The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-10-27


The Democratic party ii irrevecably
committed to certain principles of taxa
ton, and among these is pledge to
abolish supeFhnous taxes. The national
platform distinctly pronounees against
the continuance Of the war tax, called
internal revenue. any longer than neees |
sity requires. II is ssoutly cnntsnded
that our national finances are not Ia
such condition al pr. sent as to justify
the entire abolition Of internal revenue.
II Is also urged that these taxes are nov
on luxnries. But the argument Of rev
enue scarcely applies 70 the TOBACCO tax,
v bich is only about S25 coo 600 and the
argument Of luxury Is not~very evident,
seeing that the tx il emphatically a
tax on the poor men The lab0rers are
almost universally nsers OF tobacco, in
some form, and it is not certain that
the pangs OF hunger might not often be
more sensibly felt but for the alieyia
ton Of the piPe.-A O. PieagRne.
There is not another Democratic pa
per in the South, within our knowledge.
which cOncurs with the Pio0yuae on the
question Of the tobacco tax. The fore
going paragraph is as full Of errors a.
an egg is of meat. It is true that the
Democratic party is pledged to abolish
supefhuou9 taxes" but it is not true
that under ex sting circumstances, the
tobacco tax IS "sapefadous. The taxes
to which the term applies are those
which are levied upon the necessaries Of
life. The proposition TO repeal the to
bacco tax, Is simply proposition to
continue the present. exorbitant taxa
ton upon cotton and wooden goods, iron
and earthwares, mechanical and agricul
tural implements and the ike. Hence,
the Pic0yune will find its most ardent
coadjutors in the ranks Of the Northern
Protectionists who propose to abolish the
Internal Revenue system in order to
create pretext for keeping up the tax
upon the articles Of prime necessity
The Democratic party is pledged to con
linue the whisky and tobacco tax unit
the liabilities incurred by the war are
discharged. viii our New Orleans con
temporary refresh its memory by con
sulting the Platform of the Chicago
Convention Of 1884?
Taxation in any form, or upon an!
article, or property, is a hardship; bu
it is an inevitability resulting from thu
necessity Of supporting the government
10 imposing taxes, the subjecrs Of taxa
ton are matter Of choice. Tobacco i
comfort to both the rich man and tn,
poor. but it is not an article of neces
sary subsistence and living like th'
clothes we wear, or the salt we eat, o
the tools with which we labor Urti
the war debt is paid, We must max
choice Of abolishing The Internal Rev
enue tax tobacco and whisky OF tax
ing exol bitantly such articles of neces
sity as we have named. Ii the PicayR
thinks that this is mere assumption
we would ask its attention to the elahG
rate report of the Committee of Way
and Means at the last session Of Congress
upon a resolution to repeal the the take
ON tobacco. BAsing its conclusion upo
substantial array of statistics, tn
report concludes: The adoption Of III
resolution would reduce the revenue j
1887, 100000, 900; it would not redue
the number of Office holders, nor tn
expenses of internal-revenue machinery
Il 1nouid postpone any hope Of a rerision {
the present tariff"