The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-12-02
our National Wcyenne.

tcroNuclhM matter -5,... ...I.-..'.E
WHEELING. ". VA. DECEMB Der 2, 1852.
our National Rcyenne.
There are three ways Of raising national
revenue (only two Of which, however, arc
pucticablc) vlz-by duties on imports, by
internal revenue duties and direct taxes.
Nobody thinks Of raising national revenue
by direct taxation. The people would
speedily overthrow any party that would
attempt to levy direct tax for the support
Of the national government. And yet the
constitution provides for such tax, and in
the first years Of our history such a tux was
levied. We have in our possession mum.
Der OF receipts Of old citizens Of West vir-
ginia who paid direct tax to the govern.
mcnt. Among these citizens Is the father
Of the late A. p. Woods, Esqp Of this city.
l'nt the system has gone out Of vogue and
10 party could restore It. The revenue to
be raised is too large and the tax would be
felt TO he too onerols by the people. 1t
would come home 10 them in the way that
State, county ind city taxes come, and We
ah know that even snch taxes for our local
purposes are not popular.
Therefore we say that there are but two
practical and practicable ways Of raising
t,yenue for tho national governmcnt-viz
--by a tax on imported merchandise, and
d tax on such articles us whisky, beer, ale,
tobacco, cigars, banks, paten. medicines,
&C., which are all comprehendcd under the
phrase "Internal Revenue
We have two elements at work 10 change
The proportions in which our National
revenue shall be supplied by these two
systems. The tariff element say, and say
very properly, that the great bulk of our
National revenue should come from tax
or tariff on imported goods. This serves
Two purposes Q) to raise revenue, and t2)
10 protect American manufactures. Here.
toiore we have gotten pssl.s9) about 200
millions Of revenue this way, and from lI5
10 $50 millions lin the same fiscal year,
from internal revenue.
And yet we have too much revenue from
these two sources, and the cry is for re-
duction. We had last year well on to 100
millions OF surplus. A surplus is always
great temptation to the average Congress.
man. 1t leads to large and sometimes to
wasteful and useless appropriations. Our
revenue should be cut down. All intelli.
gent and patriotic people are agreed on
this. But how shall it be cut down? This
is the question of the hour. .a
There are two ways to cut it down. One
way is to reduce the tariff On certain ar
ticles. This plan may Or may not reduce
the revenues. It may encourage importa-
tons and thus increase the revenues. The
greater the imports Of dntiable articles the
greater the revenue Of the Government, as
matter OF course. This is not necessarily
the case. but it may be the case. For in.
stance, an article that eau barely come in
now, and the cost Of producing which
in this country cannot be reduced,
would, il the tariff Was reduced, come in
larger quantities under reduced tariff, for
in the proportion that it could not be pro.
duced at home would its demand, under
lower duties, be increased from abroad.
But in cases where the profit on home pro.
ductions is large, as in the case of steel
rails, the price OF the homemade article
would possibly be reduced in proportion to
he reduction Of the duty, md thus no more
would be imported than before. In this
way the tariff can be aud should be re.
duced, and the revenues reduced to n lower
and more equitable standard.
There is another way to reduce the reye-
nues, viz: to reduce the tax on whisky,
beer, alc, tobacco, cigars, banks, &c; OF,
in other words, to strike of a portion Of the
internal revenue duties. In this way the
internal revenue could be reduced from
Sl50O00,00O per annum to Sl000Oo,0OO, or
less. The necessary revenue for the gov
ornment ION the basis OF the last apploprl-
ations) is S29l 100000 in round numbers.
This was the amount appropriated at the
last Congress Tor the fiscal year ending on
the 3Oth Of June, 1857. But those appro.
priations included Sls,743,7S5 for rivers
and harbors, which was about $1,000 900
in excess Of the Previous appropriations,
and was condemned rs extravagant by the
people Mt the late elections. There were
also large appropriations in several other
directions, all Of which could be cut down
nnder more economical administration Of
the government. 'T
It is therefore within bounds to say
that the appropriations can be cut down
$50, 1000, 0Oo-or to SolO,000,O 0o-aud this
would allow us to take of $50, 0O0,0 600 Of |
import duties to advantage. In our judg-
mcnt, this is the direction in which the cut
should be made, and not in the direction |
OF internal revenue.
The duty on whisky is 90 cents per GAL
Ion, on beer and ale 81 per barrel, on to.
bacco IL cents per pound, on cigars Sc per
thousand. This amounts to about one
eighth OF one cent to the consumer Of a
glass OF whisky or beer or ale, and 10 m
insignificant fraction on each pound Of to.
bacco Or each cigar consumed. As regards |
whisky, and beer and ale, they would not |
be any cheaper to the consumer il the tax
was wholly taken of. And yet the governs
1nant iiividai nearly seyet1tv milling last |