The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-08-20
THE WHISKY TAX.

The radical party shows its inability to
conduct the affairs of great nation in
every move it makes, but in none more
prominently than in managing the financial
affairs of the government. Certainly pro-
gress enough has been in ascertaining and
funding the public debt to enable congress
to systematic the internal revenue tax so
as to confine it to few leading particulars,
and the release of the other endless horde
of objects. Thus the extreme sum of the
debt having been ascertained, the amount
of annual interest is easily to be comput-
ed. An estimate of the annual expenditures
of the governments also mater of easy
computation. A revenue sufficient to meet
these two items is what the governmert
needs-no more and no less. Any extra
ordinary expenditure should be treated as
an addition to the public debt, for which
special provision must be made. From the
aggregate of this necessary revenue should
be deducted the sum likely to be collected
from duties on imports, and the remainder
t<shSu dS aLuC SUN W JIG AoASCV Dy AheNA hni
taxation. This sum, be it great or small
could be raised by judicious arrangement
OF taxes upon six or eight principal objects
The congress, however, has done nothing
of this kind; it has adhered to the policy
of spreading its nets so as to catch ever,
penny of taxation that it is possible to collec
from any source, great or small. It has i'm
posed tax upon whisky of two dollars 6
gallon, which, if collected, would yield $40,
100000 year: but that tax which, if col
lected, would excedel all that is now exact
ed in small sums with merciless rigor from
the pettysdealings Of life, is no longer {
source of revenue. In 1856, the govern
ment did not collect from the 100000
gallons of whisky made in the United States
over $37,O00,000, or but fraction owe
fifty cents gallon. The other $4,000,
900 was never collected, though the whisk,
has been made, warehoused and sold unde
the very eyes of the officers of the govern
ment Whisky costs from 80 to so cents
gallon to make it; the tax of two dollar
added to this makes the Legitimate price O
whisky; but there are thousands of gallon
of whisky sold at from $i,25 to $1,75 pc
gallon, while one gallon is sold which ha
paid the government tax. This is notoriou.
In fact, there are no real transactions in ia,
paying whisky, the whole business bein
done in contraband liquor The transa,
lions reported toGthe government are merel
blinds, intended tot6inly lveiLan illicit trad
and widespread fraud upon the trea s d
The sll3,OoO,Ooo which was due the Cover,
ment on the whisky manufactured in 1856
and never paid. has to be made good /
taxation upon the public in other shapes.-
The failure by accident or otherwise.to aff;
two cent stamp to q bank check or tos
receipt, will be prosecuted with q vigilan,
and an inexorable severity that challeng
the admiration of justice itself; but Il
manufacture and sale of $4,000, 900 gallo
of whisky without the payment of a pen,
revenue to the government, fails to elic
from the revenue officers, the slightest .
tention. saas So ae.tass8s va
Ia Recent developements in New York ii
show that in one case 900 barrels of whisl