National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-18
TIE REYENUE AND TAX ELL.

1t seems that some OF our national legis-
latOrs are terribly prone to forget the fun
damental principles of the Government of
this country when they are called upon to
enact laws for the benefit of the whole
people. Is it possible that they can con-
ceive it to be of paramount importance for
them to secure the fancied interests of an
influential interest in their particular Sec
tiOns or districts in preference to the COM
mon welfare of the whole country
Judged by the recent discussions in both
Houses of Congress, many OF the members
are unable to comprehend that this is
government of the people, designed to &C
complish the greatest good to the greatest
number. If the majority of the people
wish an increase of taxation, in order to
raise the necessary revenue to preserve the
honor of the country intact, is it proper for
those Representatives whose constituents
are large manufacturers of certain articles
of general consumption to insist that the
people who consume such articles shall not
have the privilege of paying their in
creased taxes in the shape of higher
price for those articles? Is this a
question of any real interest to
the manufacturer or importer, except
as they may be able to speculate upon the
time when the tax shall commence? Not
the slightest. They only advance the
tax to the Government and charge the con.
sumner with an additional round profit or
commission for their risk and trouble.
Statesmen should be above such pettifog-
ging arguments as were advanced in the
House yesterday upon the question. Real
statesmen are above it.
The theory of our Government is that
the people not only govern themselves,
but pay the taxes to support the expenses
incidental to such government But no
sooner does Congress propose tax bill
than dozen or more of class interests pro-
test and insist that to levy such a tax would
be an unjust imposition upon them. As
well might a river protest against freshet.
The river does not cause freshet. 1t has
nothing to say about it. 1t is the snow and
rain clouds, the hot sun and the mountain
riverlets which make the flood of waters in
Tic SLSdL oISdu1sJ duu IL budL SLT6dIn mas
not sufficient capacity to carry the food to
the ocean, the accumulated waters seek
other outlets.
1t is argued that the distillers cannot raise
the money to advance the proposed addi-
tional thirty cents gallon which the peo-
pie say they will pay for whisky in orderto
replenish the Treasury. Why notH The
limit has been taken from bank issues at
the demand of the West. Money is seeking
investment at lower rates than for many
years. This demand will stimulate the
organization of the much-needed additional
banks that we have heard so much about,
and which we were assured would spring
up everywhere in the West and South if
banking were made free.
There should be no complaint of unfair
ness in the composition of the bill. Tea
and coffee, we think, should be slightly
taxed in it also. Tea, coffee, sugar, mo.
hsses, tobacco and spirits are the staple
articles of most general and common use
among all classes of our citizens. A slight
tax on these and the renewal of the ten per
cent. horizontal tax, with the addition of