Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-11
lancaster fntrlligrnrer,
TUESDAY svBNsNe, SEPT. IL 1893
M UNNECESSARY Taxation.

PENNSYLVANIA to continue the federal
internal revenue taxes Oh whisky and
tobacco and divide among the counties
the money received from them by the
general government. Were this the case
the Tribune might well say that the
Democratic plan differed but little from
the Wharton Barker idea, approved by
the Republican state convention, to
raise one hundred and fifty millions OF
surplus revenues by federal taxation and
divide 1t among the states.
The Pennsylvania Democracy favor
no such thing. They have unmistakabIy
declared against the continuance of the
internal revenue tax because the money
that It raises is not needed. In his last
message to Congress Secretary Folger
said, with respect to the surplus moneys
coming into the treasury
The radical cure for tho evil Is in the
reduction OF taxation, so that no more
will be taken from the pc pie than enough
10 carry on the government with economy
TO meet all its obligations that mast be
met from year to year (; to pay of with
reasonable celebrity tho part of the deot
which 1t may pay at pleasure, and to pro-
vide through the sinking fund for the pay
ment OF that which will become payable
by aud by. The evil comes from the like
lihood of the government holding from
time to time a large surplus To be poured
out in volume at uncertain and unforeseen
times, and at times often inopportuue for
the business Of the country. There could
not be that surplus, surely not SO great a
one, II the subjects of taxation were les
sened and the rates made smaller upon
those retained.
President Arthur in his message re-
ferring to the same subject said:
l heartily approve of the secretary S
recommendation Of immediate and extcu.
sive reductions in the annual revenues OF
the government. IL will be remembered
that l urged upon the attention of Con
gress at its last session the importance oi
reli wing the industry and enterprise o'
the country from the pressure of unneces
sary taxation. II is one of the tritest
maxims Of political economy that all taxes
are burdenso,ne, however wisely and pru-
IDENTIFY imposed. And though there have
always been among our people wide differ.
ences of sentiment as to the best methods
OF raising the national revenues, and, in.
deed, as TO the principles upon which taxa.
tion should DO based, there has been sub.
stantial accord in the doctrine that only
such taxes ought to be levied as are uccss
sary for a wise and economical administra
tion OF the government. OF late the pub
lie revenues have far exceeded that limit
and unless checked by appropriate
legislation such excess will continue to
increase from year to year For the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1881 the surplus
revenue amounted to 800, 900, coo. For
the fiscal year ended on the 3Jth of June
last he surplus was more than sl4j, ,0O0,.
O0O.
The commissioner of internal revenue
pointed out that the estimated receipts
from the internal revenue tax for the
next year would be just about Sl45, 5,OOO,-
O00-the amount indicated by the presi
dent as the unnecessary surplus and he
gave good advice that " no more reve-
nue. should he raised than is necessary
for an economical administration of the
government and radical reduction
OF the public debt" for when the
amount collected is beyond the actual
needs of the government there is pre-.
sented constant temptation to extrava
gance in appropriations.
Ii cannot fairly be contended for that
this surplus should be applied to the
payment Of the national debt. This
generation has already borne its burden
OF that. Since 1865 the debt has been
reduced from S2,756, ,i3l, ,57l l3 to little
more than a billion and a half, the prin
cipal per capita from S7S % TO s2S. Al and
the interest from 81 % to 05 cents. Be-
sides, there is little more of the debt due
before 1891, So that if the payment of it
continued for two years more the govern.
ment would have to buy It's own bonds at
apremium. The tariff raises ample money
for the purposes of government and may
for years to come for even when duties
are lowered the impOrtatons are in
creased and the gross receipts NAV
not be lessened. The revenues from
the internal taxes therefore being not
needed, and their imposition having
been war measure, the members of the
Democratic state convention very prop
erly resolved that they believe in such
taxation rs is requisite for the necessi
ties OF the government economically
administered, and the people should only
be taxedso much as is absolutely indis
penslble for the frugal conduct of their
aifairs-not one cent Cor surplus and 10
unnecessary taxation. The existing sur
plus in the treasury should be faithfully
applied to the payment of the public
DEBT. The money not needed for the ex
pense Of the government should remain
In the pockets OF the people. To this
end we favor the entire abolition of the
present system Of internal taxation as a
measure of relief demanded by the peo.
pie from unnecessary and unequal bur
bens.
There are many objections in detail
10 the internal revenue tax, besides the
general objection that it is not needed.
IL Is an unequal tax, The corn whisky
that can be made for q cents gallon
Is taxed so-33S per cent. while the ten
dollar whisky bears no more, which is
only per CEN. on its value the
cigar that can be made for S4 thousand
Is taxed $3-75 per cent, while the $50
cigar Is taxed the same, in which case
the tax is less than five per cent. the
tobacco that costs % cents per nound 1.