The Democratic advocate., 1879-11-15
Mr.. Raum's Curiosities.

Ii is bad enough when the Departments of
the Federal Government give out what pur-
port TO be statistics to keep the Republican
party IN power at election times but it is much
worse when statistics are marshaled by the DE.
partments and twisted TO create a sectional
feeling. If Mr.. John Sherman on the eve of
election should publish statement showing
that in the month preceding the election the
public debt had been reduced $40, ,000, 900 and
on the month following aiter the election,
should publish a new balance sheet showing
the true fact that il had not been decreased
at all, it might be called a pons fraud for it
would deceive no one. That trick has been
played quite often. But when the statistics
Of the Internal Revenue Department are
marshaled TO convey the suggestion that the
South pays very small portion of the tax,
and when this is done, as if to support the
theory advanced by Conkling aud Blaine,
that the North ought to govern because il
pays the most tax, we must enter our protest
When these figures are given, too, in advance
OF the official report, TO Republican papers
the act conveys an idea of seetionalism on
the part of the Federal Government which
deserves the seyerest censure. Under the
head OF "Curious factsh of the internal Rev.
enne Reports there is published statement
showing that Illinois pays 80 per cent OF the
whole whiskey tax, Ohio q per cent. and In.
diana lOper cent, while South Carolina pays
a little over per cent, &c., &c. It does
not seem to strike the Department as Ecu.
rious fact, bu. we may remark, that Rhode
Island, with greater wealth and population,
pays about half Of what South Carolina paws,
Vermont less than fourth as much aud
Maine, Kansas, New Hampshire and Mime.
sota-all Republican States-less than South
Carolina. These are not "cnrious facts we
suppose. The plain and prosaic teaching Of
the iaets Is that Illinois, Ohio and Indiana
convert into whiskey more grain that might
be serviceable for food than all the other
states OF the Union put together and as an
incident to this pay larger whiskey tax than
the aggregate ofall the rest The tobacco tax
does not however, seem TO impress any curl.
Gus iaets, upon the Revenue Department, be
cause that tax IS paid chiefly by the Southern
States and IL the only department Of agricul.
ture on which a tax is laid. No tax Is laid
on wheat or corn or pork. The New Eng.
land fisheries, so far from paying tax, are
paid out Of the United States Treasury. The
sum OF S0,600,000 was recently paid TO
England to purchase the right for New Eng.
land fishermen TO use the British waters.
That fact is not 'curious," nor is il 'scuri.
Gus That the States that suffered most Sc.
yerely the depredations Of the late war are
the only ones taxed upon the products Of the
soii-upon their most remunerative branch
Of agriculture. The State Of Virginia in 1878
paid in internalrevenue tax Sc. sol, T3O,
nearly tlciee as much as all the Ns,c Eaglaud
States pat together. Maryland paws more
than all the New England States pat togeth
er, excepting Massachusetts,. Maryland and
Massachusetts, pay about the same tax, al
though Massachusetts has greater wealth.
greater population and more numerous man.
uiaetures. None OF these facts appear 70
strike the department as Curious. ~ BaiH-
more Gazette