Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-11-03
General Thomas E.oing.
Taxation.

If the annual expenses of the Government,
including the interest on the public debt, were
to be paid by direct taxation, the actual amount
of tax which every man is obliged to pay into
the Treasury annually would be so palpabe,
that the Radical party would be swept out of
existence by popular uprising. Four hun
bred and fifty millions of dollars were drawn
from the pockets of the people last year, and
FIVE hundred and thirty six millions the year
before, and now we are warned that it will re-
quire four hundred and seventy five millions for
the present year; and that fresh taxes must be
imposed. as the estimated receipts will not be
sufficient to meet the current expenses Just
think of it-four hundred and seventy-six mil
lions of dollars, and this not for one year alone,
but just so long as the enormous public debt
remains unpaid Nearly every dollar of this
the consumers have to pay. In addition to this
they are burthened with State, and county, and
municipal taxes which have been enormously
increased since the war, and for the liquidation
of which their property, both real and person
all is held liable. The United States is now
the most taxridden country on the face of the
Globe. Seven years ago it was taxed the light
est of anyhow it requires an army Of sixteen
thousand office holders to collect the Internal
Revenue tax alone. There is not shred uf
clothing that the workingman has to wear
which has not been taxed over and over again
taxed on the weol, taxed on the dye, taxed on
the manufacture, taxed on the sale. All these
taxes are added to the price of the article,
whatever it may be. and make up the differ
ence between what similar one sold for seven
years ago and what it sells for now 1t is the
same with house rent The owner pays the
taxes and reimburses himself from the rent
Every commodity in use every particle of food
that is consumed is shngled over with taxes
Every pound Of coffee is taxed in currency
seven cents; every pound of tea thirty seven
cents, every pound of sugar five cents. From
these three articles alone-artices that enter
into the consumption of every household and
have become of prime necessity-the Govern
ment draws an annual revenue in currency of
seventty-two millions of dollars.
The great Government contractors, the shod-
dyites, the bondholders and the manufacturers
to the eastward, have grown rich by the war
but the iaboring classes have grown poorer, be-
cause they constitute the great bulk of the con-
sumers, and as necessary consequence have
to bear the great bulk of the taxes on dimin
ished wages in proportion to the price of com
modities. They may not be troubled with tax
bills, but they pay them, nevertheless. The
bills are adroitly hidden in every purchase they
make. On every pound of coffee they buy,
they pay the tax gatherer seven cents; on ev-
cry pound of tea, they pay him thirty seven
cents on every pound of sugar they pay him
! five cents He does not indeed appear in bodi
ly presence before them but he is there in the
sugar, and the Coffee and the tea, just as GER
tany as if he made demand for the tax on
these commodities every time the consumer
bought them. It is the same in all things else.
| The importer or the manufacturer pays the tax
in the first instance, and charges it to the
wholesale dealer, who in return charges it to
the retail dealer and the latter puts it on the
price of the article he sells to the consumer
Bait Guzette