The daily gazette., 1881-01-17
sIosDAYir., gANUAnY -. lssl.


meet the expenses OF the vastly ex-
trayagant administrations under Gem
seral Grant every species Of taxation
was resorted to. All the methods Of
the old monarchial governments were
borrowed from and others added until
scarcely .. single necessary Of life re-
NAMED that was not taxed in some
ashape. We care not 70 complain Of
this; nor is 1t to complain Of it that
1ve state the fact but to inquire If
there may not be something now re-
duced from the taxes which rest most
heavily upon the poor. We believe
the estimated surplus revenues that
are yielded now show that this may
be done. -a .s.
!, The Comptroller Of the Treasury in
his annual report for 1880, says: "Were
she entire tax upon banks and bankers,
Including two-cent check tax, as we'll as
the tax upon maj ches and patent nedi-
cines removed, the amount Of revenue
from tax on spirits, beer and tobacco
and from custom duties would alone be
sufficient to meet the expenses and re.
duce the public debt at the rate Of at
least seventy millions Of dollars an
nually."
Again, on pages 4 and 8 Of the report
of the Secretary Of the Treasury, he
says that
"Compared with the previous fiscal
year, the receipts for 1880 have increased
$62,62O, ,4sS.2S, giving net inel ease
from all sources for the year, of $s0,-
o99, 1852"
Here we have testimony from two
.omcial sources, creuitable witnesses
surely, that the revenues are more than
sufficient for all purposes. Then why
not reduce the taxes, beginning with
those which weigh NEST on the poor !?
or these the stamp tax upon patent
medicines is perhaps the most oppres-
siVe. This tax enters every poor mans
and poor woman's house. Those who
are not able to consult family physician
unless dangerous illness is upon them
resort to the druggist to buy something
TO help their cough or other disease that
may af1ict the wife or children. The
tax upon medicines las been enormously
increased; sometimes every article of
which they are compounded have paid
q separate tax to the government, and
after the nostrum is made q tax is added
? BY the manufacturer and then another
by the wholesale or retail dealer until
70 these articles are made to cost four or
p hve tunes what they sold for In 1860.
The stamp Lax from patent medicines
could readily be removsd-it would be
an act of charity 10 do it. At present
the revenue from taxatisn is $376, ,OOO,-
600, land 1t is estimated by some to be
over twenty millions more) and the
population al fifty millions, the rate per
capita is $3.50, or $s3 per family. This
is almost as much as man paid rent
for small house in 1850, and no poor
man and woman who has family caA
help feeling this tax. This stamp tax
10 the tax that government gets the
least net revenue from, for 1t costs very
considerable 70 get the stamps printed
andNaen heavy discount is paid for
their sale. We see plenty of appeals
made for the removal of the tax from
the banks, but we think the first relief
should be given to the poor.
. 1t Is only requisite to state the esti-
! mates Of the revenue for the fiscal year,
which is, from customs duties $19S, ,OOO,-
600; from internal taxes, $l30, ,OOO, 900;
hom other sources, SIS 100000. To-
tai, $3b0,0O0,0Oo. Expenditures, ordi-
nary expenses, $l7S, ,OO0, 900 =; interest on
debt, $oO,oO0,OOo. Total, SEAS, ,OOO, 900.
Surplus, $ll5,00O,o0O. II We add
seS, 10000 to the sinking fund to OK.
tinguish bonded debt there 10 still
$4,000, 600 left more than is needed,
and there is, therefore, no excuse what
ever for continuing the heavy stamp
taxes upon The people. They should
be relieved Of some OF them.