Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-06-13
.slsI aoa
'seIe>s xeL pBo-II!eH

1
does come the reflection that while others
enjoy the protecting smile of the Govern
nent he is punished with the weight of its
frown. Add, then, the fact that It is en-
forced BIZ agencies expensive, unusual and
eorIup;ing, and you. viii eoncG- with me
that lis repeal is demanded alike By justics
and sound policy.
But, sir, if the magnitude 81 your 6ebt
and the necessary eost of the admins
tration Of the Go eminent will nos eiist5le
you 10 dispense with this pslious tax, then
have respectfully 10 insist that yo.i re-
lieve it of lis oppressive and gexafious fea-
lures. In its collection proceed upon the9
idea Of honesty among the people. and fol-
low regulations and agencies TO which they
have been accustomed. Do away With
spies, informsrs aud detectives. and lie
support these agencies deriTe from
force. Adopt the license SYSTEM entirely.
and let each person. engaged n The trade
report the amount either Of sales, or of ear,-%
ital employed, and grade your tax upon
that. Following this idea, which / have
not either time or oppOrtUnity.t0 elaboriae
you can dispense with an army Of otfice-
holders; you viii cheaper The cost Of coli
lection and make the payment easier and
more acceptable in manner to the tax
payer.
The tax required Of the producer, though
| he should not engage in trade or be an ac-t
/ tIlal dealer, and the requirement that ne
/ should sell alone TO licensed dealer. in it'd
/ enforcement amounts 10 gross outrage
A very large numbe- Of persons who "a Sc
tobacco. less than $1e0 in value, are cut on
| from payment OF rent in kind. the adjust
ment of their accounts for family supplies.
| and exchange for the necessaries Of life. be-
cause they live remote from licensed DEAL.
ers to whom alone they can barter or sell.t
Were l to recite the details Of the enfhrce--
ment of the penalties for violation Of thez
laws in this respect, its cruelty and harsl-
ship would account for the disfaVor xitlsI
which the peope, especially the poor, re
gard this law and the earnestness with:
which they demand its repeal. VIII the
Committee on Ways and Means give their|
attention to this complaint? 1t can be
remedied without materially affecting the|
revenue. In fact, the revenue may be in
creased by reducing the amount of licensed
tax required Of the retail dealer.
The small retail dealers in tobacco are
under operation Of the existing law, driyeri|
from the trade, and the use OF tobacco ID
becoming the luxury Of Ike rich. Indeed,
in this and other respects, the tobacco tax
seems tJhave been framed with the view|
of favoring the large dealers and in the in.
terest Of manufacturers ~ the expense OF
the producer.
It is especially in this connection that L
would commend to the Consideration Of the
committee the wisdom Of The rule Of taxa
I L. l. =.
be levied at the time and IN the manner id
which it is most likely % b. convenient for
the contributor to pay it, II, then. re-
peat, the condition of the finances will noc
admit total repeal of this law, and the.
supply of any deficiency likely to arise
from such repeal from the sources have
named, modify your internal revenue laws
in the interest of revenue and not in the
interest of classes; popularize the methods
and manner Of its enforcement, cbeaperl
the cost Of its collection, and you will b
enabled to receive more IN amount at less
rates than you now impose.
When you come to regard the immense
amount Of taxation paid annually by tbs
people of the United States for the support
of their national, State, and local govern
ment. amounting in rOund numbers to
S1O0,OCO,OO per annum, and to realize the
truth Of the axiom in pCiitical economy
that taxation is the abstraction Of the eapi-
tai of the country, and that every interest
in the country is being Frustrated in this
abstraction of capital, it seems most strange
that the Committee on Ways and Means
should hesitate in recommending lire Of
policy which would relieve the Industries
and labor of the country fun the weight
and burdens Of protection ard class legisla-
tiOn, and under which these industries and
this labor are eoerced into the payment Of
millions TO foster and enrich the favored
few.
No substantial relief can come to the
country until these weights and burdens
are removed. The labor and industry Of
the people demand emancipation from
these expressions. They demand freedom
and equality. This can only be had by
adopting a strictly revenue policy. Do
this, and relieve them from. the thraIldom
under which they labor, growing out Of
your currency laws. and yOa viii have
solved the problem Of cheap transportation
And again, upward and onward will be
the progress Of American commerce. Amer
lean industry and American institutions.
I