Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-02-10
BABy ECONOMISTS.

BABl ECONOUISIlS
In December last the Secretary of
the Treasury stated that from the
way the government machine was run
ming, the fiscal year would show dc .
ilciency of from eighteen to twop ~
millions of dollars.
lie is now before Congress with n
tax bill, saying that the deficiency will
reach forty millions of dollars, and in
order to cover this, the tariff on tea
and coffee must be restored
the cohc and tea "ring" had taken Off
for their own benefit fow years ago,
and the members of Congress with
whom they dividcd-now this same
ring has its store houses full, pur-
chased since the repeal and they want
il restored. This "ring" made one
hundred millions of dollars by the re-
peal and II proposes To make twice
that sum by having the tariff restored.
Their store houses are full, and Just as
soonNas Congress passes the bill in
question they will charge up the
amount and pocket the profits, while
the government will receive but very
little revenue for at least two years.
In the meantime the cofFc and tea
drinkers will be compelled to pay The
tariff imposed
1t is considered very mean .trick
for one individual to collect dues indi-
rcctly from another; yet this is the
policy of the government under its
Infamous tdrif system. Our govern
ment agents are "hard up" They
need money but they are not manly
enough to assess and collect u direct
tax, imposing n burthen equally upon
all the people. Hence they propose
the shysterng plan of putting tariff
on tea and coffee which must all be
paid by the consumer, while the job
ber and speculator in those prime drti-
cleS never contributes one cent, toward
the revenues of the government The
Philadelphia Press in alluding to this
question, gets off the following stupid
ideas.
! Knowing that taxation Is inevitable, the eOun.
try will be chiefly interested in the articles upon
which II Is TO be placed, and II will not be pleased
with the only two which the Secretary positively
indicates, via; tea and coffee. The tariff on
these articles Of prime necessity was the most
unpopular imposition, with the single exception
Of the income tax ever levied In this country -
But apart from this feeling. it is very doubtful
that II roimposed it will achieve the object the
Secretary has in view, while Il will certainly re.
suit n Increasing the cost Of articles Of universal
consumption, and make them in thousands OF
cases luzurics where they are now neccssaries.
There would be just as much com
mon sense in saying that whisky and
tobacco are articles Of primo necessity,
! II Al -. - 4 III -. l. 4..1 IL
anu lney 100 snouiu iiot po l"Acu' IL
tea, coffee, whisky and tobacco are not
luxulies, what articles are ? Take
your Internal tariff off tho boots and
shoes, hats and caps, clothing and pro
visions, worn and consumed by the
poor-in fact every body-and then
you will "hit the nail on the head
These, we say, are the 'prime ncccss-
ties and should be untaxed tariff
the luxuries. If the tea, coffee and
whisky drinkers, and tobacco chewers
and smokers are not patriotic enough
to support the government in this way,
let them quit using these Injuries, and
they will enjoy just as good health as
they do now at least our grandiath-
ers did The editor of the Press con-
tinues;
The suggestion Of the Secretary 70 n bis last re- re-
cents cents per per gaIlon,was sound one,and ought to E
adopted Ss the a. o ,1s sn
than the remodcllins of the entire internal ieve-
nune system.