The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-21
$3.50, 100000 Revenue.
st. Louis Republican. !

st. Louis Republican.
The only good reason for abolishing the
Internal revenue system as proposed by
Mr. Randall, the Northern Republicans
md some Southern. Democrats, is that it
would surrender spirits, beer and tobacco
TO the states for local taxation. The
government now collects about $780,
100, 600 a year from these three luxuries,
md no one feels the burden. 1t has
collected from them, from first to last,
about 3, SOC, ,000, ,000-and if the whole
had been devoted 20 the payment of
the national debt, that debt would have
by this time entirely disappeared. If
the government should release the three
luxuries to the states for taxation, and
the states should subject them to an
excise system as simple, cheap and
effective al the federal internal revenue
arrangements, and extract from them
the $l30,000,000 year, which the gov
ernment now extracts from them, it
would be sufficient revenue to defray all
the expenses of all the State govern
ments twice over.
This may appear surprising state
ment, but it Is true. The total taxation
for state purposes in all the states in
1879 was $52, ,000, 600; it is not over $685.
000, 900 in 1885, and the total taxation for
county purposes in all the States is
about S70,000,00 making the amount
for both $I25 900, ,000-and this includes
payments of interest and the appropria-
tions for all public and charitable
institutions The three articles of
spirits, beer and tobacco are, therefore,
capable OF yielding, and are at the
present time yielding, a revenue sutfi-
cient to defray all the expenses of
all the State and county governments
in the Union, support the public insti-
tutions and pay the interest on and the
principal of all the State and county
debts If the States could collect an
excise on the three luxuries as effectu-
ally as the federal government has col
lected it for over twenty years they
could afford to abolish all State and
county taxes of whatever description,
and do away with assessors, collectors
and their entire present revenue Gystems.
The revenue now yielded by spirits,
beer and tobacco 1880, ,000, ,000) is 81 so
per capita Of the population. Missouri's =
share is S., $50, 900. If the taxes on the
articles should be abolished, this large
amount of revenue would be lost, unless
the States should collect it and apprO
pirate it to their own wants.
Can they do this? If they cannot, it
would be wiser for the federal govern
ment to maintain the taxes on spirits,
beer and tobacco, ard give the people
the greater relief which would come
from reduced duties on the necessaries
of life-sugar, salt, tools, hardware, lum-
Der, clothing, woollen and cotton goods
and machinery. 1t is preposterous to
talk about removing the excise on these
luxuries and still taxing the people Oh
necessaries and comforts, and taxing
them for the twofold purpose of revenue
and protection.
Spirits, beer and tobacco ought to be
taxed They are yielding a large
revenue, which is paid without hardship
almost without being felt. They
ought TO continue to yield it, either to
the federal government or to the States
II the federal government resolves to
release it, then the question will be
whether the States can devise an effec-
tive scheme for collecting it for their
own benefit.