The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-20
&c SUPPLIES REYENIIE.n

In less than month now Congress will
meet, and we may expect that the Revenue
Reformers" will be both numerous and per-
sistent ON the floor and in the Hobbies dur
ing the session.
There is a fascination about posing before
the public in the character of tax-reducer
which many Congressman cannot resist if
they try-and they do not try. To talk
glibly about the over taxed people" and of
the necessity of Tightening their burdens"
is exceedingly easy, and the talker is pretty
sure Of sympathetic hearing. This is
especially true in seasons of business de-
preston like the present.
Consequently, during the coming Winter
we shall probably have enough and to spare
of talk about removing burdens of tax
alton" which no one knows to be burden
some, and of reforming that which needs
no reformation. We shall, therefore, run
much risk of repeating the blunders of for
mer years, when we frightened" and IRE
formed" the Treasury out Of great sums of
revenue, which only served to increase the
enormous gains of few men, and gave no
relief whatever to the people.
Take, for example, the stamp-tax on patent
medicines. 1t was one cent on every 25 cents
of the retail price. The abolition of the tax
put $4,000 a year back into the pockets
of one manufacturer of medicines alone,
100000 q yeer into another's, and SO on
through the whole list of patent medicine
owners, but it did not put a cent into the
pockets of the medicine buyers. The medi-
cines were not sold penny cheaper. The
sick of the country were not saved dollar
no matter how much medicine they might
buy,-but the already large profits of medi-
cine makers were swelled very greatly.
There is no call for the abolition of any of
the taxes which the Government now col
lects. They are so light that no one under
stands that he is taxed until the fact is
Iaboriously pointed out to him. If the taxes
were taken off the people would receive no
benefit from it. A few very rich men would
become richer, and that would be all.
Especially would it be foolish to disturb the
imposts now levied on tobacco, beer and
whisky. The taxes collected on those arti-
cles are light, and are honestly collected, and
the dealers themselves do not want an agi-
tation of the subject, which is sure to de-
moralize their market for months and even
years
The Government needs every dollar which
it now receives. 1t needs the money to pay
its Just debts to the soldiers who preserved
its life. II should and must not abate a
dollar of the revenue until it has met in full
the obligations which it assumed in 1861,
when, in asking men to come to its assist
ance, it solemnly promised:
"That any volunteer who may be received
into the service of the United States under this
act and who may be wounded or otherwise
| disabled in the service shall be entitled TO the
| benefits which have been, may be- conferred
| on persons disabled in the regular SERVICE
! etc.-ReuiSed Statutes, p. 200.
Until all those who were wounded or
otherwise disabled in its service are prop
erly provided for according to the contract
it entered into with them, it can have no
surplus revenue" If, after discharging all
these obligations, it has an excess of funds,
there is Navy to be built, our sea-coast TO
be properly defended, proper educational
facilities to be provided for every child in
the land, and other pressing National needs
that are much more urgent than any
reyenue-tinkering
| Send tao0-cent stamp to The National Ifib-
une for petition in .faror Of the Immediate
q Js,.n., 10 10