The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-03-03
IEnr the Dlspa1ch.l
For the Dlspatch.l
Repeal the Tobacco Tax. with n Rebate
of Tax I'm Favor of the Holders Of
Stocks when the Law Goes Into Eff

For the Dispatch.
Repeal the Tobacco Tax. with n Rebate
of Tax I'm Favor Of the Holders Of
Stocks when the Law Goes Into Eff
feet.
The above should be the platform Of
every senator and representative from the
tobacco States. They should be instant in
season and out OF season until this greatest
wrong ever done by the Federal Govern
ment TO any producing class in this country
is rectitcd. Taxation so imposed as to de-
stroy consumption and force whole COM
munites to discontinue industries they
have followed successfully for two hundred
and sixty years, and "gO ut something
else" cannot be the legitimate end nor the
lust exercise Of the powers OF Government.
Your correspondent "Danville," in your
issue of cath February. commented on the
decline Of prosperity, and OF the tobacco
interest. in middle Virginia, and the great
prosperity Of the bright-tObacco region
of Virginia and North Carolina. He
might also have noted the great pros
perity OF the 'Whitc-Burley counties OF
Kentucky and Ohio. He sees the results,
but fails 10 see the cause. He will find, ii
things continue Us now, that the tide OF
prosperity in - brights" will swell onward
towards south Carolina. and recede from
the country around Danyille. For | am
told the further South you 20 the better
does "bright" hold its color. Do the
Richmond merchants and commission mcr-
chants see, or do they fail to see, that the
withdrawal OF prosperity from the country
whose homo-market Richmond j., and the
establishment Of Danyilc and the North
Carolina towns as the active centres Of the
lcaf-tobacco trade, has 10 particular ten
dcncy TO build up Richmond? Must she,
TO protect a half dozen manufacturers
within her limits, from 4 temporary loss,
stand mute. and let this canker-wO1n OF
taxation deyour the very yitals OF a rural
district which was wont TO pour into her
lap millions of products annually?
But why should the manufactures suffer
by repcall \ joint resolution Of Congress
declaring its purpose 10 protect the trade
against any loss on stocks 10y proper rebate
would in twenty-four hours silence all
the hue and cry about agitation running
.1hc trade" III little agitation upSets
the whole market, and at once brings a
squeeze" on the producer, could any
more powerful argument be offered Con-
greSs for the immediate repeal OF the law Z
For how easy will IT be every year for a
few spectators to get up enough agitation
TO break down the MARKET The OppO-
nents OF repeal. say one or two newspaper
articles in favor of repeal, are quite sulli-
cicnt to throw down prices two or three
dollars hundred pounds. Well, the coun-
try people are nearly at the end Of their
tether. With corn s. and flour 80 a bar
rel, and their own crops OF grain eX-
hauSted and heirtobaccO all ''frOstcd," they
can't be hurt much worse this year, and
my advice TO them il TO make il lively for
awhile anyhow; and let our congressman
understand they will have warm
reception ii they come back to Virginia
with the miserable plea that they might at
least have gotten a reduction, il not re-
peal Of the tobacco tax, but they were
unwilling to agtatc for fear OF hurting
the trade, and afraid TO 90 for repeal lest
the national revenues should he so reduced
rs to afford comfort to the protective-tarif
men," 1t is now question of bread and
meat. The Legislature is asked to allow
the supervisors TO buy bread TO keep the
people from starving; and they will be in
poor plight this fall to listen TO eloquent
oratiOns on "iree trade and sailors
rights" But "Danville " says some we'll
meaning people are unwittingly doing
great wrong in leading the people OF the
"shipping-tObaccO districts " to believe
that Mey have any interest whatever in the
question of tobacco taxation. Wonderful
indeed! What is "shipping" tobacco 2
Isn't it, after all, tobacco that Is worked
up to chew, smoke, or snuff And Is
there any county or magisterial dis
trict in the State that ever did grow
shipping tobacco exclusively! A farm
that with "White-Stem" tobacco made
good shipping tobacco, has been known,
with "Medley Pryor." to make fine ma
hogany wrapper, or with "Orinoco" TO
make an excellent filler. True, some soils
in almost every county are better adapted
TO one, others TO another variety; and so it
is with different fields, or lots, on one farm.
The fact is, understand, that under every
disadvantage two thirds of the tobacco
made in Virginia to-day is manufactured in
the United States; but, under tdratiOR, our
close-grained, dark tobacco-less capable of
"unlinited absorption" than the "White
Burley" and less snowy than the
Upright it's brought into ruinous compe-
! tition abroad (where taxation Is high, and
at home also. Under taxation the manu-
facturer has TO please the aesthetic taste"
and he has TO give the "money's worth "
in quantity To- the middle classes; so he
adulterates heavily. Artificial tastes are
created by taxation, which denies gratifca-
ton to natural tastes, and "Dan-
ville." rolling in the wealth yield
ed by his bright wrapper, advises
the taX-destroyed dark-tobacco man
to go at something else. Rather let the
Government take its hands of OF the throat
OF the dark-tObacco man and give him a
chance; let 1t cease 10 make il TO the in
terest OF those who profess TO furnish peo-
pie with tobacco to chew and smoke 10 palm
OIL trash upon them; let ii once more be
to the interest Of the trade TO supply people
with tobacco, and then 1t will be found that
Virginia dark tobacco again has future,
her people hope again, and her lands value
again, and some OF her wealth may then be
kept at home. 1t is idle to pretend that all
at once, or In the last seventeen years, Viz
ginia tobacco, which has been universal
favorite from 1905 down certainly to 1861.
is found out TO be wholly unfit either TO
chew or to smoke II Is said that Poca-
hontas with great difficulty saved John