The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-07
olla patrll,
. a as, . /. ,EBRUARY 1878.
me Motfett Register.

Y. freely ENFORCED as TO protect liquor
s i ysho are honest from the competition
81 those who are dishonest. There are IN
every town, city, and county, many dealers
Who not only could not II they woala, oa a
would not il they could, deiraua sne e.a.s
81 dollar o. the revenue Justly que aeI.
Their standing In the community y suIn
that they cannot afford TO do 50, ana sne'1
character II such that they do not deslfe 70
do so. ON tue other hand there are dealers
who are not by any means 50 scrupusous,
and who would not hesitate TO cheaI :. sne
state whenever opportunity offered. lne
LAW radss throw its protection over .he lot
nier ciass md hold up its terrors Deiofe .he
latter cIass, It must be amended as eA-
periencc Of Its operations may indicate 50
as 20 assist persons Of the one class IN 'neir
honest efforts, aud balk those OF the otner
II, their dishonest schemes.
Fortunately The Legislature need not TAKE
action in the dark. "Figures cannot lie 4 !;
and f;s1,res will tell truths which viii en-
able that body to provide 10 CERTAIN eA
ton, aea,nst the tricks Of dishonest liquor
dealers, and at the same time put io.es
into the pockets of the honest ones. s. roi
instance, in Richmond house 10 Whlcn ~
reen : saloon rents for say $500. Many
rant for more; but let that be the average
Then tho bartender must be paid some
tbing-say $50 per month, or 5000 per an
mum. There are other expenses ina. hius'
be met: but these will suffice Tor li.ust ~
ton. II is plain from these figures that 'ne
dea,er must sell over seven dollars worth
OF drinks every day in order to clear tniee
dollars per day after paying for his Incense
and his liquors, and the tax upon afihhs'
In this calculation we have allowed nothins
Tor nro.;,. He must take in over seven
dollars day in order to pay the expenses
NJ his establishment. II, then, he gcts Ill
teen cents a drink, be must sell at least 1ofty
drinks day to clear himself ana eisu'
more to pay thetax. And forty-elght arl ll
q day would pay the State over one aoiiaf PEI
diem. Is it not evident, then, that the Le-
rislature might safely establish minimum
return. and refuse to license any dealer VINO
returued less than this minimum! Inc
number OF dealers might thus be reduced
hut this fact would only throw the "noie
business into the hands OF the hohest aea'
crs, thus benefiting both them ana lhe Conl
monweaitb. A saloon that does not 'HiA
forty drinks per diem, especially III Town
of any size, is not convenience TO Tue pup
lie. and would not be missed II closeo os
the Judge or the commissioner OF the feve'
nue rbc minimum would have 10 DE
smaller in some places than in Others ana
perhaps smaller forpcrSons keeping resu''t
groceries in addition to their bars than LOT
persons who had only bar-rooms.
Such an amendment would touch only
persons who purchase by the drink. An
other amendment is needed ID older 10
reach persons who buy five gallons or more
at once. At present, though more aDie
than any other class to assist in paying the
State debt, and though many OF them are
loud in their denunciations OF the so-cai!eo
nrepudiatdrs,'' these persons pay not
dime of tax upon the liquors which they
consume. One of the amendments alluded
to in our local columns yesterday is intend
ed to compel these patriotic gentlemen 10
contribute OF their abundance to the wants
of the State. 1t is the one which proposes
to require wholesale dealers to pay upon all
sales to consumers residing in Virginia the
same tax per gallon as the retail dealer now
pays. AS they will not be required to
pay any tax upon the liquors sold to
retail dealers, there will be no double tax,
and thus far the amendment may prove to
be oil that is necessary, especially ii it is SO
drawn as not to be easily eyaded. For in
stance, it would prove to be worthless II 1t
permitted the retail dealer TO buy for his
customers, OF for his friends, without pay
ing the tax. But it is defective in not pro-
tecting the wholesale dealer against compe-
tition beyond the limits OF the Common
wealth. There are, many men in AleXan-
dria, Danville, and other places on the bor-
der, and In Richmond, too, no doubt, who
could and would buy their liquors in other
States. How shall this sort OF evasion be
prevented? It is easier to see the defect than
to suggest the remedy. Perhaps it would
be necessary to require such men to report
to the commissioner yearly how much
liquor they have SO purchased, and tax it as
bonds, stocks, income, &C., are now taxed.
Such men are OF the very class that would
make honest returns. The objection that
such q law would be too inquisitorial can
hardly be urged by a State which annually
asks the same men the total amount OF their
incomes what was the largest amount OF
money they had on hand at one time during
the preceding year; how many bonds they
hold, and which OF them are solvent; and
compels them to let the commissioner know
who owes these bonds that he may Judge as
to their cash value; how many clocks,
watches, pianos, &C., they own; how much
furniture and how valueless it Is. &C., &c.
It would be absurd to say that all these
questions can with propriety be asked, and
yet claim that it would be prying into
q mans private affairs to ask him how
many gallons OF liquor he bought outside
OF the State last year. But all objections OF
this sort, ii urged, can at once be answered
by the reply that If such were the law no
man would have any inducement to pur-
chase his liquors in other States, and so
each person could truthfully answer that
be had bought none outside of Virginia.
Experience will doubtless suggest many
upon the existing law. We
throw out these remarks Us mere hints.
fCha hop$ 10 10 rot 70 F,o n1,olyod fros,,