The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-17
THE INTERNAL TAXES-SHALL THEY
BE PERPETUATED OR ABOLISHED?

May i, 1sI2. 81.
Mr.. Kelley--I state the amount that was
taken from the tobacco trade by internal
taxes during that year, and cannot believe
that while they grieved over the duty on
licorice, they gave thanks every night in the
family circle that they had had the joy of
being arrested, indicted, and prosecuted,
because they had not paid proper proper
ton of the S3l $50, 70S of the internal taxes
collected from tobacco. Now, Ipropose to
let one of the constituents of the gentleman
from Missouri who has spoken on this
point be heard. | refer to Mr.. Christian
PEPPER, q tobacco manufacturer of the city
of st. Louis. Here is his testimony:
"There were As manufacturers of tobacco in
the first district of Missouri ruined because they
could not do business honestly. Some were ar
rested for violation of law, and put in prison, and
others ran away. The intention OF the law may
be good, but there lies a great temptation in it
They will fall sometimes. II is SO e;nticing II
trial under the present laws, and now we ought
to have the stamp tried.
"By Mr.. Maynard:
" Question. Have you any other remedy to
suggest except to stamp this plug tobacco2
" 4Anstoer, We have held meetings and We
could not find any other way but this stamp; we
say let the consumer be the judge.
"By Mr.. Kelley: ..
'sQuestiop. Do you think the same abuses
list in other districts
''Anstcer. The first district of Missouri will
compare favorably with any:other district in
"By Mr.. Maynard
"Question. Would we get more money if we
made the tax less
''Ansaoer. Protect us in q similar manner to
this stamp and the government will get every
cent The consumer stands between the gov
eminent and the manufacturer. We, rs manu-
facturers, of course, would probably like to have
no tax -
"By Mr.. Kelley:
f.Question. DO you think this law has demon
allied officers as well as manufacturers ?
"4nS,oer. Yes, sir" #t.
Now, sir, the people of Missouri are as
honest, heightened, law-abiding as any in
the country. And that system of laws
that produces such results as these in such
a community should be FASTENED off your
statute-books at the earliest practicable
day, as a cause of decentralization. Such
laws should not be retained an hour be-
yond the tine required for their removal
or for which the necessities of the govern
ment imperativey demand their mainten-
ance. now ask the clerk to do me the
favor, in the further consideration of this
branch of the subject, to read a petition
from the Cigar-Maker's Union of my dis
trict. -.-..-.
The clerk read as follows:
TO The honorable Senate and House Of Representa-
tioes Of the United States in Congress assembled:
GENTLEMEN Your petitioners are cigar makers
who feel aggreyed by the present in ternal reven-
ne law relating to the manufacture of cigars;
more especially by section eightytw of the law
of 1865, Imposing taxes on distilled spirits, to-
bacco, &c. 1t is the prayer of your petitioners to
have the whole of section eighty-two abolished,
or so amended as to make it less onerous. In its
present form it bears very hard on the small
A., osra
The former find the greatest difficulty in procur
ing bonds such the law demands, and COM
plying with the other requirements of the law,
and a great number of them are in this way de-
barred from practcing their legitimate business
as independent men. This law relating to giving
bond seems to be superfluous. OF the many
millions of cigars manufactured by the many
manufacturers in this country last year, we have
not heard of single instance where the govern
ment had to call on the bondsman to satisfy its
demands for taxes.
The license or special tax upon manufacturers
of cigars has also been levied very unjustly. A
manufacturer who employs one or two hundred
pays a special tax of ten dollars. The
practical cigar-maler who is out of employment
with the manufacturer during dull season, and
has family depending upon him. Is compelled
to do something to support that family He
may be man of delicate health, or perhaps a
man manned in his country's service. What is
he to do if he wishes TO make cigars He is
compelled TO pay special tax of ten dollars
also, and besides give bond with two bondsmen
in the sum of 5000 for he cannot buy single
pound of tobacco without proving that he has
authority from the assessor to manufacture ci-
gars and then he cannot offer his cigars for sale
without first paying all the tax the government
demands upon them. Are there not safeguards
Make the penalty for violation as severe as it
can be made. We do not complain at just laws
or just taxation We are willing to cheerfully
pay our proportion of the taxes All we ask is
the privileges enjoyed by other branches of in
dustry in this free and happy land.
Mr.. Kelley-Mr. chairman, cigar-mak-
ing is branch of business id which many
women engage. 1t is work of the hands.
Many of the widows--of our soldiers are
employed in it. And employing the hands
only the soldier who has lost his lower
limbs, and is thereby deprived of the pow
er to pursue the more active calling to
which he may have been reared, may in a
little while learn to make cigars, and in
my city many of them have done so.
will read an extract from a letter of Mr..
Ingham w. Bisbing, a journeyman cigar.
maker and the president of the union
whose memorial has just been read, who
in a letter addressed to me on the goth
ultimo, thus expresses his views of the
system of free trade which the majority o.
the Committee of Ways and Means pro-
pose to perpetuate:
81 cannot understand why cigar-makers
are singled out to bear the letters Of unjust
restrictions as much as are imposed by the
present internal revenue laws. Some
undertake to defend the system on The
ground that we are engaged in the manu-
lacture of luxures. Admitting this, thel
we can say the same of many other trades
yet they are not hampered by like restric
tons. If they have limited capital, anc
wish to get into business for themselves
they can invest the whole Of their capital il
stock while, on the other hand, if cigar
maker has 500 and wishes to engage il
making cigars, before he can do so he mus
take from that amount twenty-five or thirt,
dollars, and so far as receiving any return
from it, virtually throw it into the street
1t is this advantage the law gives the CAPT
talist over the poor man of which we com
plain.o l.Hg1 .ssaHEal .sH
The man who means to make few ci
CARS for sale, the poor widow who woul
employ herself and her orphan chill
dren in making cigars to sell fror
the front window of her humbl
home, must pay the same licens
as the man who makes and sells cigars b.
the million per month, and she and eac
child must seek the assessor, howeve
distant his office may be, and registe
themselves as cigar-inakers before they ca
~