The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-15
The rn,ernal-Revenue Taxes.

lnC Neutrality-suspicious. "<>~'
The views OF Mr.. TvcxER In regard to
The proposition 10 abolish the 'n'cfna'-
revenue system, which views were reported
Yesterday by our Washington correspond
emit win no doubt attract universal atten-
tion In Virginia
Mr.. TUCKER desires 70 continue to re-
duce the national debt. That may DC on
general principles good policy; but II Is .
policy that ought not TO be carried out ~
the expense Of tho southern people. III the
south were treated rs is the northern Sec
ton Of the Union, VIC, TOO, would say ie'
the taxes continue, and kt the public debt
he reduced rapidly. Bur the South is not
NO treated. Look at the act OF Congress 10
provide for paying arrears Of pensions
That act viii annually draw forty, 1ity, or
sixty millions OF dollars out OF the national
Treasury, one third Of ii to be paid by the
southern people. aud yet none OF it to be
expended amongst them In word,
twenty millions OF dollars are collected IN
the South, and all OF II spent IN the
North. III the tax on tobacco had been re-
pealed two years ago, and the revenues
Of the Government had been brought
down TO the proper point, The az
rcar--oi-pcnsions bin would never have
become q law. Such law puts the
South into the condition OF Ireiand-in
danger of being impoverished and ruined
by the worst Kind of 'absentccisD,' the
evil described by the word " absenteeism
being the collection in Ireland OF rent
MONEYS that are spent outside OF that coun-
try. To collect twenty millions OF dollars
In the South annually and spend the whole
Of that sum in the North is TO make the
North the richer by twenty millions OF dol
lars year, and the South poorer every
year by that sum. As long as the Govern
ment collects hundred millions OF dollars
a year more than it needs for governmental
purposes, such wrongs as the one we are
speaking OF will surely continue. The
only remedy is the reduction OF the reve-
MUGS.
Mr. TUCKER would rather pay oil fifty
five millions Of the public debt annually
than TO repeal all the internal taxes. We
wouldn't. IL our vote could decide the
question, that vote would be east unhesi-
tatingly in favor Of the instant abolition OF
the entire internal-revenue tax on tobacco
even though not another dollar OF the
public debt were paid Off in the next ten
years. Look at Mr.. TUcKER's figures. lie
says:
"Ii the tax on cigars he reduced to 81
thousand, on cigarettes from S1.I5 to GO
cents thousand, and on snutf, tobacco
chewing and smoking-toS cents pound,
the revenue from tobacco, which will now
probably be for the current year over soO,-
OOO, 900, would be, say, about S3O,OOO,OOO."
SO that the tax on tobacco might be taken
OF entirely, and yet leave surplus revenue
of Twenty-Five millions OF dollars to be ap-
piled 10 the reduction OF the public debt.
So long as the tobacco tax continues, the
tobacco trade will never feel easy whilst
Congress is in session. They will always
be afraid to buy largely. There is threat
OF disturbance Of prices constantly hang
ing over them. The only way to free the
trade-to remove the letters that have
bound our people for twenty yoars-to I'M
tie the hands Of the manuiacturers-to
please the planters-to put the purchasers
and sellers Of tobacco on an equality with
the purchasers OF wheat, -four, corn, or
any other commodity-is to do away with
the tax on tobacco entirely.
We are not at all alarmed as to what the
advocates Of high tariff are trying TO do.
There is In this city IN association OF a
mechanics who class themselves
amongst those advocates. There are many
of other good Democrats in Nir-
ginia who, like Speaker RANDALL, would
have the interests OF their own State pro-
tected. But the tariff need not stand in
the way Of this needed reform. The aboli-
ton Of the entire internal-rcyenue system
would afford Mr.. TUCKER and the rest Of
the free-tradcrs the very best possible rea-
son for making the tariff tariff for reve-
mes, since the Government would then.
according to his own figures, need all the
revenues it could get from RESPONSIBILITIES.
The tobacco trade in Richmond have
thrown out hint which may result in ac-
tion-namely, that law be passed doing
away with the tax on tobacco entirely after
a day several years distant in the future.
IL is not to be conceded for moment that
This iniquitous tax is TO be continued for
ever Ii must be repealed.
Finally, Mr.. Tucker, wherever YOU see
n head hit it," pray let no opportunity
escape Of Kidding your people OF this most
unjust, oppressive tax, and that buwark OF
and generator OF Republican
maiorities In the South, the internal-ieve-
nue. system.
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