Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-09-07

Hsb,ts Of public and private extravss
gance contracted under the imitation Of
values that ensued upon the war stlll
exist among the people, and have been
followed by their representatives in the
administration Of the affairs Of the Gov
eminent.
The high rates ofinterest upon money
also brought about BY the wretched mon-
etary system nov prevailing in the land
has contributed much toward the gene
raj Distress. but these altogether make
up but part Of the sum Of our evils,
and much the greater portion ! am sure
depends upon the operation Of our pres
ent revenue lsWs snd their unjust dis-
elimination against the interests Of the
poor.
The present taxes imposed upon the
home productions OF our country under
the internal-revenue laws, and the du-
ties imposed upon certain articles oi
import, contribute, in my opinion, more
than all other causes to impoverish the
people of the country and hinder their
prosperity.
The many are taxed tor the benefit oI
the few and the burden falls most hea-
Willy upon those least able to bear it.
would not propose nor advocate a
sudden and entire abandonment of the
system by which the revenues of the
country are now supplied.
This, am free to admit, might lead
to embarrassment, and impair the cred
il of the nation.
Our needful current expenses should
be promptly met and the interest of our
public debt must be paid in order that
national honor may be maintained both
at home and abroad; but the principles
upon which our present revenue laws
are based are, in my opinion, theoreti-
cally and practically erroneous, unjust,
and oppressive, and so soon as practica-
BILE they should be abandoned and a
more equitable system enacted in their
stead.
say that the principle upon which
the present system is based is unjust
and oppressive because in its practical
Pnperation the taxes imposed by the Gen
eral Government are personal taxes, and
not taxation upon the capital or proper
ty Of the country.
The taxes or duties imposed by the
internal-revenue laws are taxes or du-
ties laid upon articles consumed or used
by our citizens, have no reference to
the ability of the parties to pay them,
and, for the most part, are imposed upon
articles which are Of universal use and
required alike by the poor and rich.
There is good old maxim incorpo-
rated into the organic law of. Maryland
which expresses the true and only prin-
ciple upon which every system Of tax.
alton should be based, and that is, that
" every individual should contribute to
the support of the Government in pro-
portion to his worth in real and person.
al property" This is the principle OBJ
served almost universally by our State
and municipal governments in levying
contributions for their support. But il
is VIGOROUSLY true that the General
Gov lEhment observes no such rule, and
the imposition of its taxes bears no pro-
portion to the ability of the party to pay,
and this brings me to the demonstration
OF my assertion and the citation of the
proofs OF the correctness Of my position.
The current ordinary expenses ofthe
General Government for the year end
ing June 30, 1875, including interest on
the public debt and contribution to the
sinking fund, amounted to S274, ,623,-
392.S4.
The means TO defray this immense
expenditure were derived chiefly from
internal-revenue taxes and duties on i'm
ports.
More than $40, 500, 900 was real
lied from internal-revenue taxes, and
over Sl57,OO0, 900 from duties on inn
ports.
These two items Of taxation, with the
gold premium upon imports added, make
a sum equal to all the ordinary expen-
ses of the Government, except only
about three and half millions Of dol
lars.
Now, ask, who pay these large sums
Of money annuallyi And are the ex-
penses of the nation, as embraced in
these sources Of revenue, paid by her
citizens in proportion to their ability to
pay' The people want to know who
pays the bills of the Government. They
have right to know the whole truth.
and if it shall appear that the taxes pro-
posed are unjust and oppressive, they
have right to a speedy remedy.
The internal revenue for the year
ending June 80, 1878, as already stated,
amounted to S110,545, 1923. OF this
amount sos, ,529, ,457.41 was derived
from taxes upon distilled spirits, fer
mented liquors, and tobacco, and only
S12.0l5 ,696.S2 from all other sources.
That is, near nine-tenths Of all the in
ternal-revcnue is realized from the tax
imposed upon distilled spirits, fermen-
ted liquors, and tobacco, and claim
that at least nine-tenths OF tins amount
has been taken from the pockets of the
laboring people OF the country. In 9TH
er words, that Of the one hundred and
ten and half-millions of dollars thus
annually paid into the Treasury, about
ninety millions are paid by a class OF
our citizens at once the least able to pay
and the most sorely oppressed by the
evils that now beset US.
have not been able either from the
Bureau of Statistics or elsewhere to OBJ
tain reliable information as to the reia-
tive numbers OF rich and poor in the
land, but from the best information "a
be had, and from a careful study Of the
subject. | am convinced that ut least
nine-tenths of our entire population are
dependent upon daily labor for sup
port, and until convinced that I am in
error ] shall assume this proportion 10