Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-21
HOW TIRGLNIA'S MONEY rs
TAKEN AWAY BY THE UNITED
NTATEN

AeI, NY Gu0 u. O.OOV0rlm0nC, Oh SeU6ft WttC-
lions Of dollars every year for Federal tax
es. 1t is a very weak spot in the Repub-
lican works, and the sVirginian" of last
Weekspent over two columns..in an abortive
attempt to repair damages. The fact that
Virginia could pay her interest with per-
feet ease, and soon resume her prosperity,
but for the fearful burden of Federal taxa
ton, is not palatable to party that is just
about coming before her people with pro-
posal that they shall vote to continue it
in the control of the Government for anoth-
er four years. The position Of the "Vir-
gilman as well as we can gather it from a
confused mass of illogical absudities gar
nished with a profusion of adiectives is
that; 1, Virginia does not have to pay the
tax OIL whiskey and tobacco, it being collec-
ted off other States who buy it from Vir-
ginia; 2, that those in Virginia who do pay
it ought to suffer for using those ''luxu-
ries'' and 3, that the high tax is necessary
to pay the interest on the debt and carry
on the Government. Our.contemporary' IS
position is especially noteworthy, as being
that of the Republican party, and having
very recently received the sanction of
President Grant, who, in his message, pro-
poses tax on those luxuries of coffee and
tea which will take $4,000, 00Omore out of
the pockets of the burdened people of the
United States. and Of which Virginia will
have to bear her additional share of suffer
Tn rf Of ifC fret bo
'Virginian" makes this statement
AS full answer to all the nonsense the
VINDICATOR has strained itself to get off
on this subject, we will state that the sales
OF one of the Staunton whiskey manufac-
turers last year in the Southern States,
amounted to about $4,000 a month. OF
turer paid the tax primarily, but he collec-
ted it again off the parties he traded with
In distant States, and the VIII olesale dealer
there OF the retailer, and the retailer off
the dram drinker, and he possibly off the
hearts of his wife and children. BY this
process was the 81 600 900 of internal rev.
enue collected in Virginia on whiskey and
tobacco. 1t was paid in here from other
States and transferred to the officers of
the government, after the manufacturers
retained enough to make themselves rich.
1t will surprise, or perhaps it will not
surprise the public to know that this state
ment, given with such show Of figures
and accuracy is without truth. We
have gone to the trouble of ascertain
ing the facts from the manufacturers
themselves. and find that so far from the
sales of any one Staunton manufacturer to
the Southern States reaching $4,000, and
the tax FOL. that amount being paid there,
all the sales Of all tie Augusta distillers in
the South don't amount to one-half Of that.
The firm of j. BUMGARDNER Il Son, which
sells more outside of the State than all the
other distillers in Augusta put together,
only sells $4,000 worth annually beyond
the limits of Virginia. FULCHER's distil-
lery. that makes 400 barrels annually, does
not sell ten barrels out of the State. There
is no market of any magnitude outside of
Virginia for Augusta whiskey. These are
facts derived from gentlemen in the bust
ness. The product Of the stills is sold in
Virginia, and Virginia pays the tax. There
are made in Augusta county every year. in
round numbers, about $3.50 barrels of
whiskey, or about 10000 gallons, on which
Augusta county sends to the U. S. Govern
ment at Washington, at the present tax of
80 cents per gallon, $4,000 Of tax, being
$45, 900 more than she sends to the State
Treasury, at Richmond. Of this tax of
of well-informed manufacturers, fifteen
thousand dollars only comes from the out
side of the State. The rest is paid in Vir-
ginia. by our people. No matter who pays
it, it comes out Of the hard earnings OF the
people Of this State. The "Virginian'
seems to have fallen into the common er-
ror that no matter what tax is placed Oh
whiskey and tobacco, it can be gotten back
by the manufacturers. So it might be if
the law compelled the users to pay a cer-
tain amount as it does the maker W hen
whiskey and tobacco made in Virginia are
put upon the market they Immediately
meet the competition Of cheaper articles
that all other goods do. While the Govern
ment can impose a lax on the maker it
cannot enforce the payment on the consul
mer. When the last tax 30 cents gallon
was imposed, it took $4,000 more out of
Augusta county, as the distillers and other
dealers tell us, for they have not been able
to get the addition to their prices in the
market.
We had hardly supposed that there was
any man so ignorant of the effect of the
tobacco TAX, as to.put on record the state
ment that it was not burdensome to Viz
ginia, or that i. was COLLECTED off other
States,'' and the manufacturers suffer no
loss. Virginia manufacturers have been
for years making one persistent and COR
slant effort to get it ightened. Petitions
have been sent to Congress; associations
have been formed and money spent, to lay
the matter before Congress; large meetings
of unemployed colored factory workmen
have been held in Richmond to urge it,
and yet the tax collector comes around re-
gularly and carries off our money, and the
Republican party mocks at our distress,
and tells us that the tax is paid by other
States.
The second position Of the "Virginian"
is that:
The consumers of tobacco and whiskey
do pay, and ought to pay, not only the
amount now fixed, but a larger per cent,
if it is necessary to relieve honest industry
from the obligations to meet the demands
of the war debt of the nation.
This sort of talk might do in monarchy,
but it won't do in free country where the
people can express their opinion at the bal
lot box. You can't take seven millions of
money away from people every year. and
give them this sort of talk in return.
'sHonest industry" itself takes its drink
and it's chew of tobacco, and its tea and
coffee, even if they are "luxuries.'' 1t is
honest industry that uses the bulk Of these