, 1867-03-01
@alla avalIa Statesmatl.
FRIDAY Evening", MARCH 1. 1857.
Another Brilliant Idea.

II they keep on, some Of our National legis-
lators will win everlasting fame for their brill
iAnt ideas, their enlightened statesmanship, their
vast conceptions Of correct political economy
Not long since, Thad. Stevens, whose admirers
delight to term the "Great Commoner" IA mis-
homer, for he is very uneommon,) proposed to
make 1t penal offence for a citizen to give
more than one paper dollar for old dollar.
Subsequently Charles Sumner, the "Great Sem
ator,' wished to enact law to prevent the i'm
portatiou Of Chinese 6re-crackers, because a
town in Maine was destroyed by fire kindled
by the explosion of ire-crackers on the Fourth
of July. Generally, our legislators seem to i'm
agine that they can build up the industry of the
country, and give it new life, by taxing it to
death, and so they have piled on the taxes until
the Eastern ship yards are nearly all closed, and
until many manufactures ara compelled to close
up. The last brilliant thing in craftsmanship
smanates from the Ways and Means Committee
Of the House, which proposes to confscate all
whisky which is offered for sale for less than
the amount of taxes upon it. There is no proba-
bility that, as general thing, dealers in whis-
ky will sell the article for less than it cost for
their object is make money ; but there may be
cases where such a course will be necessary
Why could not the Committee have provided for
a system of marks and brands, and that whisky
should be cenfscated unless it could be satisfac-
torily proven that the taxes it had been paid 2
But such an idea would have been too practical,
sensible, and buSiness-lHe for the enlightened
Craftsmanship of this age Let US see see how
the last brilliant idea will work in many cases
which are bound to arise in the mutations of
business. A becomes possessed Of one thor.
sand barrels (thirty thousand gallonsl of Whs
Ky. There happens to be no ready market for
the article at the cost price, SIS, 900, even
at the price Of the tax SEC, 900. But is very
much in want of $50, 900 in cash, and without
it he must fail and lose everything. Rather than
to lose everything be has got, he prefers to lose
S25, 900 on his whisky, and to sell that for $780,
900, which sum it will command. Now in steps
Revenue officer and says, "You shall not sac,
rifce "part of your property to save the re.
mander if you attempt 10 do so shall confis-
cate your whisky" The result is, A is ruined
for the want of the money he might have got in
regular business transaction, prevented by
the interference of the officer the confiscated
whisky is put up and sold out at auction for
$50 900, two thirds of all of which will 90 to
intormers and officers few dealers get a good
stock of whisky at third of its actual value
and the Government is none the better for the
whole transaction By this stupid plan cue
man is to be ruined simply for the benefit of one
or two lucky whisky dealers and half a score
or so of informers and officers. This plan is
about on par with that to prevent confagra-
tion by stopping the importation of fire crackers
and that to keep mp the price of paper money
by penal enactments, and naturally enough ema-
mates from those brilliant political economists
who seek to increase production by taxing pros
ducts in a dozen different forms. 1t is simply
impossible to expect any great good any wise
plans from the legis Station of men who are con-
stantly putting forward such impracticable,
nonsensicle, stupid and injurious plans as those
to which allusion is made above.-S. +. Call.