Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-01-27
stamps as a Revenue Method.
from the New York world.l

From the New York World
A great number of persons i'm New
York, it is said, have petitioned Con-
gress to abolish the stamp tax of two
cents on bank check. Whether Con-
gress ought or ought not to grant the
prayer of the petition we do not no W in
tend to consider. Is there not, howev-
er, a good deal to be said in favor of ad-
hesive stamps as means of taxation?
Among the many successful fiscal inno-
vations made in England during the
reign Of Victoria, none has been more
successful than the introduction, the
chief credit OF which is due to Mr.. Row.
land Hill, of the practice OF preparing
letter postage by an adhesive stamp.
The idea has been applied all over the
civilized world. Noone in this country
has any d .fficulty in buying and apply
ing the stamps necessary To secure the
delivery of letter wherever, at hume
or abroad, such q person as u postman
exists. Who now would consent to go
back to the old plan of paying money
on depositing or receiving q letter? The
post-oflice is only one branch of a Gov
ernment business for which the people
pay, and they pay for it with an adbe-
sive stamp. Why should not people
pay in the same way the expense of
transacting other Government busi-
ness? Why cannot the State of New
York collect and pay its expenses In
this manner, instead Of through its
present .wretched system, or rather
want Of system? The need of re-
spectacle system of taxation i'm this
country is dealt with in the January
number of the Contemporary by IAN
American Statesman" who insists that
this designation affixed to q former ar
ticle which he left unsigned was given
to him by the editor. He denies stout
ly that he Is or ever has been an Office
holder. He, however, shows the infiu-
ence of Massachusetts, associations, and
a shrewd Yankee need not try twenty
times before guessing who the writer Is.
Why does not taxation paid by adhesive
stamps meet u great part Of the require
menfs set forth by this "American
Statcsman?n Taxes should be paid by
the owners and by the users of capital,
including i'm the last designation pro-
ducers, dealers, laborers and specula-
tors. All taxes should be certain, uni
form, easily ascertained and payable at
convenient times, and the incidence Of
them should be such as to fall fairly and
equitably on all classes. If man owns
land and gets no rent, let him pay no
toAS u ncoWuS Copieoi Suu SCte uo pToi.
it, no tax; il he owns merchandise and
makes no sales, no tax; II he owns only
his labor and earns no wages. no tax.
Nobody dreams Of taxing paupers or
people who have no incomes what
ever. eF
The adhesive stamp plan of taxation
has been deliberately worked out i'm
England SO far as the theory 10 con-
cerned, and the general scope of the
system may be thus summoned up:
IF rst-1t recommends that all real estate
and Invested capital shall be assessed on its
rent ard interest. r.. - -..t k.,.t'
s.Secoud-That all materials of trade, COM
merce and manufactures shall be taxed bv
u lamp on she value payable on the chan o Of
0 ownership. ss
"Third-That all exchanges OF labor and
goods into money shall be taxed BY stamp on
the value.