The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-03-26
THE TAX on WHISKY.


three yeaIs, under bond, to pay the
tax Of ninety cents a gallon. One
year ago there were in this country
ninety million gallons in bond, on
which the three years had nearly
expired. Eighty-one million dollars
must then be paid the government
unless the tax could he previously
rereale d. 4 strong move to abolish
1t was made early last winter. but
met with such grave resistance that
the whiskyites sought temporary re.
lief another way. They introduced
q bill in Congressi to extend the
bonded term two years, hoping
thus to defer payment until they
could effect the repeal Of the law.
To save SO many millions they could
afford to spend money freely at
Washington: and the ablest men
there became their attorneys.
Throush pressure of business in
both Houses, the bill failed to psss.
To further evade the tax, the owners
OF the whisky shipped it abroad for
|
removed, when the goods will be
returned 10 this country free OF duty
as "goods OF American manufac>
ture."
There ara still in the country
60 OO0.CO0 gallons on which the
bonted perioj is nearly up, when
$54 100000 more will bs due the
| treasury,
Here lies the handspring of the
movement to abolish or reduce the
tax on whisky. OF course 1t is
favored also by the friends of the
"M9on sinners" at the South and the
people of Kentucky, who msnu-
featured &C. 600 600 gallons Last year,
according to report.
Will the removal OF the tax be a
benefit to the government? Of
course not Every intelligent man
knows that it Is the heaviest blow at
the revenue OF the country that
could possibly be struck.
It is the most reliable and uniform
tax that i paid into the treasury
There was collected last year from
the excise on whisky and tobacco
$4,000, 900, at cost of only 4 per
cent. Every dollar paid went into
the national pocket. No article of
import brought to the government
one half the amount. The produc-
ton of whisky and tobacco from
year to year is so nearly uniform
that the Secretary OF the Treasury
can compute the revenue from this
tax far more defni tely than from
that of any other arti cles. 1t is
levied on a luxury, aud not on ne
eessity, and is collected largely from
haunts of crime and their patrons.
II clogs the wheels Of no useful in
Sustry. It Is a burden upon vice
alone. 1t is in accord with every
principle of political economy,
and hence has been made, among
the most enlightened nations, the
staple of revenue. England collects
three-fOurths of all her custom du
ties from these tw o articIes-spirits,
including wine and tobacco; and she
raises an eGua! amount (S75, 600, 000)
by her excise tax on the same. Nc
one locking to the interest Of gov.
eminent can advocate the repeal OF
reduction of the tax on thee min
listers of vice.
But no " is it about the taxpayer
True. It doubles the price OF the
commodity to the consumer bat
that is benefit to his wife and
children If a ran will spend
money for these articles, the less OF
them he gets for his money the bet.
ter. The price Of whisky Sin bond
Is about S1.1O per gallon. Ada 90c
3 tax and the price becomes So. The
Kentucky pool mas just ordered that
ithe distiileries shall run but two.
thirds their cacaeisy the present
year. Throw off the tax aud the
. liquor leagues can no longer control
D the market by limiting the amount
I manufactured. Small distillsTies
; will eprtng up every where and the
s'goOd old days" when rum SOLD al
8 fifty cents gallon or three cents 6
glass, will return TO many villages
t It is what the Ia5oriDg classes are
:, clamoring for; the ten perance PEG
!. pie working frTS the respectable
people waiting for
it Then must the god people OF TIT
:. land take up the word and let sheil
voice ring out sd loud and clear tina
d it shall DE heard even in Congress
70 above the ola of parties and tn
.s clamOr Of the lobby, saying, IN tn
name cf econ 0Dy, Temperance ant
70 industry, in the name of employer
8. and employ es. In the Eame OF tn
At drunkard's wife and children, il
the name OF humapity: "Let
aloneI It ia n good tsx."-James F
Clafin in tls Nea0 YORK Iaadepend