The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-24
DAILY: PRESS.
PORTLAND.
MONDAY, APRIL "a, 1871.


$500 FACTS AND FIGURES FOR CANDID fMEN.
.--qiaAswe anticipated, the Argus makes no re-
s NV IN our charge that it has stated what is
not true in saying that Congress has done
,"nothipg 10 stimulate industry and relieve
the burdens of the people," No reply is pos
sible. Therefore it ignores four OF our ques-
tons altogether and evades the fifth by print.
ing an extract from Gen. Brinkenhoffs
speech in which that gentleman shows that
the repeal of customs duties from which the
government realized more than twenty-six
J million dollars last yearwas not measure in
. the interest of free trade. "There need come
ghost from the grave, my lore, to tell us that"
Z But the fact is wholly Irrelevant in this dis.
cussion as to- whether anything has been
done to relieve the burdens of the people. 1t
"a Is another matter, and one concerning which
we do not care to dispute. Reducing the du.
ties ON tea, coffee, spices, fruits, &C., certainly
does relieve the people, and the laboring peo-
!. Pile, too, with whom these things are no long
er Injuries but necessaries, by saving them
IL the payment of many millions of dollars into
- the treasury. Ifinstead of these revenue du-
ties, Congress had reduced or abolished some
s of the strictly protective duties that afford
4 little or no revenue, the relief would have
nbeen much greater and we should have re-
joiced. Why was aotthis done? Ask Mr..
Randall of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Barnum OF Con-
gtnecticut and other high tariff Democrats of
the present and theIlast Congress. The tariff
/. question if not yet party issue, and oth the
Republican and the Democratic organizations
are divided right through the centre on the
subject just as much as they are on. the SUBJ
ject of predestination. Nor is this a matter
for regfetszi Z 80, II r. llL.lJ 70 Pig
n % So much, for the evasion AS for the large
number of points the Arguslignores we shall
: recur to them and, taking up the reduction OF
q the excise taxes, sshow with such particularly
how much the reduction has affected the peo.
pie of this State aud this Congressional dis.
.trict that the Argas will be ashamed to reiter-
e. ate its misstatements in the hearing of an in
70 telligent people. 0 Ii SD - -3ass3
SPECIAL TAXES ABOLISHED.
Among thetaxes levied last year was the
specia! tar upon persons engaged in almost
every trade or occupation that can be imagin.
ed, and they were obliged to procure H.
IL. $500. Atthese haze been discontinued. We
suppose that physicians, surgeons, pedders,
manufacturers. livery stable keepers, lawyers,
insurance agents, hotel keepers, &C., &C., who
g are not this year required to take out IL
cense do not realize that their situation is
4 bettered by the actof Congress relieving them |!
The multitude OF retail dealers who dolnot pay
$40, and of wholesale dealers who do not pay
{ $50 special tax this year, find themselves bard
ly used as ever, perhaps! And SO with brok-
ers, builders, butchers, conveyancers, eating
house keepers, dentists ard hundred others.
{ The total revenue derived from special taxes
in this State last year was $15S,347, of which
$5s,205 was paid in this district We have
prepared the following tables to show with
some fullness of detail how much the recent
legislation of Congress affects this locally. THE
following sums were collected last year in
this district and State from few of the lead
ing special taxes now abolished: ,gsa