Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-09-12
BLAINE NO pROHIBITIoNIsT.


EDrron JouRsAL:--In your issue Of the
9th Is an article calling in question the
Justice Of a statement which made MIR.
Blaine an advocate OF the tax or license
system.
The writor has the candor and the logic
TO admit that "If Mr.. Blaine ia a prohibi-
ZIONIST he could:not be In favor Of, or wish
to make, tax on malt and spirituous liq-
uors permanent source OF revenue to all
the States, certainly not IN Maine"
IA l presume your correspondent has
never seen the letter from which the senti-
ment ascribed to Mr.. Blaine was taken, /
will give few extracts with an analysis
Of the contents OF the letter. The letter
was written aud dated Augusta, Maine,
Nov. 22, 1888, aud directed TO Chas. L.
Smith, editor Of the Press, Philadelphia,
and in II lie propounded plan for dis
tributing the surplus revenue of the United
States among the several States.
It is n plan ITO relieve taxation IN the
States.o He objects 10 the Pennsylvania
plan, which looked only to the distribution
each year of whatever surplus there should
be, on the ground, First, "of the utter un-
certainty of the amount OF redundant rev.
enue." Second, on the ground OF "divid-
ing the interests Of the Senators and Rep
resentatives." A third objection is, "that
il proceeds upon the assumption Of a con
tinual redundancy of national revenue"
Under this head are additional reasons
to show that the assumption il unlenable
and that there was danger that the free
traders might form coalition and effect
the abolition Of the system Of internal
revenue.
His plan is devised to meet these diff.
culties
l. 10 make the revenue certain.
2. To take it absolutely away from ma
tional interest-secure it 10 the States.
8. To relieve 1t from the contingency OF
its destruction with the abolition OF the
system OF internal revenue. In other
words. to made IT permanent.
HIS PLAN.
He says:
IA bill of ten lines could direct the Sec.
retary Of the Treasury to pay the whole Of
il Il. e. tax on malt and spirituors liquors)
less the expense OF collection to the States
and Territories in the proportion OF their
population, and 10 continue IL permanently as
part Of their regular annual reucnue."
After stating that this would pay abo ut
one dollar and seventy five cents per cap
ita to all the people, or $50, 100000 an.
nually, he concludes ss follows:
~ trust l have made the difference be.
tween this proposition and the Pennsyl-
vania proposition sufficiently plain.
"The one which have suggested gives
the revenue from a specific tax wholly TO
the States and does not depend on chance
surplus or on accidental remainder in the
national treasury.
III makes Me tar on spirituous and mall
liquors permanent resource to all the States,
enabling them thereby TO definitely read
Just their own taxation. Each State
could most wisely Use its own share ac-
| cnrding to its own necessities. In Maine,
for example, our share would enable us to
repeal absolutely the State tax proper,
leaving only the countp and town taxes
on the people.
| 81 believe the measure would prove a
great beneficence to the people in all parts
of the Republic.
"Very Resp'y,
"JAs G. ALAINE"
Does my friend G. need more explicit
proof that no injustice was done to Mr..
Blaine when ! intimated that the ma n
who would make the tax on spiriluous
and NAL, liquors a permanent source of rev.
enue to all the States, could not have my
vote nor my approval in any way. Ii
these are the sentiments of Il Maine Prohi
biiionist they must have kind down there
very different from the one we call Prolii-
bitiOnisl in OHIO.
Ii seems plain to me from this letter OF
Mr.. Blaine's that he represents an average
Ohio Republican politician in that he does
not believe that an end will ever be made
Of the liquor traffic.
He could see possible coalitions" which
might take off the tax, but no possible
combination OF circumstances which could
destroy the traffic. THIS was to be perma
nepi. Some of his friends attempt to sel
the force of this argument aside by saying
''the tax was TO he while the traffic existed.
But the strength of his argument rests or
tile suppressed promise, "lhe traffic viii
always exist" Therefore tur ON it will
be permanent source of revenue.
There are many things l would like L
say MS 10 the policy here outlined, but "a
| present | stOp, hOping | have been able Il
convince your correspondent, who seem
to be a temperance man IN sentiment tha
l was presenting that side OF his polio,
which lie seems 10 have taken special pain
to get before the American people.
q. A. ADAMS.