The daily gazette., 1878-03-29
Why Not Let Rum Paw its
Own Wnv

There are now on record in the Dis
trict Attorneys office more than one
hundred indictments and about five
thousand complaints aginst rumsellers.
Excluding cases which may hereafter
arise II the Legislature adjourns without
passing on Excise law, it will cost the
taxpayers fully $3,0O0,O00 to prosecute
The liquor dealers under the old law OF
1857. These 5,lO0 cases must all be
tried la the Court of General Sessions.
The three trials already concluded have
cost 81, 800. The remaining indic,-
ments, at the same rate, will involve
further expense of $50,v00, and II the
5,OOO complaints now Oh file are forced
upon the attention Of the Grand Jury
the totals cost TO the people, including
the expenses preliminary to trial, cannot
fall short Of S3,0O0,0 The Court Of
6eneral Sessions could do nothing for
years to come except try liquor sellers,
and the Grand Jury room. as we'll as the
| District Attorneys office, would be hope
lessly choked up with sucn oases, to the
exclusion of all other business.
| But this vast expense to the people
would be incurred merely to clear up the
docket as 1t now stands. AS long AZ the
law OF 1857 remains i'll force, and the
agents Of The temperance societies con-
tinue active, cases will continue 10 ac-
cumulate. Another season of arrests
and indictments would double the noun
tain, and SO on, till the prospect becomes
he wilderiDg TO contemplate.
Which is the wiser plan, TO tax pro-
perty S3,OO0,OO0 year in an attempt to
mi ioI,
license, or 10 tax the rum itself from
S6,UOO,OOO TO $l2, 900 for the privi-
lege OF being sold, anu thus tighten to
that extent The burden now on the tax
payers shoulders ?
Figures furnished by the President OF
the Wine and Liquor Trades Society
indicate the sale OF l,200,O00.000 glass
es OF liquor in this city in one year. Say
that OO,OO0,000 of these are malt drinks
and 3OO,000,UU0 alcoholic. Under the
Excise law now in force iu Virginia, the
city would derive an annual revenue oi
more than $l2 100000, all clear gain,
and all out, OF the pockets of the bibu-
ious classes. But if alcoholic drinks were
taxed only one cent each, instead of two
and half cents, and malt drinks one
quarter OF a cent instead Of hall a cent,
The returns would still reach the sum OF
S5,25O,OO0. Add moderate estimate OF
the revenue FROM specific licenses, and
the aggregate would be- about $6,OO0,0 900
a year.
BY the adoption of DR.. MoFFETT's
system of taxing the rum itself instead of
the seller, the taxpayers of New York
would, therefore, be about ten million
dollars year better oil than they are at
present. The system would in mea-
sure discourage tlppling. for 1t makes the
uppling more expensive. 1t injuries nc
business interests. 1t puts all lransac-
tions over the bar counter on strictly
cash basis. 1t leaves little or no room
for frauds OH the revenue. 1t compels
men who drink up to the limit of their
financial ability, either to drink less at a
time or less often. 1t does its own po-
lice work and at no expense TO the peo-
pie.
What DO DR.. CROSBY and other ear
nest temperance workers think of the
bell register as temperance advocate
And what do the taxpaying people think
OF 1t as a measure of economy?