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

be sufficiently sccurais for the purposes
Of my argument.
The tax levied upon spirits, tobacco
and fermented liquors Is for the most
part uniform. specific tax, and has it-
tie reference to the quality or vslue oi
the article; hence II follows that those
who use equal quantities pay an equal
proportion Of the tax, the aEzcunt Of the
tar being Invariably added to the cost
Of the article and paid BY the consam-
er.
Now these articles are used quite n
generally and - freely by the labosing
classes q BY the rich, and, niae-tenths
our Pop6Istio1s be1ouxtnk % the eforns.
er class, i follows that they pay nine
tenths of all this sax.
Every one knows that the cost Of
these articles il largely increased on ac-
count of the Government tax imposed
upon them. 1t is first imposed by the
internal-revenue officers upon the man.
ufacturer. He adds to il the price of
the goods when he sells to the retailer,
and the retailer more than adds it when
he sells to the consumer, so that the
duty is really and invariably paid by
the consumer Of the article, and the
class that uses the most pays the most.
From the beginning of this species of
taxation in 1862, to June 80, 1875, there
were collected from the tax on spirits
the sum of $4S9, ,763, ,999.14, and from
tobacco, for the same period, the sum
Of $293, ,5S9, 1854, making in all from
these two sources Of revenue the i'm
mense sum of $7S3, 1853, ,425.OS; and
nine-tenths at least of this vast sum, or
more than $700. 600, 900, has been ta-
ken from the hard earnings of the poor
men Of the country; the class of citi-
| zens whom no State government COM
Pels to bear any part Of the public bur-
| dens, and who, from their needy con-
dition, should not be SO taxed by any
government.
For fear of being misunderstood, Mr.
Speaker, / will briefly repeat the points
of my argument. They are these:
First. That about nine-tenths of the
internal-revepue is derived from the
taxes on spirits, fermented liquors and
tobacco.
Second. That these articles are used
as generally and as freely by the poorer
as by the weather. classes.
Third. That these taxes are mostly
specific taxes, assessed on the quantity
without regard to the quality of the ar
ticle; so that every individual pays di-
rectly in proportion to the quantity he
consumes or uses.
Fourth. That the poorer class being
nine times as numerous as the rich, tim
evitably follows that they pay nine times
as much Of all this tax as the rich pay,
and hence have paid into the national
Treasury in the last thirteen years over
$7OO, ,OOO, 900 upon the spirits and to-
bacco they have used.
Fifth. That this species of taxation is
actually personal farafion-taxation by
the head, without any reference what
ever to the ability of the parties to pay.
II is not taxation levied upon property
or capital, and consequently ignores and
violates the fundamental principles upon
which every system OF taxation in free
governments should be founded. 1t
practically and truly makes the muscle
and sweat of the poor man pay nine
times as much toward the support of
the nation as the capital and property
of the country pays.
am well aware, Mr.. Speaker, that
| the views and arguments l am present.
ing are at variance with the established
policy and practice Of our national ad-
ministrations for many years past. The
present is, in my opinion, most crafty
and ingenious scheme Of fnanciering,
inaugurated and enforced by the repub-
lican party to make the poor pay the
bills, while the rich enjoy the benefits
and protection of the Gosernment: and,
sir, until shall be convinced that am
in error shall not hesitate to espouse
a cause which | am now convinced is
the cause of the oppressed and suffering
poor of the land.
They are not here in person to raise
their voice in the councils Of the nation
and demand relief. They cannot quit
the plow, the anvil, and the work bench.
The merchant, the money lender, and the
tax-gatherer must be paid, and they must
toll on week after week and year after
year, through summers heat and win
ter's cold, to feed and clothe their wives
and little ones, but they have delegated
US to look to their interests here and
protect them. They have intrusted
their future fortunes and destiny to our
keeping, trusting, hoping and praying
that relief may yet be found, and ii we
fail to do our duty, day Of reckoning
is not far distant.
The wolf is at the door. To-day a
wall Of woe is heard in every cottage in
the land. and woe be unto the public
servant that turns deaf ear to the cry
II is not my purpose. Mr.. Speaker, to
advocate sudden and entire abolition
of all internal-revenue taxes, but to
call attention to the unjust and UNEQUAL
operation of the present laws, to insist
upon speedy reduction of existing
rates and their entire abolition at the
earliest practicable period by the sub
shtution OF other and more equitable
methods Of raising a revenue.
l know that for many generations this
has been the favorite resort of nations
especially monarchies. to procure the
means Of fdefraying public expenditures.
IL Is the most specious method Of tax
ing the people without the interposition
OF direct-tax-gatherer. and OF exact
ing from them their hard earnings with
out giving receipt specifying the
amount taken.
The direct tax-gatherer is an unwel-
come visitor, and the items Of hi. bin
are closely serutinized, and, for the