The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-06
,...rpal Rexonue--New use for 1t.

Internal neEoHuc--No" SS~ ~
The prospect OF cutting down the rev
euue OF the Federal Government by oyel
a hundred millions OF dollars Is one which
dispIeascs some persons. They have beer
10 long accustomed to an ovcrfiowins
treasury and all its evil consequences IN
the shape Of extravaganza OF every sort
such as unearned pensions and reck'
less appropriations to all sorts OF I'M
meritorious schemes, that they cannot
but set their wits to work to devise some
plausible excuse for perpetuating those
immense revenues, and for keeping up tne
internal-revenue department.
The st. Louis Republican, although II Is
Democratic paper, makes the suggestion
that the internal taxes be continued by the
Federal Government as means OF paying
fhe debts OF the several States. IL says:
an the taxes on spirits, beer, and to-
bacco are being made to pay the national
debt In the very easiest way that Herculean
task could be done. may they not with equal
propriety. after the ma ional debt shall have
been cxtinguished, be made to pay all other
public debts-S State, county, and localI
"The Federal excise alone on spirits, beer
and tobacco yields S133,0O0,OOO year.
This does not include State, county, and
municipal licenses and taxes.
1.-THE aggregate State, county, city, town,
township, and school district debt OF the
country Is rs follows: State debts, sl,O56,-
100000; county debts, Sl24, 1000, 600; town
ship debts, S3I 100000; school district
debts, S17,535, 600; city and town debts.
S64S, 800, 900; total. Sl.S77, 100000.
=. IL will be observed that the Federal
excise on spirits, beer. and tobacco, could
nav the entire debts Of all the States i'm less
than eight years. In less than year they
would paw all the county debts; IN four
months they would pay all the township
and school district debts, and in less than
five years they would pay all the city and
town debts. In the short period OF fifteen
years they would pay the whole aggregate
OF State. county, city, and other local
debts. Indeed, II plan were adopted by
which the Internal-Revenue Bureau should
assume the payment OF all this indebted
ness. the burden would be from that mo-
ment lifted from the backs of the people,
and they released from all charge on ac-
count OF ii, including the Sll2,00O,0O0
which they now pay every year in the
shape OF interest"
That Is an enticing scheme. The mere
statement of It's merits almost conyinces
one that 1t is a good one. But, then, there
is another side TO the question. To con-
vert the several States-not to say the coun-
ties, towns, and cities-into mere pension
ers Of the Federal Government would be
to change In effect our form of government.
The extravaganza, too, that would be be-
gotten OF such scheme would do incalcu-
liable harm. The Republican states the
debts OF the several States at little over
a thousand millions Of dollars but il
the scheme were once adopted, that in
debtedncss would grow very rapidly.
How much, for example, is set down for
yirginiay Probably twenty millions of
dollars. But her creditors could easily
prove against her debt ranging in amount
from thirty TO fifty millions OF dollars.
How much is set down for West Virginia?
Nothing. II the Republican believes what
Governor JACKSON, of that State, said in
his first annual message-namely, that West
Virginia owed no debt. Yet Virginia
turned over to her in 1871 debt OF fifteen
millions. which has since grown 70 one Of
twenty-odd millions. How much is set
down to North Carolina, South Carolina.
Georgia, Tennessee, and other States which
have compromised with their creditors!
How much to Mississippi, which has never
compromised nor readjusted her debt in
any manner, but owes now, with interest
added, the debt which she repudiated forty
years ago?
And then think Of the debts which have
been repudiated by counties, villages,
towns, and cities. These debts would be
resurreeted. They would come in shoals.
The injustice Of paying the debts Of de-
faulting States and States that have allowed
their debts to accumulate year after year
and never made any serious effort to pay
them, and thus putting money into their
purses as q reward for their delinquency,
would be well calculated to disgruntle
States which owe no debts because they
have economical their resources, managed
their finances wisely, and got rid Of their
debts by paying them. When you propose
to pay thirty or forty millions Of debts for
Tennessee, or Georgia, or any other State,
you will be asked to pay as much for Penn
sylvania, or Maryland, or Illinois, because
they have paid debts Of their own amount
ing to thirty or forty millions Of dollars.
In fact, to say nothing Of the politica
evils which would result from ADOPTING
the policy advocated by the Republican
the impossibiIity of carrying such schem,
into effect would condemn it. Congress
would surely be a bedam during the pen
dency OF 1t.
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