The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-16
LEAVING rnE WORST FEATURES.

In the history OF England and other
countries. Il will be remembered by those
At all conyersant with the facts OF history,
one OF The most fruitful sources Of internal
broils AID dissatisfaction with the opera
tons OF government, was in the matter and
manner OF the collection o, the government
revenues. There was always an army OF
collectors and excisemen who overran the
country, abused their authority and rem
dered themselves anu the government ex'
tremely unpopular by their manner OF col
Letting the internal revenues. So great
was the evil in this direction and so loud
and constant the complaints OF the people,
that the internal method Of taxa
ton has been for centuries
the most unpopular one. One
Of the advantages and reasons urged indeed
for the maintenance of protective tHriil
system is the fact that by such a method
government taxation aud revenue can be
collected by an indirect process that re-
moves the presence of the collectors rom
the people and takes their money without
their seeing their taxes go. IL was an
excuse of this character that was urged
recently among others for the action taken
by the Forty.seyenth congress IN feuuolhs
ioternal revenue taxation while leaving the
tariff revenues where they have been for so
long time. What should have been done
is very clear The tariff should have been
reduced to the revenue standpoint, aud the
taxes on tobaccos and liquors and luxuri,s
should have been left alone. The people
have paid the indirect taxes 80 long, and
have learned so clearly their extent and
Injustice, that they have ceased TO con
denim the exacti9ns Of the government from
the internal revenue standpoint. Senli'
ment has grown so intelligent that tue
people SEQ grosser injustice and abuse OF
governmental power in collecting taxes
upon clothing aud the neccssaries OF lie
through protective tariff and indirectly
than in gathering by direct collectors Il
revenue from luxuries, and injurious ones
at that. But the Forty.soyenth con
gress was not even consistent m
the action 10 did take. 1t
has left the very worst feature of the IN
tcrnal revenue system intact, to say moth
ing OF having lett the worst feature OF the
general revenue system OF the government,
While those who supported tho measure,
which they boast Of for having reduced in
ternai revenue taxation some iilty millions
OF dollars, refer proudly to this fact, they
fail to state that the old machinery by
which the former revenue was collected has
been left intact. Not thought has been
entertained IL seems, of reducing the mum
her and fees and salaries and Importance OF
tho large and hungry aud self-important
army of collectors and officials who h ave ii
for their province to handle the
internal revenues Of the Fed.
era government. The demands upon
the machinery have been reduced, and the
supply OF uel and water, and the presence
of steam have been kept up. The remark
is almost automatic that such an extensive
reduction in internal taxation upon vnri-
ETY. of articles, would obviatc, naturally,
the necessity tor such II large machine, aud
such pressure of steam as were required
under the former regime. But the army
has not been reduced, although there is less
labor to perform, The result is that two
objectionable features OF an internal rcye-
nue. system, large array of collectors and
excisemeu is retained upon the people II 1t
were genuine reform, rather than mere de-
sire TO tickle the demand OF the masses for
n tightening OF their burdens, aud draw
their attention from the pcrpetuatIon of the
tariff iniquities, the whole revenue depart
ment would have been oVorhauled and the
forces theron have been adjusted to the
new order Of things. Complaints withou,
number have been urged against the eX-
travaganco and waste in the matter OF col
lccting the revenue, but this part Of the
subject was left bravely untouched. No
Investigation has been set on loot in this
particular, no reduction of the expenses Of
running the department, and with $1,000
600 less to collect not man has been let
go orprovisions made for reforming the
general extravaganza and waste of the de
partment, 10 other words and in short, I
| reduction and reform IL boosted of with til,
worst feature connected with the subject
matter left untouched. This is tho char
acter of republican reform,