The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-10-28
MISTAKES OF THOMAS.

In his speech at the Opera House
Wednesday night Captain Thomas sought
to leave the impression upon the audience
that Democrats in the federal house had
opposed the attempts of Republicans to re-
duce the internal revenue. "The Demo.
Gratis" said he, "didnt want cheap matches
and medicine unless they could also have
cheap tobacco and whskey.' He told his
auditors that the Republicans found, upon
CAREFUL examination, that the government
was collecting about twenty millions. of
dollars more in the way of internal rev.
enue than was needed for actual running
expenses; that they resolved to reduce
the revenue by about this amount, by re-
moving the tax upon matches bank checks
and medicines; and that the Democrats
'tillibustered" and resisted the reduction by
every means known to parliamentary rules,
because whiskey and tobacco were not
included in the proposed reduction.
Captain Thomas was mistaken. There was
not single truthful statement in all that
he said upon this subject. The amount Of
revenue collected in excess of what is
needed to defray the expenses of the gov
eminent was more than seven times twenty
millions Of dollars it was, in exact figures,
| according to the statement of the treasurer,
made August Goth, 1882, $l45, 543,Sl0.
| Moreover, the amount of the intended re-
ductlon was not twenty millions Of dol.
lars, but just exactly $l6,S92,SS0, or less
| than one ninth part of the amount Of cX-
cessiye revenue collected,
The Democrats did not oppose the bill
which removed the tax upon matches, bank
checks, perfumery and patent medicines,
cause it did not also remove the tax
upon whisky and tobacco; they opposed it.,
| first, because, to use the words of Mr.. c *
in speech made at the time,
"'rhe sum realized from the grasp of
| the tax collectors is so inc lnsiierabe as
to be an insult to those who desire to re-.
| duce our lnordinate taxes.
2. The amount released discriminates
against industries and relieves capital aud
capitalists. 1t relieves nine millions Of
capital tax, bank taxes and as to the rest
| II Is nothing III comparison with the eXac-
| tons.
3. "rhe relief on perfumery is but an
ounce OF civet, good apothecary, to sweeten
the imagination" and is sample Of the
little good compared with such an i'm
| mepse opportunity.
4. 1.-THE internal-revenue system is used
to control the freedom of elections, aud is
a part OF that mercenary and torrorhc sys-
TEN which should have been destoyed by
legislation shortly after the emergency
which called it into being. 1t is expensive,
inquisitorial and odious. 1t is undemo-
cratic and unrepublcan 1t is corrupting.
In the absence Of reform in the tariff,
postponed for two years by the commission,
this ia the only feasible way of reducing
taxation; and this is signal failure, which,
if adopted will be an impeachment to furth-
reforms and reduction.
| 5. "The tax reduced here DOES NOT RE.
DUcE THE OFFICIAL NOW USED IN THE FORCE
| COLLECTION OF TAXES BY ANY ONE PERSON.
1t keeps up every part of the machinery"
The bill sought to remove the internal
revenue tax, chiefly from banking capital,
but the 1000 internal revenue collectors
were to be retained at an expense of 60
100000 for partisan political purposes--to
work for the party at the polls. The Dem.
ocrats wanted larger reduction; they
recognized the fact that too much money
in the public treasury breeds extravaganza
and corruption in the public service; they
wanted a reduction that would prevent the
accumulation of a still large sum OF sur
plus revenue in the treasury next year, and
that would not be an insult to the tax-pay-
era, but relieve them in accordance with
the en0rmity of the unnecessary burdens
they had been made to bear,
The only foundation Mr., Thomas had for
the assertion that the Democrats sought to
remove the tax on whisky and tobacco was
the attempt 10y them to repeal the law,
"Section 3244, Revised Statutes OF the Uni
ted States, which imposes a fine or penalty
on any farmer or producer of tobacco, who
may sell the same to consumer" These
are the exact words Of the amendment in
troduced by Mr.. Dibbrell (Dem.) J, Of Ten.
nessee, and which The Democrats sought to
pass. The law here sought to be repealed
is the most Infamous Of the internal rev.
cnuc code, The revenue derived under it
has never exceeded 5000 per year; during
the last fiscal year it yielded just 1858 into
the public treasury, and the cost of enforc-
ing it during the same period Of time was,
in sound figures, $4,000. But It's effect
upon the tobacco raiser, especially the
poor one has been, and is, most oppres.