, 1870-12-31


made by countries, under The necessity of
raising large revenues, in learning the best
methods of taxation. It has been found
TINT, to raise the largest supplies, the best
way is not to tax the greatest number of
articles at the highest rates, hut far eAsier
and more certain to swell the revenues by
reducing and taking of taxes. 1t is ad-
mitted that, though every country must
give certain portion of its annual pro-
duct to support the government, aud that
taxation is a necessary evil, yet that taxa
tion has often been adjusted with SO
much stupidity aud dishonesty as to OBJ
struct and disturb many industries, and,
sometimes, destroy them altogether, and
thus cause greater loss and evil than tho
tax itself. It has come to be seen that any
mode Of taxation which inte1feres with
the natural, and hence most profitable,
conrse that the industry of d country
would take, deprires the country of many
times the amount of the ta1, in thus de-
pri1ng labor Of its greatest efficiency and
its largest gains. BY such taxation, the
burden to be borne Is ever growing
heavier, while the revenue collected is
ever growing lighter; and the end, If car
RED out, is certain to be a bankrupt treas
ury and an impoverished people. Of all
the methods Of tazntion which hare the
effect OF thus yielding ever-decreasing
supplies, with evez-incrcasipg burden End
disconteut, one OF the worst is to tax the
law materials and tho implements used in
the various industries. "
The labor of country pays its taxes,
and TO do this with the least sense of wrong
or burden, labor should have the largest
freedom of choice among the various in
tlnst1ies, and be able to seize every adyan-
tage to cheaper production. No more fatal
or n,ischievous blow can be given to any
industry, than 10 tax the raw materials and
tie tools that enter into its production.
Every industry must be ablc to procure its
raw materials at the natural untaxed cost,
to enable it either to. manufacture at
profit at home, or to compete with foreign
trs. 4 tax on the raw materials of our
manufacturing industry must inevitably
produce disorder and hindrance, cause
great interruption and loss, and very often
absolute min, To tax iron. wool. lumber.
leather. coal. and machinery. il not onlv To
tux unjustly one class to benefit another,
Int is directly calculated 10 obstruct or
destroy some of our most important in
slustries themselves, and with them large
psrt of the ta1-psying capital and labor Of
fhe cnunfrv
If there be any articles which do not
enter as raw materials into our manufac-
turing industries, they are the ones to be
;axed. Fortunately, va have such arti-
c.es, consumed SO largely by our people
that nearly all the revenue needed can be
raised from them Without any disturbance
or destruction whatever of cur great in-
dustries- We can raise from taxes on
coffee, tea, sugar, liquors, tobacco, spices,
silks, and the Like articles, all the needed
revenue, and thus avoid wholly the great
danger OF paralyzing our domestic pro-
duchon' and making it impossible Tor us
to compete with other nations IN the lead
ing markets OF the world.
Some OF cur foremost industries have
been greatly crippled, or entirely destroy
ed, by taxing the raw materials they used
Before this most injurious TAXATION began
We could make better and cheaper eottons
than any other people, and defied all com
petition, but now the trade is passing
1Eto -otnef nands. once VIC uh