Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-14

Total........ 81
Grant-fifty millions ahead
To get this up, required some nice cy-
phering, and several skillful accountants
no doubt ''went into .fggersn heavily to
determine Just how it should be made up
to the best advantage. Luckily for Sour
Columbus" the closing of the former
and the commencement of the latter al.
ministratiOn were the best adapted to his
purposes.
But look into tnis scheme
/ JOhnson's eighteen months take in the
collection of but one annual tau
Grants take in the collection of taD0 an
mail tureS !
For instance-incOme tax yields fifty
millions under Johnson -siyty-eight mil
lions under Grant
Special taxes, under johnson, eleven
milliOns-under Grant, seventeen mill
lions.
Then again, during the months of
May, June, July and August, the largest
consumption Of distilled spirits, tobacco
and cigars and fermented liquors takes
place. Also the largest returns of rail
roads for carrying passengers occur,
which are taxed under the head of Gross
Receipts. During the same period, the
increased tax on the sales of liquors
(Which was imposed by Act July 30,
1869 would be larger than during any
other four months of the year.
Now, Mr.. Delsno has but one period,
from May to August, in Jobnson's time,
while he has two such periods in Grants
time.
.fIn 1868, from about February until
July 2O-on which day the bill became
law, reducing the tax on distilled spirits,
and inaugurating stamp system for col
Letting the tax thereon, as well as on to-
bacco and cigars the agitation of the
question of the tax on spirits; tobacco and
cigars, prevented the manufacture of
either except for immediate consumption.
And after the law of July 20, 1868, was
passed, it was months before distillers
had got their distilleries ready to operate,
or the government had prepared stamps
TO be used upon spirits, tobacco and CT
gars. This condition of things worked
against revenue; and this was during
JOhnsOn's eighteen months, so that "our
Columbus" has happily chosen the most
unfortunate period of the johnson dy-
nasty. OF course this is ''fair in poll
tics " Blu. what becomes of the Com
missioner when we take fiscal year and
compare it with fiscal year,
The comparison stands thus-Ly-
Fiscal year 1868, johnson. ..191 millions.
" g 1869, johnson
and Grant. ..................,..l6O
:" 8 1870, Grant. .185
'tAll very well, " says Mr.. Delano; ''but
how about the difference in the rates of
tax, and the articles taxed during the
johnson period, which were exempted
during the Grant period? ?"
Just this, Mr.. Delano-that while you
and others aided Andrew johnson to dis
organize the Republican party, from 1866
along down to the end, almost, of his adj
ministration, the service became demoTal-
lied, and collections fell off as a conse-
quenCe; and the tax on distilled spirits,
being two dollars per gallon, was so high
under this Generalization IS to make it
impossible to collect it. 1t went into the
hands of those who favored illicit opera
tons, and who were Andrew JOhnson's
friends
In 1868, the tax OIL distilled spirits was
reduced to about slxty-three cents per
gallon. The defective system was le-
pealed and one of prepayment adopted.
Under this Few system, during the period
from July 90, 1865. to June 80, 1859,
about (G2) sixty two million gallons dis
TILED spirits were removed for consump-
ton, and paid tax-while during the
whole of the preceding fiscal year only
G,709, 44G, or less than seUen million
gallons paid tax.
The gain, therefore, in quantity of spir-
its taxed, was over (55) fifty fire million
gallons during the first year of the law
of July 90, 1868. s"
Now, as Mr.. Rollins was Commissioner
part of the time, and Mr.. Delano part of
the time during that year, let us compare:
RoLLISs (,rith diSfiYe- rDFIAyo trfh disfiIleries