The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-12
Tax on Tea and Coffee,

From tie Chicago Tribune.
There is no greater fraud than the seuti-
mental cry Of "a free breakfast" which
cowardly politicians, windy demagogues,
and interested protectioDists indulge when
eyer it is proposed to put a tax on tea and
coffee. They hold it to be enormous OPP
preston to tax tea and coffee, which they
insist is an invasion Of the sanctity of "a
free breakfast" What peculiar sanctity
there is in a free breakfast which does not
equally pertain to a free dinner and free
supper we do not know. The three mesls
are equally important, equally general in
all families; aud there is no more reason
why the hand of the tax gatherer should
not extend to one as well as to the other.
Such a thing as free breakfast is IN
known in this country, and perhaps un-
known to any other country. The nearest
approach to it is England, where the only
thing pertaining to the breakfast table that
is taxed is the tea and coffee, The British
tax gatherer, in his search for revenue,
finds nothing in the kitchen where the
breakfast is prepared, or in the dining
room where it is served, or on the table to
which the family sit down to eat breakfast,
tr3m which t. collect tax, except the two
articles, tea and coffee. All else is free.
In this country the case is different
Beginning in the. kitchen, the stove is
taxed; the coal-hod with which the fire
is replenished is taxed; the boiler in which
the coffee is boiled, if of tin, is taxed,
and it of part tin and part copper, is
taxed doubly. The tea pot, whether
of simple earthenware or of more
pretentious britannia or plated nickel,
is taxed heavily. In like manner the
coffee pot has to pay its share Of the ma
tional burden. The coffee and the tea
cups, which are somewhat indispensable in
The use of tea and coffee, are taxed, and
this tax cannot be evaded by the use Of
tin cups or glass mugs, for these are also
taxed. The spoons, whether Of iron OF
plated ware, are taxed. The plates and
dishes on the table, the salt, and the eel
lar. and the spoon, are taxed. The table
cover, the knives and forks, and the glass
ware. all are taxed. The carpet on the
floor, the stove in the room. the window
blinds, the glass in the windows, the table
itself, if painted or oiled, or has casters,
are taxed. The vanished or painted
chairs pay tax. But the most essential
article of all in breakfast where tea and
coffee are used is sugar or strip. Every
pound OF sugar put upon the table has
paid tax OF from so to 70 per cent in
gold. Any person who buys one dollar
worth OF sugar at time, when he reflects
that one-half the cost of that sugar is tax
can then estimate how free" is the break
fast to which he sits down. The total tax
collected on sugar and molasses every year
IN the United States is not less than $40
100000. A small portion of this is protec-
tive and the rest is collected as revenue
The talk of "a free breakfast" with sugar
taxed from so to 70 per cent, is one oil
those absurdities which mark the demago
que or the ignoramus. In England there
is no tax on sugar, nor is there any tax or
any article pertaining to the breakfast or
dinner table, except tea and coffee. Oul
breakfast table pays tax ON everything
except tea and coffee
The tax on tea and coffee is the most
desirable OF all taxes, because it produces
more revenue in proportion to the tax, and
because 1T does not increase the cost of the
articles to the consumers. We repealed
the tax three years ago under combina-
ton OF Ignorance and cowardice On the
part OF majority OF congress. We lost
the revenue and did not reduce taxation
The secretary OF the treasury has officially
informed congress that as soon as we re.
pealed the duty on tea and coffee the
prices of those articles were advanced al
the place of growth by local and other
charges.
The difference between the operations
OF a tax on tea and coffee and tax or
other imports, so far as revenue and taxa
ton are concerned, is so striking that any
one can see it at glance. In 1871 we i'm
ported tea which produced So, 323, OO(
revenue, and coffee which produced SO.
100000, and cotton manufactures which
produced $40, 1885, 00 There were also
produced and sold in the United State,
cotton goods to the amount of $l65, 900,
600. These figures show the following
comparative results: