The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-10

"WEDNESDAY -. 49,. JULY 10. 1878.
The Mofett- Register Law.
r. he receives the nomination OF the Con.
servative party for Congress Judge CLopToS
viii of course have our cordial support,
without regard to his opinions on questions
OF policy that belong exclusively to the State
Legislature. His opinions on these ques-
tons do not affect his fitness for the place
witch he honorably seeks. We include his
name amongst those OF our personal as well
ms political friends. and We do not wish
what we shalt say in this article to be un-
derstood as even intimating that he would
not make worthy representative OF this
congressional district. AS, however, in his
speech at Henrico courthouse, on Monday
last, he incidentally referred to the MoFFETT-
register law, and expressed the opinion t=st
the doubling of the iicenss-tax would have
been more acceptable to the liquor-dealers
than the existing law, and would have pro-
! duced as much revenue, we will take the
liberty OF SAYING that in respect OF this sub
iect we think Judge CLoPToN did not
exhibit any mora "practical, utiIttarian
craftsmanship" whatever this is, than RAN.
TUCKER did at the late session OF Congress
in his efforts to reduce the tax on tobacco
and modify the revenue.
First let US remind all aspirants that out
side OF the cities, and especially amongst all
IL, tIo,> xIo lna1n . he
MorFErr-register law is perhaps the most
popular one that was ever discussed before
the voters Of Virginia. The law was passed
at the session OF the Legislature OF 1907,
and was on trial for months before the Le-
gsla,ure OF 1S77-'S adjourned, and yet
there was not found in either branch Of this
latter body single committee, nor, we
think, a single member, that had the temer-
ity to propose to repeal it. The voters
who sustain it are the quiet, law-lov-
ing, undemonstratiye men against whose
notions, or preiudees il you prefer the
word, it is dangerous for politicians to run.
- The opinion has been frequently ex-
pressed that doubling OF the llcense-taN
would result in as much revenue as the
MorFErT-reg>ter law brings in, because
that tax now produces onc-half that amount
: OF revenue. This is an unphilosophlcal
conclusion; so much SO that when we pub
lished q communication few weeks ago
containing the same assertion we. did not
even take the trouble to cOntrovert it. On
the contrary, il there are, only fifteen hum
dred dealers in Virginia who take out
licenses at Qet us suppose) a hundred dol
lars each, and the license-taX were raised TO
two hundred dollars each, the Inevitable
result would be that not more than half as
many dealers would take out licenses ut all.
The Congress of the United States took this
unwise theory into its head some years
ago, and concluded that as q tax OF one dol
lar per gallon on whiskey produced SAY
fifty millions CT revenue, 4 tax or two dol
lars would produce u hundred millions;
but the result was Just the other way. The
revenue was diminished. Congress then
reduced the tax to less than dollar, anu
the new law brings in great deal more
revenue than the two-dollar law did. So, it
would inevitably be II the IicenSe-taN OF the
liquor-dealers were doubled. The wcll-to-
do dealers. would pay it and monopoliZe
the business. The small dealers would ne
cessarily be compelled to shut up. 1t is
not for q moment to be supposed
that these latter could pay all at once the
very same sum which now they may pay in
twelve instalments. For the sum which the
dealers would be compelled to pay for their
licenses would be identically the same sum
which they now deem an oppressive tax,
though they are allowed whole year to pay
1t in. This might be a good law for two or
three hundred dealers in the State, but there
are many hundreds of them that would OBJ
iect to it.
We are not at all certain that the State
would not derive more revenue than it does
from the MeFFETT-regiS tax il the tax
were only one cent drink. It may be that
the present tax is prohibtory to certain
extent. This is a question for the Legisla-
ture to consider, and one upon which the
dealers should next winter be able to throw
good deal Of light. We would by no
means impose any unjust or oppressive tax
upon them. But they must have good ar
gumcnts to offer to the Legislature il they
wish the tax reduced. AS to abolisninS it,
this Is out OF the question. they would
only damage their own cause by attempting
so impossible an achievement. TO tell prac-
tical men that to double the license-taX
could be to double the revenue would
only excite their nirtb. II the revenue
oculd be doubled according to that simp lie
rule. the merchants other than liquor.mer-
chants could easily be made to pay $780,
600 annually in addition to the $4,000
which they now pay. But such theories
work backwards. They can never be put
into practice.
The Convention.
The gentlemen having authority to do SO
have called convention for this congress.
sional district. to be held in this city on the