South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-03-28
Nineteen Years or war TAXA
ton.

uS pSOp.e VI iOc ~ utteO -sotco tos
more thar eighteen years have been
| paying taxes levied. for war pur-
poses in time of war.
look at the internal revenue sys-
tenn We are now living under the
third law OF the kind The first WAS
enacted to aid u eytingu,s'iing The
debt OF the Rev olution The second
was passed TO furnish means for
carrying on The second war
with Great Britain. rhe third
went into effect in 1863. to provide
money for expressing tie rebellion.
An excise law is always offensive
to a free people. That passed under
WashingtOn's administration led I'd
open resistance in Pennsylvania, md
brought matters to the verge OF civil
etrife. Had it not been for the whis-
key rebellion, as it was called, that
act would have been repealed long
before Mr.. Jefferson recommended its
appeal in his first message. 1t exis-
ted from 1892 to 1901, and yielded
60, il2.097 revenue 10 tho Treasury.
The next act excited five years, and
from 1914 10 1878 yielded o revenue
OF $14, 1882.
In few weeks nineteen years will
have passed away since the close OF
the civil war. From 1865 to 1853
the receipts from internal revenue
taxes aggregated the enormous sum
of, 1854. 2s2 .l5e.
During the sixteen years of the two
earlier periods cf excise taxes, the re.
ceipts were $50, 255, $40 in all, or ie $
than seventh part Of last years re-
turns from this source under the re-.
duced scale.
The causes which led TO In. whisky
rebellion III Pennsylvania were tri-
fling compared with the outra ges in
fiicted by tie agents Of the internal
revenue NJ the present time, especial.
~ in districts distant from the great
cities and among people who are not
familiar with the law, and who hav @
ouly limited knowledge of their own
rights.
There is standing army CT four
thousand partisans, drilled like regular
troops, and trained in machine poll
tics. Their political services furnish
iInmunit..' for crimes that, with pro-
per administration OF justice, would
long ago have sent many OF them to
the penitcrtary.
1t WAS shown in the invs stigation
moved by Senator Vance to expose
the iniquities practiced in North Car.
DINA by IL csc officials, that they have
been required to contribute over half
OF their pay, in addition to personal
service, To help the Republican party.
Mr.. Jefferson recommended the re-
peal OF the original Internal Revenue
act upon the ground that the surplus
created by il would be temptation
to war. Sound principles he said,
will not JUSTLY our taxing the indus.
try OF our fellow citizens to accumulate
treasure for wars to happen we know
not when, AMI which might not per-
haps happen but for the temptation.
offered by that treasure There is
no danger OF war now. But there is
a far greater danger in the corruption,
extravaganza & decentralization which
are encouraged by standing surplus
in the treasury. Rings, jobbers, pub
lie plumbers oil every degree and pro-
fessional II oiisnen regard this sur
plus as the aim to which all their
schemes are directed. 1t has polluted
our politics, melted robbery and aug
mented the public expenditures aud
the internal revenue system is to
blame for its eXist.nc.. New York
Sun.