The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-09-22

( dILuOSI W pICulDLbLOI tuo A@OOA &'AAS
land employed in its production
To show how partial is its operation
let me state from the reports of th'
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
that fer the six years preceding June
80, 1878, Virginia alone has paie
the sum of $42, SCI .842 ta1 on to
bacco-an average annual sum o.
over $7,O00,OOO. During the same
six years the six New England
States paid the sum of $9,756,384
as the whole of their internal revenue
tax, averaging the trifing amount
of 1892, ,730 per annum-about one
sixth of the internal revenue tax on
this single Virginia product; and
yet the population Of Virginia, ac'
cording to the ninth census, is only
1926, 900, while that Of New Eng
land aggregates 3,487,0O0. Thus
single product Of the land and labor
1,225,O citizens of the sipgle State
of Virginia, which has two Senators
and nine Representatives in Con-
gress, is burdened with a tax of
nearly six times the amount exacted
from all the products of all the land
and labor of 3,487,00O citizens of
six States of New England, which
have twelve Senators and twenty
seven Representative in Congress.
AS tobacco tax alone every man,
woman and child in Virginia is made
by this law to pay to the United
States Treasury $5.71 per capita,
while the population of New Eng
land is required by the same law TO
pay the sum of thirty-four cents
each, and this on their entire reye.
nue. tax.
But, sir, know it will be said by
some that this tax does not fall
upon tie planter, but on the con-
sumer; and that therefore it is not,
cannot be oppressive. A moments
investigation, I think, will explode
this fimsy and false objection. If,
however, the proposition Dere true,
it does not affect my argument,
when it is remembered that the
growers of tobacco are also largely
consumers, and therefore pay the tar;
and. further, that it can hardly be
claimed that any man puts himself
outside the protection of common
justice and fundamental law only be.
cause he chews tobacco or takes
snuff. But, sir, it is not true for it
is demonstrable that not the manu-
facturers, not the consumers, but
the qroa0erS Of tobacco suffer the
burden and feel the crushing weight
of the tax. Let US see. The tax,
the price of manufacturing, and cost
of the raw material are the three es-
sentials. making in their sum the
cost price of the manufactured ar
ticle, the last of which, the cost
Of the leaf, alone, is UarjabEe, while
the other two elements are constant,
or nearly so. The tax must be paid,
the cost Of manufacturing must be
paid, and these are nearly invariable
but The cost of the leaf may yield to
the pressure of trade, and, still worse,
| to the s0tU Of the manufacturer.
whom the law has constituted a mo-
uopoliSt, whose margin of profit is to
be secured alone in the price Of the
leaf, which is made dependent large
ly upon his oagn volltion. Thus the
manufacturer investment of capi-
tai, by the operation of law, wrings
its interests and profits out of the
sacrifices extorted from the planter
in the price of his toil-worn product.
1t is no wonder, sir, that such in
justice and oppression, the result Of
unwise legislation, has brought upon
this once profitable branch of agri-
cultural industry decay and ruin.
Once, before the tax, manufactures
were in almost eUery vjtEage where to-
bacco-growing was a regular busi-
ness. No capital was nee ed. Pur-
chasers, the patrons of the farmer,
were numberless. Competition was
actiUe and prices ran high. The
planters labor and land were richly
reaUarded. But the revenue laws
have changed all this. Noay before
the manufacturer can realize he must
put on the stamps and pay the cost
of manufacturing. To make money
laFgefgss must do business in
volvlng heavy expenditures of Gosh
Large capital is required under the
present system even to start the bus
mess. None can manufacture,
therefore, unless he is capitalist
| Legislation, sir, | repeat, has made
the tobacco business Gust as it has
made the whisky business, the rail
road business, the Indian business
and the election business, and every
other business) under the manipnla
tion OF moneyed rings, q giganti
monopoly in the hands Of capital
1t has driven all but its own favor