The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-12-05
THE MoFEETT REGISTER.
How to Raise the Wind and Relieve
the Tax Payers.


the Tax Payers.
Gallatin Examiner: This Is a very
important question about this time.
The people complain of their ina.
bility to pay taxes. Taxes come
out of the owners of lands and those
who pay what is called a privilege
tax. But there is another plan by
which both classes of tax payers
can be surely relieved, and that is
that cunning little continuance call.
ed the Moflett Register or "Bell
Punch" 1t was invented in Vir-
ginia by DIR. Mofieti, and has been
in operation for several years. It's
success there is settled and is real
izing now for that State $500, 900 to
100000 per annum. This is so
stated by the Auditor of that State.
tbs a simple little machine, and
when glass Of liquor, either malt
or alcoholic is sold the seller is re-
quired TO turn a crank, bell rings
and the Indicator records It, Tho
law requires that the bell be sound
ed in the presence OF the buyers.
For every failure TO turn the crank
tile dealer is subjected TO a heavy
fine, one third OF which goes to tho
informer. The sureues of the dealer
are responsible for the fine, aud il
can be collected by summary pro-
cess at once.
People will drink, or at least n
great many will-no matter what
the liquor costs. COnfederates will
remember how drink started at
ten cents a glass and closed in the
neighborhoUd of ten or hundred
dollars. Moralists may agree that
this is all very wrong, but the world
won't be converted to total absti-
hence, and so long as the sun rises
and sets people will have their grog.
We have not at hand sufficient sta
tistics To show the consumption Of
liquors everywhere, on in Tenncss-
see, but we drink about like other
people, and we will give the figures
at several principal points.
The st. Louis City Council esti-
mate the consumption Of beer in
that city at 100000, of which 200,
600 are retailed. At one half cent
a glass each barrel would realize SO,
or 100000 from beer alone. The
sales of alcoholic liquors are esu-
mated at over double this sum, thus
showing a revenue of near $1,000
600 per year.
The Commissioned of Revenue of
North Carolina estimates the liquor
saloons of the State at 1884, aud
their sales at $5,S96, 900, and adding
the Sunday sales, the figures easily
reach $6,O00,000 The Bell Punch
will ring out of this $1,000. 900.
Now Tennessee drinks more liquor
than North Carolina or Virginia.
An examination into the statistics
of all the States will give like re-
suits.
1t is voluntary tar. IL is paid
as ike liquor Is drunk. If a man
don't drink he pays no part OF the
tax. 1t pays as 1t goes. IL breaks
up the credit business. The dealer
can't afford to do otherwise. "Pay
tomorrow" is done away with.
Everywhere that il has been adopt
ed the liquor dealers favor il. IL
relieves them of the high specific
privilege tax, for the tax Is exactly
even with what is sold. It works
even all round.
II will relieve the most Of the tax
payers, for every dollar collected
that way makes their taxes just that
much less. IL Virginia raises $780,
900 this year, Tennessee can do the
same or more. We can raise enough
from the whisky and brandy drink
ers. wine tipplers and from the beer
guzzlers 90 keep the wheel Of Gov
in motion without n Jar.
There will be no noise about IL, ex-
cept the gurgle of the liquor as IL
goes down the throat, and the sharp
ring of the bell as il records the
deed Nobody is hurt except the
drinker, and he likes 10 be hurt, and
you can't keep him from IL with all
the laws that can be passed between
now and Doomsday.
In Virginia the tax is two and a
half cents on each drink of alcohol,
and one half cent upon malt liquors.
For greater Quantities IL ranges
from two and half cents 90 forty
cents for gallon.
We call the attention Of the mem
bers OF the new Legislature 10 this
matter. The only great
question before them Is how 10 got
out of debt Here is n plan as sim
pie, and as constitutional as posi-.
bic. 1t is emphatically "A new way
10 pay old debts"