers. To increase the duties on tea, sugar
and coffee would still further burden the poor
| To increase them on textile fabrics, iron, aAd
wool, would mainly burden the rich, who CON
1 sumo the products that fall under these classes
in greater proportion than the poor The rich
wear silks, laees kid gloves, embroideries,
iewelry, ornaments of various sorts, the richer
fabrics of cotton and wool, and thousands of
other articles to which the poor are compara-