Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-09
The Tarif-rntsrnal Taxes.

The Tariff-fnternal Taxes.
We received yesterday, In the Con
ggsssisssi Record, Mr.. fuckers short
speech Of Monday last in favor Of sus-
pending the rules Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives and passing Mr.. IlIscoCR s
bill 20 abolish The internal-rcyenae
taxes on tobacco, cigars. fruit-brandies,
&c. Mr.. TUCKER ,kcs precisely the
same ground which we took yesterday
in regard 10 the effect Of doing away
with those taxes. lie argues that to
abolish all internal taxes would be 10
compel the Government to resort to
discriminating tariii--not to horizon
tai increase OF the customs-duties upon
all articles coming into this country
from abroad. Repeal the internal
revenue laws, says Mr.. TUCKER, and
Congress will be compelled TO abandon
the prohibiiory rates Of duties. Why.
then, should Mr.. WATTFRsoN and hls
followers oppose that benehceut actiong
Why do they clamof for taxes upon to-
bacco and oigarsS We mentioned yes
.s0iay :; III. ,..>NuAlI sie. .1'r
the F,Iginia cougresSRen ., votsu on
Monday last TO 30 away with The inter-
nal tlxes upon tobacco, cigars, &c.
Why should any southern man wish
TO provide by law for gangs
Of revenue spies, informers. and cleo
tioDeererss Who except those officials
has infiamed the northern mind against
the South by atrocious libels and false
storiesy Who else has done so much
TO prevent a restoration Of kindly feel
ings between the people Of the two Sec
tons Of our common country? We
fear that the whiskey ring is at the
bottom Of all the opposition to the
abolition Of the internal-reyenue bu-
reau, and that the country will never
get rid Of that bureau unless by throt-
Ting that ring.
Mr.. TUCKER, we repeat. says that to
repeal the internal-revenue laws would
be to compel Congress to abandon pro-
. hibiiory rates of duties. Why? Be
cause, as we said yesterday, high duties
do not necessarily produce large reve-
nues, but, on the contrary, may, and
do in many cases, destroy all revenue.
A tariff of so per cent. upon an article
that will bear only Is per cent. will not
yield any revenue. IL cannot. 1t will
only exclude the article from this coun-
try altogether.
So far as we are concerned, we have
for many years been willing to support
any sort of tariff that would by its ex-
istence free the country from all reve-
nue. spies, informers, and electioneer-
ers--all official tramps whose practice
it is TO libel the southern people as a
means Of retaining their offices and per-
petuating their hold upon the Fed
crai money-bags those mercenary
wretches who patrol the mountain fast
nesses Of the South and drag away from
home and friends the poor rustics who
have made few gallons of brandy from
their apples-all officials. in word.
whose controlling desire it is to make
money out Of the misfortunes and igno-
rance of the rural communities of vir-
ginia, West Virginia, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and other
southern States.
Whilst treating this subject, we will
quote a short extract from speech
made in the House of Representatives
on Monday last by the Hon. j. V. l..
FINDLAy, Of Maryland, in favor of Mr..
HIsC0CK's motion. 1t says no more
than we have ourselves said repeatedly
on the same points; but we quote it as
endorsing what we have said as to
whether tobacco ought to be taxed, or
treated as the sole luxury of the poor
man, and,thercfore one that ought not
to be taxed. Mr.. FINDLAy said:
. 81 regard the tobacco tax as bur-
en-, not so much upon the luxuries Of
Bic rich as upon the necessities of the
poor. The vast bulk Of il is paid by
men who literally earn their bread by
the sweat Of their brows. The manu-
faeiurers Of this product, particularly
in the form Of cigars, are hampered by
restrictions which render the conduct
Of the business by men Of small means
exceedingly difficult. and to such as are ,
without capital impossible. In this
way an ordinary source Of livelihood :
has been closed to hundreds who before
the imposition Of the tax earned an hon
est and secure subsistence by engaging l
In this manufacture.
The machinery for the collection of
the tax has in more than one instance
been progressively set in motion SO as TO /;
grind the face Of the poor and destroy
the weak in the interest Of the rich and
powerful. am opposed to the tax it.
self and the modes by which /, is COL
lccted, and, other things being equal, !.
nothing would induce me to withhold
my vote from proposition for its re- :
peal except an absolute necessity for :
revenue to meet the expenditures Of the .
Government"
The internal-revenue taxes "must !,
90 i
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We judge from the "signs Of the .
lines y as to General GRANT that the I