The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-04
A TAX ON COTTON TO BIZ URGED.

1t is stated upon good authority that CON-
missioner Delano in his forthcoming report,
will recommend to congress the imposition
of a tax on cotton. The favor with which
such recommendation will be received
By congress should not be in doubt; for if
the members of that body would diyest them.
selves OF partizsn and sectional feeling, such
a recommendation would hardly be consid-
cred at all. OF course the avowed object OF
Commissioner Deano will be the increase
Of the pubic revenues, but means less
adapted to an avowed end could not very
we'll be chosen; and for this reason the sin.
certy of the commissioner will not be per-
fectly free from suspicion. The war LETT
predsposition in the minds Of the Republi-
can party to punsh,i in every practicable way
the peoplp of tie south for their rebellion;
aud whether they so intend many OF their
pc, sehemes or not, such is often the only
eiec, OF them.
AS ust means Of replenishng the reve-
uues Of the government tax on cotton will
not bear examination. It's injustice to the
people Of the SOUTH in view of their pecul.
lar condition, would seem to be selfevldent.
The war both by the very nature and char
acter Of the struggle and its result, and by
the extremely viudictive feature impaired
to it by Il violent partizan policy, LETT them
10 a state Of almost AFFECT poverty, with thelI
fields laid waste, their commerce destroyed
their labor system totally uprooted and over
turned, their public Improvements anc
means Of INSTRUMENTATION swept into the
whirlpool Of destruction, and their circua
ting medium rendered utterly worthless
This was the condition Of the whole south Al
the close of the war. They were without
money, without credit, aud without produc
tive property or labor to make IT productive
The only article Of commerce which they
with even favorable surroundings could eX
pect to send to the worlds market, WAS cot
ton, and ITS cultivation was their only hop
of renovating their wasted fortunes.
small crop was made, and upon this bun
densome tax was levied which created sac
distress that its collection was suspende
and the tax finally repealed. The fact tia
large crop has been produced this seaso
and that the people of the south have begu
the march to something Of their former pro
perty, affords no reason for the second il
position Of this burden upon their stap
article of commerce. The tax has tende
cy to depreciate the value of cotton, al
discourage its cultivation, and as financi
measure it is Of no greater wisdom than Il
killing Of the goose that laid the golden eg
The cotton crop is and always has been Il
most considerable production OF the count
going to foreign markets. This fact h
made its contributions to the wealth of
country and its consequent debt pay'
resources, subject to less discount than a
other article Of production.
That this scheme for taxing cotton is
purely financial measure but Il means
imposing burdens on the people of the so
is apparent from the fact that the same ell
Of politicians who favor such an embal
on southern resuscitation, never fail to 81
port tariff to protect and foster every 81
cies Of New England manufacturing, ire
coal and copper mining interests, and wo
growing. There is no tax or proposition
impose tax on wheat, corn, pork, or be
which are the staple productions of Northe
aud Western agriculturjsts, probably for
reason that the mass of those TO whose t
tunes these productions contribute ne'
lived south or owned negro or carried
southern musket.
There i. some reason TO hope that Co
missioner Delano's recommendation will {
to receive the approval of congress, for
sense Of justice ia gradually returning
many of the old members of that body, q
Re, er.l new ones who have Just come fir,
the people have never been deficient of it
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