Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-24
THE INTERNAL REVENUE LAWS.

The Press and Hcrdd and wing, as well
rs other Democratic journals in this Con-
gressional district, have lately manifested
great zeal in the discussion ofthe Internal
Revenue laws. They are very jealous in
the cause of retrenchment and reform, and
one would suppose from their editorials
that the burden of taxation bore heavily
upon them. These gentlemen are so OPP
pressed with special taxes, Chisky taxes,
income taxes, &C., that they can no longer
tolerate the oppression.
They hold the Republican party wholly
responsible for this onerous taxation, not
withstanding the heavy reduction since
the commencement of Grants Admins
tration. They are especially severe on the
" bloody whisky law. When man is
indicted under that law, no matter how the
case stands, it is frivolous or malicious
They make the discussion of this subject
the pretext for indecent attacks upon Hon.
Horace Maynard, and indulge freely in the
vocabulary of blackguardism. Low, de-
grading and foolish appeals are made to the
passions and prejudices of men. This
seems to be the hobby upon which some
one of their favorites is to ride into Con-
gress.
We do not pretend to say that there is
nothing Objectionable in this law. Itwould
be strange indeed if it were perfect. By
the war, n large public debt was created,
which all honest men feel in duty bound
to pay. Men who in the dark hours of the
rebellion loaned their money to the Gov
eminent to sustain the army contending
against the hosts of the South must be
paid To devise means to pay this was no
mere child's task. In doing this is it any
wonder that the people should be burden
ed with heavy taxes? Had we a right to
expect anything else? On the subject of
internal taxation, Mr.. Maynard has taken
n stand which is for the best interests of his
constituents. From speech made by him
in the House of Representatives, on the
3Oth day of March, 1870, he takes stand
directly the opposite of that which his enc
mics would have us believe he occupies.
From that speech we make the following
extract;
BE- may observe in this connection how much
less ouerou- to the people are the tariff duties
than the internal taxes, although the amounts
collected under the two systems are not very I'M
equal Hence, in all our legislation, We should
keep steadily in view the carly termination OF
the internal revenue system. Already 1t has
been reduced to a comparative small number of
taNablcs, and Il further reduction is proposed.
Disguise it as we may, this system is grieyous
burden to the people. lnquisitorial, meddle-
some, vcyatious, filling the land with an army of
officials, assessors, assistant assessors, collectors,
deputy collectors, supervisors gaugcrs store
keepers, inspectors, spies, detectives, and m
formers, it AZ, even when administered honestly
and IL good faith, oppressive and annoying,
quite to the point of patient endurance. But in
the hands OF the incompetent or the corrupt,
with it, ceaselcss mistakes and blackmuil cNuc-
tons it becomes intolerable
Nothing in our history is more scandalous
than the whsky-taN operations. The tax itself
operates to throw the business of distilaton into
Il few hands, as similar tax has done in Eng
land. The small dstillerics are crushed out
and their occupation gone. The sense Of OPP
preston, which makes even wise men mad, ar
rays them against the law and the Government
a unjust; illicit distllation goes on in every
corner followed by open hostilites against the
honest officials and secret bribery of the corrupt.
Nothing but an unyicding necessity for revc-
nue. could for a moment justify such q system,
and it ought not to be continued after the ne
| ccssity Is over
We respectfully refer those who would
have Us believe that Mr. Maynard cares
nothing for the interests of Fast Tennessee
to this extract. Read, and hereafter reflect
before you speak. There is stronger and
more influential appeal for the people of
East Tennessee in those few sentences than
in all that has been said by the combined
Democratic press.
TIE MITRAIIIFUR