The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-01

| Tobacco Thieves.
| We print this morning the preliminary
| chapters of one of the most painful events
in our political history. The attention Of the
country has been excited by the overthrow Of
Erie and the downfall of Tammany Hall.
These events, startling as they were, simply
belonged to our municipal and State history
The narrative we give this morning is national
| in lis character. Instead of frauds upon the
treasury Of the city and State our attention is
| directed TO the frauds upon the nation. A
careful est innate indicates that Tammany and
Erie in their unholy and infamous alliance
robbed the people of twenty or thirty millions.
| The frauds ow opened to light show con-
| clusively tn at In The articles of whiskey and
tobacco alone the Treasury of the United
| States was robbed of one hundred and sixty
millions of doars
When we deal wi tn figures of this magni-
| tude we feel as though we were bordering
| upon the realms of romance. To speak of
| one hundred and sixty millions of dollars rob-
| bed from the Urea sury is to make what might
| be called wild statement. Yet the investi-
| cations now in progress show that during the
| unfortunate administration of Andrew John
son the revenue laws were so administered
| by the Treasury and Revenue Departments
| that the taxes upon whiskey and tobacco were
virtually never collected. When the nation
emerged from the great war the necessity OF
| paying the interest upon an enormous debt,
and OF providing for the reduction of
the principal, compelled Congress to
| exact unusual duties from articles of luxury
! that were mainly of general consumption.
! Following the example of the older countries
| these taxes were imposed upon all classes Of
wines and spirits, as well as upon tobacco.
| Thus upon whiskey alone, an article of very
| general consumption in this country, as gene
raj as that of gin and beer in England and the
ordinary wines in France and Germany, the
| law exacted tax of two dollars per gallon.
This as a tax alone, was largely in excess of
the rude cost Of manufacture, and it made the
profits upon the sale of VIII skey not taxed so
large that it was virtually a temptation to
violation Of the revenue. The argu-
ment was made by political econo-
msts, and in time 1t was found to be
an argument conclusive enough to affect the
opinions Of Congress, that tax so dispropor
Tomato to the real cost of manufacture was
really premium upon defrauding the rev.
enue. We know that this same argument has
been made in reference to the burdensome and
unjust tariffs of England until within the last
century, and that political economists have
declared that but for the enterprise of snug
glers there would have been an end to the
commerce of England. The folly Of this argu-
ment, when applied to the case under con-
sideraton, is, that although there is a large
tax upon whiskey and tobacco in England
and a monopoly Of tobacco sale in the
hands Of the French government, and every
possible temptation TO defraud the revenue,
the imposts are collected and the law is
rigidly enforced
There was nothing in the laws Of taxation,
so far as tobacco and whskey are concerned,
to prevent a thorough collection of the tax
Tobacco and whiskey enter largely into the
economy of our modern life, too largely, as
the moralists believe. We are afraid to say
now many dollars are spent yearly upon the
consumption of these articles. The ingenious
calculations are open to everybody. If our
remembrance is correct we spend money
enough for whiskey and tobacco every year or
two to pay the national debt. But, how
ever comforting and exhlarating some Of our
citizens find tobacco and whiskey, they are
simply luxuries. The world was well with
out them, and it would be better if they were
as rare as nepenthe and mandragora. Since
their use is vice, or better, perhaps
custom, and when we accept them as
necessities, we should pay. No government
can exist without taxes. Our surest taxes
are those which assess our vicss. Oar pub
licans would find it dismal business to en-
force the Ten Commandments. ''The vice of
brandy drinking" said Napoleon, ''pays me
hundred million francs year; what virtue
pays the Treasury 50 we?" 1t was wise and
customary act to tax whskey and tobacco.
The men who consume these articles could
better afford to pay imposts upon them than
the consumers of tea and coffee and sugar
and salt and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the arti-
Giles on the tax list Every dollar collected
from tobacco and whiskay was really saving
to the industrial classes, to those who found
tea and coffee necessity. Every dollar de-
frauied from the government upon these
articles was a tax upon the nations industry
and happiness.
Any failure to enforce the tax laws was
moral wrong. A debt to the government is q
debt Of honor. A gentleman would as soon
thinS of neglecting his whist account as his
income tax. We exact protection national
peace and welfare from the government. We
pay in return what to the most sorely taxed is
q small sum of money. An officer of the gov
eminent who enters into q conspiracy to