The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-10-14
FRAUDS UPON THE REvENUE
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE.

Some days ago we had an article showing up,
to some extent, the whisky frauds. The thing
Is becoming go open and fsgrant, and those en-.
gagged in these fraudulent transactions so bold,
and defiant, that the immediate attention o
Congress, at the earliest day after Its assem-.
bling, should be given to tho thorough remod.
cling Of the internal revenue law. There is Ger.
tainy no time to DO wasted in this matter II It'll
the intention of the Government to avoid the
stigma which must be cast upon II, both at home
and abroad, OF being one Of the most corrupt
Governments in the world. At the present
rates OF taxation we should collect at least upon
the whisky manufactured In this country 5000,
0OO 900; but instead OF this sum We get less than
$50, 600, 900. In our judgment, this falling of
may be traced directly to the exorbitantly high
rate of taxation. Ifthe tax was fifty cents per
gallon, instead of 50, as now. more money
would be paid into the Treasury, and almost all
temptation to Illicit distillation would be re-
moved.
In the present state Of our financial condition,
II is the duty Of the Government to collect all
tho revenue possible without expressing the
people, and without imposing unequal burdens
upon any particular branch Of business. When
the two dollars gallon tax was imposed upon
whisky this general notion was expressed, viz:
that it did not matter how heavy the tax upon
this article might be. 1t was argued that II it
should be SO onerous as to amount to prohibition
SO much the better, as whisky serves no good
purpose, is not Indispensable, but on the con.
trary is always injurious But this is not the
light in which legislators should look at this
subject 1t is not whether the people need
whisky as beverage or not, but will they have
it. All history and all experience demonstrates
the fact that the people will use strong drinks,
and tina neither eIorbitant taxation upon their
manufactures nor prohibitOry laws can prevent
the use of alcoholic stimulants.
We 10 not raise the question as to the right
ofgoyerument to enact such laws We only state
the inevitable tendency Of all such legislation
to be imperative. So far as we have observed,
all Legislation, whether in the shape Of tariffs or
internal revenue laws, become imperative in ex-
act proportion to their prohibitOry character.
istics. Instead, therefore, Of government real
hing any increase to its Golfers 1t has precisely
the opposite effect and besides it leads to
smuggling and corruption and general demoraii.
cation. This is history and experience the world
over.
The want Of the government Is revenue, and
in it's legislation 1t should pass such laws as can
be enforced, for such statutes alone will furnish
tho means which 1t seeks The manufacturer
of this article Of whisky would readily pay fit!
cents per gallon, and this tax upon 100, O0O O0'
gallons would give to the treasury $50, 900. 900
whereas, now, with this amount manufactured
in the country, and with an internal revenue
tax Of 81 per gallon, we shall get for the present
fiscal year less than $40, 900, 900.
Should not facts like these induce Congress to
address itself to the rcmodeling of the revenue
law at the earliest day. But frauds on whisky
are not the only frauds upon the revenue. To-
bacco also CONES in for large share in these
fraudulent practice, upon the government. We
must, however, omit this sub ect till another day