The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-14
THE TOBACCO TAx.--The Philadelphia
Age thus writes about the injustice of the

THE ToBAcco TAx.-The Philadelphia
Age thus writes about the injustice of the
tobacco tax: g,
"The Government has placed q tax upon
tobacco greater than the value of the raw
or manufactured article Itself, thereby re-
stricting the quantity used, requiring much
gagged in it's sale; thus discriminating
against that class Of her citizens engaged in
that particular branch of business. The
writer knows Of no other species of mer-
chandise that is taxed above the value of the
article itself, showing that the Government
is determined to make the tobacco dealer
pay roundly for the privilege Of trying to
make an honest living out of the sales
of the commodity called a luIury, but
which is to many of those who use it ne
cessity. The Government still goes further
in taxing tobacco dealers. During the last
session of Congress the tax on sales was
taken off of almost all classes of merchan-
disc except tobacco, and while others were
paying one dollar per thousand upon the
amount of their sales, the broad-backed
tobacco man was, and still is, compelled to
pay two dollars per thousand upon his
sales (when almost one-half of the entire
amount of sales Is made up Of tax, dealers
being compelled by law to include the tax of
thirty-two cents per pound in making their
return of sales to the Government, thus pay
ing tax upon Il tax), which is collected
every month. At the same time, it must
be remembered that the article upon which
this immense amount of revenue is derived
| IS grown, manufactured, sold, and used IN
our own country, and that millions OF dol
lars worth are exported free of duty, here
again discriminating against ourselves.
Therefore, it is surprising how any man
engaged in the tobacco business, either IN
growing, manufacturing, selling, or even
Using it, can consistently uphold or coun-
tenance the present Administration in its
usurpations of the rights Of the people
and the earnings of their labor. Yet
| the Government, which is supposed
TO know no partiality towards her
citizens In trade, calls this fair and
equitable. and asks Us to sustain them,
| because they are so much more honest
than the opposite partv-reduclng the
taxes, paying off the debt, the country
growing rich by squeezing thirty.tWo mil
lions of dollars out of tobacco for 1870,
and intending to give an extra squeeze
by raising forty-cicht of iorty-nine mil,
| lions for 1871. Why should we rot all
vote vote for Government that takes nearly
all our hard earnings away from us to pay
tax collectors and other otfice-holders,
and thus crush and ruin business? Anoth-
or fact in connection with the above
| full three-fourths Of all the manufactured
tobacco sold is used by the working class,
who find it not a luxury, but Il neces sity.
which, if deprived Of. would lead them to
use something more stimulating and hurt
full, both to body and soul; and these are
the people who the Government depends
upon for giving and keeping them in their
place. and for this favor they are made to
| pay an unjust and unreasonable tax upon
the only article they find pleasure i'll with
out any or very little injury"