The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-17

Vim. Kelly ON the Dangers Of the Flu ture.
Judge Kelly, Of Philadelphia, Familiarity
known as ''Piy Iron Kelly" has m article
on the dangers OF the Internal Revenue
System in the last issue Of the International
Rerirw, (which seems to be attracting good
deal Of attention. Its body points ale
summarized as follows! by Brudslrttts, a
New York Journal Of finance and bust,
ness Gal4n3gEN !o'y' @z7ig,l 5iii2.S'
Judge Kelley is Of opinion that thce,
grayest dangers threatening the country
can only be averted by the reduction Of
our excessive annual revenue. While it
would be easy enough to avert these dan.
gers "'by repeating invidious oand onerous
taxes the proceeds Of which are not needed
by the Government, the writer concludes
that it will be difficult to bring about the
desired result, for the reason that the dis
bursement Of more than S5,0OO,O0O an.
nually, the employment i Of u 1000
partisan ugents by the Treaaury, and
the distribution by Representatives and
Senators OF thousands OF millions of dollars
during each Congress in their respective
districts are not privileged to be lightly sur,
rendered" There is a marked annual in.
crease in tho amount OF our revenues, the
annual increase Of the receipts from inter
null taxes having averaged over 100000
for the past three years.. At the same
time, in consequence Of gradual extinction
OF the debt and the reduction OF the inter
est account, there is n steady reduction in
the charges for Legitimate annual exnendi-
lures. Yet, notwithstanding these facts
Congress hns not yet liyhtened the burdens
Of tho people by reducing the surn!.s rev.
enue. $50 go 60, : 80
In advocating the abolition Of the inter.
nal taxes Judge Kelly declares that they
are wanton exactions. tending to produce
monopolies; that their burden falls with
greatly disproportionate weight upon the
poor and lahoriops classes Of the people;
that il maintained they will corrupt the
legislative departments OF the Government
and portionsof the people in every State oil
the Union, and finally that, il not speedily
repealed, "they will, by producing q tinuli.
cial convulsion, create widespread revolt
which will pervale the entire country"
In support ofhis first charge, Judge Kelley
shows, by reference to statement OF re.
ceipts and expenditures for the wear, pre.
pared by the Warrant Division ofthe Treas-
ury, August 20, that u large collection
beyond the just needs Of the Govern.
ment WIS made, sl45.s4S,SlO Il appear.
ing in the statement as surplus revenue.
Such collection he stigmatizes rs wanton
exaction. Concerning his second point,
that the imposition Of these taxes tends to
produce monopolies, the writer refers 10
the iact that, whereas formerly matches
were made by enterprising people Of small
capital, under tho operation Of the tax law,
on the other hand the small establishment
have been extinguisl.ed aud The trade has
been ssorbed mainly by one company,
Cigars. likewise, were made in the homes
Of the poor, but are now made principally
in large factories. In proof Of his state.
I'ment that the burden OF these taxes falls
with dispropor.ionate weight on the poor
the writer refers TO the tax on cigars, which
is the same for all qualities, and to III.
stamp tax, which is the same on all checks
irrespective Of amount. That the excess 81
revenue over expenditures tends 10 induce
corruption Mr.kelley considers sufficient,
proven by the we'll known system OF "log
7alling" displayed in procuring the pms