Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-01-26
9olitifaI.
REVENUE REFORM.
For the CHRONICLE.

certain amount OF revenue uO DE TdfSe
for the support of the Government
This proposition will not be doubte
| by any one who is honestly in favor
paying, promptly, the interest on tn
public debt, and of providing for ou
crippled and disabled soldiers, and th
widows and orphans of those who fe
in the service. There might be an hon
est difference of opinion, as to wha
amount we should reduce the principa
of the public debt annually; or whethe
even we should aim atpresent to reduc
it at all; but there can be no differenc
of opinion, among honest men, abou
the necessity of meeting our actual oh
legations, nor is it supposed there is.
The whole amount of revenue col
lected for the fiscal year ending June
3Oth 1870, was $411, ,255, ,477:63, of which
was derived from Customs S194, ,53S 81
A and Internal taxation ,s1S4, ,S99, ,756:49
Thesources of revenue were reduced
in the aggregate, by the late session O.
Congress, as estimated by the Treasury
Department, to the extent of $50, 900,
600; s23, ,5OO,O of which was from
Custom duties, and principally from
the duties on Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Spices
Dry-stuffs and Pig-iron; and $56, 800, ,0Ot
from the Internal Revenue tax. This
large reduction will reduce the aggre-
gate revenues, after the taking effect Of
the law, to about three hundred and
thirty-one millions, per annum, which
amount would meet the expenses OF
the Government, including interest on
the public debt, and leave surplus of
forty millions.
This calculation is quite close enough,
when it is so easy to apply small sur
plus to the principal of the debt. and
so essential to our credit to do so. 1t
would seem then, that our revenues
cannot for the present be safely dimin-
ished, nor until the expenses of the
Government are reduced, which will
hardly take, place to any great extent
until the public debt can be refunded
at lower rate of interest, which will
occur about as soon as ourcredit becomes
firmly established. If then we aim at
paying forty millions of the prin-
cipal of the debt, we have reve-
nue. of three hundred and thirty-one
millions to collect, which is divided as
the laws now stand, as follows: One
hundred and seventyvone million, from
duties on foreign imports, and one hum
dred and sixty million, from Internal
taxation and other sources. Shall we.
take of. from the amount now raised
on foreign imports, and add it to that
to be raised from internal or direct
taxation? This is the question with
those who acknowledge the obligation
of the nation to pay its honest debts
the same as individuals. With those
who do not propose to pay at all, of
course the case is different.
1t would be a comfortable thing if
we could abolish internal taxation en-
tirely, and greatly reduce the tariff, if
that would raise revenue to defray the
of the Government and pay
its honest debts; but no one supposes it
would. That important branch OF the
question is but little discussed among
the modern Revenue Reformers. The
cry is, reduce the tariff, or repeal it al
together on such articles ascompetitiOn
with the same class of articles produced,
or manufactured in this country, or
raise it by direct taxation. The rev.
enue could doubtless be raised by either
of these methods; but would it
it be just and expedient, or even adj
at all, to collect the greater
portion of the revenues from the poorer
classes, as would result from tariff
levied on tea, coffee, sugar, molasses,
spices and such other. articles of neces-
sity, as are not produced to any great
extent in this country, sufficient toraise
a revenue of one hundred and forty
millions? Such tariff would be OPP
pressive in the extreme to the laboring
masses; for it must be admitted that
the laborer, and those of limited means
of all classes use as much, or more, per
capita, of these articles, when they are
cheap, than the rich; This may ap-
pear to some as an eXtravagant express
sion, yet it is true nevertheless, as can
be attested by our most intelligent
grocers, and observers of men and
things. Such a tariff would not COM
mend the confidence and support of the
people for moment. An increase of
direct taxation would be equally bur-
densome and unpopular. In fact, the
present Internal Revenue tax should
be reduced as rapidly as The demands
of the treasury will permit, and finally
except on a single class of
articles, to wit: Spirituous liquors; and
this seems to be the policy of the Ad-
The President said in his late Message:
"By steadiness in our present course
there is no reason why, in few short
years, the national tax gatherer may
not disappear from the door Of the citi=
zen almost entirely" Andagain; "The
necessities of the country compel us to
collect revenue from our imports. An
army of Assessors and Collectors is not
a pleasant sight to the citizens, but that
or tariff for revenue, is necessary
Such tariff, SO far as it acts in encour-
agement to home products, affords em=
ployment to labor at living wages, in
contrast to the pauper labor of the Old
World, and also in the development of