Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-24


Of government Is chiefly the product 3
tariffs. The direct tax Of the Unite
States is small tho amount Of revenu
frem importatious immense. The ricl
nay their tens in direct taxa, The poo
heir hundreds Of millions in duties. l
Is unseen, and therefore, lllthe NOR,
certain. But let not poor men thinl
they are escaping. If three quarter
Of the revenues Of the Govern
ment are raised from tariffs OF
the articles we raise, the tea, coffee. sugar
and food we eat, and clothes We wear
who pays the taxesf DO not the poo
consume hundred times as much as the
richf They are a hundred times as nu'
merous, and must live. And do they
not pay for il with their hard earnings
Did We not suy whisky in Memphis al
twenty, thirty and fprsy cents when there
was no tax, instead Of paying two, three
and Eve dollars as we do nowf Did we
not buy beef, pork, coffee and sugar ior
half what we pay now, and everything
else in proportion2 And who but the
consumers pay when the rich merchants
raise their prices, as they have right to
do, aud the rich banker his per centags,
and the rich landlord his rents They
who eat and wear clothes pay the taxes,
at last, in the shape Of tariffs, which
raise the price of every thing they
consume. And as they who are poor are
as thousand to one in our down. trodden
and imp overished section, the poor pay
the great body of the public debt, and Of
the expenses Of government Is it not,
then, even more important for poor men
TO avoid running in debt than it is for
the rich . Will il not suit them to save
twenty millions a year nor thrown away
to the National Banks, and twenty-five
millions. more extra in gold interest TO
the American lords, who 90 untaxed, and
to economist, and stop the wastes xtrava-
gance and populations which are going
on3 The New Orleans Crescent has the
following further on this subject: e.
In q late debate, in the United States
House of Representatives, some wreteheed
trash was uttered about incorporating IN
the tax bill Determinations intended 10
tighten the taxes Of the poor without
the aggregate OF revenue
To relieve the poor from the brunt OF
IA xation. while government exists and
is demanded for its maintenance,
Il as wild problem as the squaring Of,
the circle, the transmutation OF metals,
he discovery Of the philosophers stone
or perpetual motion. But wild as i is,
it assists to drive the wedge OF every
piece Of jobbery that gets into tariff or
an internal revenue act. 1t would GER
taiuly be q magnificent spectacle to see
taxation lie upon the mass Of consumers
as lightly as snowaakes on the bosom OF
the Mississippi, or as the dewdrops which
The stag Of lone Glenartney shazel shade
shook from his tanks ere he bounded tri-
a N phantly before the chase, while plenti-
ful revenue should be raised to supply
me wants OF the most expensive govern
mer.t on the face Of the earth. It would
be glorious to know tbst, while poor con-,
sumers were relieved aud happy, the
subtle fsc was filled to overhowing BY
taxes drawn from the surplus Of wealthy
producers and property holders, who
would aIso be happy in ihus paying for
The privilege Of living under the best, it
not the most extrayagant, government
pnder the sun. But this would be o i
miracle, and financial legislation, which |
was never known to enjoy supernatural
lid, cannot afford to plant itself beyond
he limits of natural possibility.
Pilipg up taxes on the exception
ally rich wall peyer, in final effect, |
mitigate taxation for The consuming
millions. What these pay dissGtly 70 the
AK gatherer is Insignificant eompssed
With what they pay 10 the increased cost
IF living ep account Of the taxes directly
paid BY Others. This Is where high tax.
.tion pinches then most eoTely, and
where It would continue to PINCH then,
wen should direct taxation fall upon
nobody in the country but the Astofs,
he Stewards, the Vanderbilts. the Law
enoas and the Spragues. Place tax
lpon sny class Of productive property, |
md with the fatality O. water finding q
evel, it will trsnsmute Itself irto en-
,ancsd prices paid by consumers who
ire compelled to buy the products ofthat
property. Thie transmutation cannot |
70 prevented withort annulling the
avs of trade and suppressing COM
MERGE. To continue to raise a large |
evenae and yet relieve the poor Of its |
,urdens, It would be necessary not only
o confiue taxation to the rich, but to en-
.ble the poor to consume the goods OF
he rich without buying them; that 10 to
Isy, there must be exclusive taxation on
me side, and unlimited pillage on the
,ther. OF course tbst gould be chaos
,ome agaiD-ibe end Of eommeFpe, Of
Industry, of government, the dissolution
If society, the relinquishment OF eiyili-
.ation, and the Inauguration OF univer-
val poverty and misery. There is only
oue way 10 tighten taxation for the poor,
and preserve the blessings of goverh-
ment for ell. and that is to conduct gov
ernmsut o. 8 rigid system of economy,
and reduce the aggregate VI taxatipn.
y requisite to this reform but
honesty and arithmetic. ~