Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-09-01
How the Republicans Have Re-
duced Taxation.

duced Taxation.
the House of Represent aives, June "a. 1881
Mr. Reed. I should like to make one con-
tribuion of series OF facts To this discussion,
which il seems TO me is Of some importance,
both 10 those who may vote for this bill and
those who may vote against it
great many gentlemen in discussing this
bill have made the declaration that this is not
the proper place 10 begin taking OFF internal
revenue taxes. 1t seems to lie that those
gentlemen have forgotten the history of this
country in connection with internal taxation.
They seem to imagine that we are to-day
making beginning in the reduction Of in
ternal taxes.
why, sir, we began that business right
upon the close of the war, and we kept it up
until financial disaster prevented us from
further reducing the income of tie govern
ment. In other Ords, we acted like bust
! ness men. As long as it was appart mt that
our taxation was too great to pay the expenses
| of the government we continued to take off
those taxes. When that State of things
| ceased, then we ceased TO take them off.
BY the act of July l3, 1866. took off
taxes to the amount of S65 900 900. That
| was a general reduction of taxes, especially
On manufactures, and a reduction of the tax
on cotton tn three per cent. BY the act OF
March 2, 1867, we took off $40, ,000. 900 more,
reducing the cotton tax by one-half of one
per cent. and making general reduction OF
| taxation on business.
BY the act of February 3, 1868. we took off
S23 100000 of taxes that is, the tax of "a
per cent on cotton. By the act of March 81. =.
1868, and of July 20, 1868, we took off $45,-
000, ,000 which was from manufactures and
liquors and tobacco. Bv the act of july IA.
1870. we took of S55, 900 900, stamp taxes
on incomes and dividends, and other general
subjects of taxation. BY the act of June 6,
1872. we took $50 65l 900 more of taxes
The grand total of taxes taken of in pursu
ance of these several acts of Congress W $
S24S, ,65l 900.
There is where we made the beginning, and
we took of all the taxes that We're of general
operation upon business. We have main
tained these taxes for ten years because the
| necessary expenses of the country required
it. Yet gentlemen get up here in the face
and eyes of these facts and begin to talk
about our taking taxes of the rich, and say
that there is only one tax taken of the poor
Why is that? 1t is simply because only one
tax has been left on the poor for the last ten
years.
This is the reason for the situation in which
we find ourselves
My object in rising was to call attention OF
members to the line of argument used here.
which indicates an entire forgetfulness of the
past history of the country in regard to thu
reduction of internal taxation; that argument
which charges that only one single tax il
taken oil the poor, without taking into con
sideration the fact that it is the only ont
taken of because it is the only one left.
That argument comes from men who have
| al....-
abolish the whole internal revenue taxation !;
probably mostly because they want to get tn,
tax off whiskey. There is one thing
complain about in this bill and that is the
taking the tax off the whskey interest. For
my part do not believe in it. / belive thai
all the taxes relating to spirits should b.
taken of the very last that are taken of
under our system of taxation.
Governor Plaisted's Slander of the
Reform SchOOl.-What the Su-
perintendent says.
State Reform School, Portland, Aug. 3Oth,
1882
To the Editor Of the Journal
II is reported by several newspapers that
Governor Plaisted in a speach delivered in
Augusta, made statements rejecting severely
upon the management of the State Reform
School. Usually when statements of thi,
kind are made. believe it best to pass them
hy in silence, but when they come from the
Governor of the State, as it is reported they
do in this instance, the public may properly
expect an explanation. I will therefore say
IN reply to the published statements:
Firsf that during the time | have been in