Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-12-05

as large as possible, which would present
a constant temptation to withhold APP
propriations from the objects really of
National character.
The assumption of a continuing re-
dundancy of the National revenue is OPP
posed to all sound views of administrS-
ton, because it is sure TO yield to extrav-
agance, corruption, and all manner of
schemes for getting rid of money. The
time is rapidly approaching, however,
when the National revenue, yielding un-
der the present system of taxation. 500,
100000 bevOnd the amount required for
government expenses, must be reduced
A strong movement is already on foot
for the repeal of the entire system of the
internal revenue, which receives the
support of such protectionists as Judge
Kelly and free traders like Mr.. Cox, of
New York. This conjunction of oppos-
ing views h support of the abolition of
the same tax gives rare opportunity to
relieve taxation in the states. Of all our
taxes, State taxation is the most oppres-
sive. ii is direct, It falls on property
wish crushing force In few com
munities ii is less than ! per cent, and in
most it is 2 per cent.
Why, therefore, should not the states
be permitted to have tax on spirits for
their own benefit if the National Gov
eminent does not need it? Can it be
Wiselto continue direct tax on proper
ty, and at tie same time command a
hurtful luxury like spirits to go free-a
1uvurv whCCo tovo lion opproSooo M ooo0
The customs revenues the National
Government monOpolizes. Excise is
open in theory to both state and National
use in taxation: but in practice National
authority alone can levy an excise tax
on whisky. No state can guard its Dor
ders against whisky from other states
or make an economical collection of such
tax within its own revenue. The FEEDER
al machinery for the collections of this
revenue is in full operation, and bill of
ten lines could direct the Secretary of
the Treasury to ray the whole of It, less
the small expense of collection, to the
state and Territories in proportionEto
their population, and continue it perma-
nently as part Of the regular annual
revenue. Such plan would give a rev.
enue from such tax wholly to the states
and would not depend upon a chance
surplus or an accidental remainder in the
National Treasury. 1t would make a
tax on spirituous and malt liquors per-
manent resource to all the states, enab-
ling them thereby to defnity adjust and
reduce their own taxation. Each state
could most wisely use its share according
to its own necessities. The total return
tax on spurious and malt liquors last
year was over $50, 100000, an amount
which would tend to increase rather than
diminish as each state saw the suppress,
sion of illicit distilleries was to its advan-
tage. With this revenue state taxation
could be RENTED, state debts paid, or if
the aid were DIVIDED between cities and
counties, their expenses would be pro-
portionately diminished. In a table an
nexed to the letter, Mr.. Blaine shows the
share of the large states on the basis of
population to be: 1888, 900 for New
York. $7,593,000 for Pennsylvania,
SIS, 286, 900 for Illinois, and $5,590,0O0
for Ohio, the smaller states receiving in
proportion,