The National tribune., 1882-11-30
Attention. CororHdssl

pealed? Perhaps an inquiry into thelr
character and motives will throw some
light on the question as to whether thers is
any real necessity for the legislation which
they demand.
There are the bankers, in the frat place
They want the tax on deposits and checks
taken off. They say it is sn unjust burden
upon their business. They 90 not, how
ever, claim that it is a burden which they
are unable to bear, nor do they pretend thas
the public generally will benefit by It's 70
moval. As matter Of fact none but them
selves would profit by its repeal, and GER
tainly they, are rs a class, the best able TO
pay the tax. We are quite willing to admit
that the stamp tax on bank checks IS some
thing of 81 vexation to business men, hut so
far as the manner in which it is levied and
the class who pay it are concerned, 1t is one
of the least Objectionable modes Of taxation
that could be devised. So long as it is nee
esssry to raise revenue for the support of the
Government and the payment of its debts,
the stamp tax, it seems to us, ought to be
maintained.
In the second place, the manufacturers Of
proprietary articles p perfumes, cosrsetics,
patent medicines, and the like-want the
iuternal-revenue taxes abolished. Self-inter-
est in their case, also, is the motive of their
appeal. Here again it is plain that they alone,
and NOT the general public, would benefit by
the repeal. For instance, the tax imposed by
the present law is one cent upon all pTepara-
tions that retail for twenty-f five cents and
two cents on those that retail for fifty cents,
etc. Does anyone suppose that if the tax is
taken off, the druggist will sell twenty
five-cent bottle fy~ twenty-fOur cents, or e
fifty-cent bottle for forty-nin cents? Not
bit of it. Were that the case, the maSu-
facturers would not be SO anxious to have
the tax taken of. What they want is not
to give the public cheaper physic, but to add
to their profits the amount which they now
pay to the Government in taxes. Inasmuch
as the profits on patent medicines are some
thing enormous, we do not see that there is
any special reason why the Government
should relieve them of taxation so long as IL
is obliged to raise revenue by taxation.
Then there are the cigar manufacturers.
They are also very anxious to be exempted
from taxation, but, go far as we have been
able TO ascertain, they do not propose to sell
cigars to the consumer any cheaper. And,
for that matter, inasmuch as both cigars and
whisky are luxuries rather than necessities
of life-and do more mischief than good, for
that matter-we do not know that even q
reduction in the price to actual consumers
would be sufficient reason for taking off
the imeost.
Our sympathies are always with the per-
secuted and dOwn-trOdden, but we really DO
not zee in what way the levyipg of tax
upon whisky is a burden upon the distlllers
1t is claimed, we know, that it is the corn
of the farmer which actually pays the tax,
but such is not the case, and ii does not
admit of much doubt that if less whisky
were drunk in this country it's productive
capacity would be greatly increased, and the
condition Of the farmer, rs well as every
other bread-winner, he thereby decidedly i'm
proved. Whisky makes drunkards, drunk
ards make loafers, loafers are unproductives,
and, the more unproductves there are to sup
port, the poorer the country ia.
We had almost forgotten the match manu-
facturers, but, strange TO say, they alone, Of
all the manufacturers do not want the tax
taken of. 1t might be supposed that they
were less selfish than the rest, but such is not
the case The truth is, that the manufacture
of matches is gigantic monopoly, and the
tax helps to keep it so. 1t is, indeed tho
principal item in the cost of box of matches,
and requires such large capital that small
dealers cannot compete successfully with
the monopolsts. The big manufacturers
who buy their stamps in large quantities
get the benefit Of the discount, while those
who buy in small quantities are allowed
none at all. If the tax were taken off,
competition would be stimulated at once,
and the price Of matches to the consumer
would fall. We are in favor of abolishing
the tax on matches, and for the reason that
it is the only one the repeal of which would
be of direct benefit to the public.
Now, what is the total amount collected
by internal revenue taxation, and what pro-
portion of the whole does each industry payr
The following are the official figures:
RECEIPTS OF INTERNAL REVENUE FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 80, 1881.
splrits'-. S67 l53974 81
Tobacco A. s3i9 99l 81 )
termentCd l 100 2il Il
Capital deposits and circulation OF
3, 1872 2OS "
Rank 22134tl ~
Matches 327s5SO 62
Patent medicines, perimeriCs,
metcs l,s48263 80
333 2il ii
Tota......... --................ also, ,229 9l2 80
So far, we have proceeded On the AZ