The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-02-26

Senator Hereford on the Tobac.
co Tax.
During the debate on Monday III
the U. $. Senate upon the question
Of reducing the tax on tobacco from
"a to l6cents, Senator Hereford made
a strong argument in favor Of the re.
dnction, on the ground that the ex-.
cessiye taxation imposed on a few
articles, which pay the principal
part Of the revenue Of the govern.
ment, operates as a discrimination
against certain sections of The coun-
try, by compelling these localities, as
producers Of these articles, to bear
the chief and unequal part Of the
whole tax debt.
He claimed that this was unjust
and unfair Legislation Of one part Of
this country in favor Of one portion
of it against the other, and as long
as such discrimination exists there
must be unrest agitation and sec
tional enmity For example he
showed that the State of Kentncky
although far behind other States in
wealth and population, paid more
tax into the National Treasury chan
any other State in the Union. Also
that while the property value Of the
six New England States is far in ex-
cess Of the seven Southern States,
the former paid less than one-sixth
of the tax paid by the latter in the
last year.
Going further into the operation
Of these laws, Senator Hereford said:
"What do we find to be the condi-
ton Of affairs as the result of the
present laws upon our statute books2
| think, | believe the people think,
that all property should bear its
equal burdens of taxation. That is
not the result of the present legisla-
ton. How does the matter stand9
Without running over the whole
ground, take time only to go over
a small part Of it. According to the
last census the value of all the prop,
erty in the State of Vermont was
S235,949,559, her population 330,55l,
only paying an internal revenue to
this Government of s44,339.49. The
State of Maine, with property valued
at s34S, 1851 and population of
626,915, only pays in the way of in.
ternal revenue tax s706957S. The
great State of Massachusetts, with
property valued at S2,132, 14S,41,
and with a population Of 1,157,36l,
pays an internal revenue tax'of s2,.
4l9,9l5.4S. The State of New Hamp.
shire, with property valued at $751;
G94,l1 with population of SIS, 800,
pays into the Treasury for internal
revenue S22S,1SS.l1. The State of
Connecticut, with property valued
at STA, 631 ,524, and population Of
597 ,454, pays an internal revenue
tax of S5S0,291.79. The State of
Rhode Island, with her property val
ued at s296,965, 636, with a popula-
ton of 219,353, pays INTO the Gener.
al Government s246,759.65. So that
all the New England States, with
property of an aggregate valueof
81, 39,S75,247, pays an Internal rev.
enue tax Of s3,590,l67. While, on
the other hand, the State of Virgin.
ia, with property valued at s4O9,,
5SS,19S, only one-tenth part of the
six New England States, and with a
population Of 1925, 1853, pays into
the National Treasury in one year
s6,50l 1859, nearly twice a. much
as all the New England States, al
though their property is valued at
ten times the amount of the proper
ty value Of the State of Virginia. |
ask, Mr., President, if this is fair leg.
ishtion? There is the value Of
property; there is the amount Of
taxes paid,
Let us 90 a little further. The
State Of West Virginia, with her
property valued at S19O,65l, 497 and
a population of 1904, paid last
year into the National Treasury by
way of internal revenue S92G,47l,57,
while the State of Vermont, so ably
represented by the Senator from
| Vermont, with property valued at
$3.50, 349,553, only paid Of internal
revenue tax SAL, 339,49; paying, with
a population nearly as large as that
paid for the support Of the General
Government, about one.eight part of
the amount the State of West Vir-
ginia has paid into the Treasury.