The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-08-02
The Virginia State Democrat

ted amounts TO ttiisi me people
Virginia prefer a tax upon the necc
suries OF life rather than q tax upt
the luaufies. This may be sound Pc
litical sagacity. but we are dispose
to doubt it. 1t seems to Us to be vi
tually declaration in favor Of hie
tariff; for the Government is oblns
ed to have revenue from some sonrc,
and, if whiskey, tobacco, snuff an.
cigars are lot made to bear part o.
the burdens. then it seems to us tina
high tariff follows as an inevitabl
consequence. The system OF collec,
ing these Internal taxes has been St
odious that the people are hardly pre-
pared to reason on this subject. Blu
it is high time for the Democrat
party to cease Welding to eXpe1ien-
ces and superficial measures, in &.
that temporary good may come there .
of.
1t is impossible for the huma'
mind to conceive Of greater dangers tt
our country than those the c0ntinu
ance of high protective tariff threat
ems. 1 he more generally the wealth o
country is scattered the more liberty
there is in that country he more dit
ficult it is to form combinations t.
Cypress less corruption is there
more. virtue, more manliness, more
independence is there. To make ou
meaning perfectly plain, let us sup
pose that all the land in North Caro-
lima belonged to fifty men. 1t woule
be easier for these fifty men to form
combinations to put up rent and t.
put down wages than, it now is will.
the lands in the hands of the many
We assume it to be an indisputabl,
fact that a high protective tariff does
favor monopolies; that it does aid
powerfully the accumulation of wealth
by a few individuals and corpora.
tions: that it Is legislation for the
few at a burdensome expense to. the
many.
So far as liberty is concerned-so
far as the perpetuity of the spirit OF
our Republican institutions is con-:
cerned-the less number of realricL
individuals We have in the country
the better it is. 1t would be both
unwise and impolitlc to restrain the
accumulation OF millions by positive
enactment. SO the only wise thing
to Go is to put the great struggling.
toiling mass of mankind on an equal
footing SO far as can be done by the
enactment of just laws that will bear
equally upon abby the repeal OF
the present unjust. oppressive, inigui.
tons, moaopolyt ostering tariff loac.
The primary and fundamental object
OF taxation is to raise means neces
sary to carry ON the government.
The taxes ought to be SO arranged
as to bear equally upon every indi
vidual and every industry. Revenue,
then. being the only object of taxa
ton, we should take the best and
most expeditions modes of raising
the most taxes with the least 3D.
preston to the people How can
these results be best attained /? By
a low tariff for revenue that will per.
NIT the importation of fore IGN com
modities, thus creating compc tition
or by high protective tariff that
will exclude importation, thus aiding
monopolies? By the one method, an.
abundant revenue can be raised, and
the burdens will be light. By the
other, revenue can be raised, but it
Will be an unjust extortion from the
people. In our judgment, low
tariff can only be brought about by
the retention of the Internal Reye.
nue. taxes.
1t is useless to say that the system
Of collecting these taxes cannot be
done in way more satisfactory to
the people. 1t is useless for one
part of the press to become sour.
bitter and acrimonious in the dis.
cussion of this subject because the
other part sees fit to express its
VIEWS We see no reason for strife
ana marsh language. Why not de.
nounce a person for his religions
views as we'll as for his convie.ions
on this subject The one would De
as reasonable as the other. Wei
think the people should be enlight
ened upon this subject as we'll as
upon any other. We do not profess
70 be infallible, nor to be wise above
Wnat IS written. We recognize the
TACT that the maj ity rules. Weare
democrats. When tue people speak
throne hsfhnir ronrooo,4o@;uoo; 3, o,o