The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-16

such, then it is part of the redundancy"
which according to Mr.. Blaine, ought not
to be exist, but ought TO be reduced,
either by lowering that tax or some other
which is more oppressive to the communi
ty. If the tax on distilled and fermented
liquors properly and justly forms part Of
of the public income, and if in consequence
of its existence the revenue is redun-
dant, the tax on sugar might be abolished,
or that and other taxes might be reduced
to the extent of at least $50, 000, 000-Mr.
Blaine said $3.50, 100000. That the tax on
liquors is proper part of the public re
venue Mr.. Blaine argues in variety of
ways. Indeed his whole scheme proceeds
on that basis, since he proposes to retain
it, and merely change the direction and
Appropriation of it.
1t appears, therefore, that the differ
ence between his plan and the Pennsylva-
mia plan is mere fancy" The latter pros
posed to distribute the surplus revenue
among the States, if there should be any
surplus. MIR. Blaine proposed TO establish
a surplus beforehand. and then distribute
il among the states. Because the revenue
is redundant, but ought not to be so, he
proposed that 1t should always be redun-
dant enough to yield $50 900, 900 per an
mum for distribution among the states.
This was the mighty product of states
manship which his genius evolved. Al
though his supporters have not given il
| the prominence which it deserves in the
campaign, we think that it is fully up to
the mark of his exploits in other fields OF
public usefulness, and that it will not
suffer eclipse when brought into compari>
son with his South American policy. The
only difference between his plan and the
one which lie condemned IS that he pro-
posed a sum for distribution rather less
| indefinite than that proposed by the
Penpsylvanians. His plan went upon the
| assumption also that one congress could
make disposition of the whisky tax
which another congress could not alter OF
repeal PermanenCe. fiXity, certainly
constituted the browning merit and dis
| tinction of his project as contrasted with
the other.
We are bound TO say that if there is
anything to choose between the two plans
the Pennsylvania plan is the preferable
one, since it would appropriate no more
money to the states in any year than the
government could spare after its wants
were known. But in truth both schemes
are wild and dangerous being utterly
subversive of local responsibility for the
| disbursement of public money. The in
| tcgrity and permanence Ofour institutions
in the last resort rest upon the care and
watchiulncss which the taxpayer cxer-
cises over the use which his state legsla
turc and local authorities make of The
money taken from his pocket and counted
out to the collector. If this annual cerc,
mony is dispensed with. in whole or il
part, his interest in the disbursement OF
public funds is necessarily relaxed The
proceeds of the whisky tax or of any TAI
distributed among the states in the man
ner proposed. would constitute thirty
eight corruption funds simultaneously
involving every species of extravaganza
decentralization, and waste The usefu
lax in a republic is the tax which is fell
and which imposes upon the citizen TIA
necessity of eternal vigilance" in scru
timing the public expenses.