The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-28
THE rnternal-Revenue Taxes.


Americon) is q paper which we always w
anime with more or less care. its Opinions
are based upon something more and better
than prcjudices. We have, Therefore, occn
somewhat surprised to read in Its columns
,ho suggestion. made more than once, that
the internal-revenue system be " apahuon-
cd by the nation TO the States" we cor
s,ally concur in the proposition that the
nation shall abandon the system; but we
hold that IL would be utterly impracticapie
10 abandon 1t TO the several States I'D Tue
sense IN which the american uses ',''
nhr,se. The tax on tobacco, Tor IN
stance. could not be levied in VIZ
o,nia unless all the other States woula
levy a tax Of the same amount Sne
wonld have TO sell her tobacco 700 h'gn'
7, Is only because the nanonai uoN-
eminent exacts this tax everywhere within
the limits OF the United States, and protects
ne from foreign competition by tarih
which levics a higher tax per pound upon
tobacco imported into this country tllah j.
levied by the internal-revenue laws upon
tobacco manufactured here, that the ioDac-
co-manufacturers OF the several states are
enabled to pay the internal 'aN anu SUN
carry on the business.
II would not be possible for Virginia TO
induce all the other States in this Union 10
levy tax Of ten or fifteen or twenty cents
per pound upon the tobacco manufactured
In those States. And yet II she could not
do this. It would be Of no possible Denent 10
her as a revenue measure for the natiohai
Government TO abandon the internal-reve-
me system 10 the States. Aswe have sara,
however, we are in favor OF the ehtne
abandonment OF the system; ana III oruei
10 get rid OF the hundreds OF Government
officials. including iniormers and others
who profit by prosecuting petty offenders
and compromising with innocent persons
falsely charged with offences against
the revenue laws Of the nation, we
would be glad to support almost
any sort Of tariff which would yield reVe-
nue. enough to support the Federal Gov
eminent. Nobody who has not looked INTO
the matter knows how much our people
are harassed by officials working Tor the
Government in name but in reality to oil
their own pockets with filthy lucre. Ihere
were last year in the employment OF the
Internal Revenue Bureau about four thou-
sand persons. The cost Of collecting the
internal tax was over five millions OF DOL
Iars-more than the entire amount OF TAX
paid by all six OF the New England States
During the four years ending with 1881,
over four thousand so-called Illicit distllle-
ries were seized, and over seven thousand
persons were arrested for illicit distilling.
But our point now is that the only way
In which The States could profit by the in
ternal-revenuc system as source OF reVe-
nue. would be for the national Government
to collect the tax rs now, and turn it over
TO the States. But to what States! 10
ask the question is to get the answer that
every state would claim share OF the same
in proportion to its population, New Eng
land thus getting two or three times as
much of the tax as Virginia, though the
latter paws directly three or four times as
much of the same. Besides, it would be a
powerful measure OF consolidation to make
theseyeral States look to the General Govern
ment for their revenues. II, however,
Virginia should get her due proportion
under such a system OF collection and dis
bursement by the national Government as
the agent for the States, she would need to
levy no State tax whatever. She would be
entitled annually to about one-thirtieth OF
one hundred aud thirty-five millions OF
dollars; or in other words, to over four
millions Of dollars, whereas her present
State taxes all taken together yield her less
than three millions Of dollars per annum.
We are pleased to learn that The Metho-
dist, New York paper Of much influence,
fayors the abolition OF the internal-revenue
system as the best way Of bringing the
national receipts within the limit OF the
national expenses. That is indeed an ally
worth having. We are inclined TO think,
too, that the Committee OF Ways and
Means Of the House OF Representatives
will not be averse to recommending some
such measure In fact, it is not impossible
that the system we condemn may be legis-
lated of the face Of the earth in less than
five years.